This laboratory is involved in developing methods to generate lymphoid cells which confer specific antitumor activity upon adoptive transfer. Murine models involving weakly immunogenic and non-immunogenic tumors have been utilized to examine the mechanisms involved in tumor immunization and tumor rejection. Utilizing monoclonal antibodies which can recognize subsets of cells has enabled us to define the role of L3T4+, Lyt-2+ and Ia+ cells in tumor rejection. Selective expansion of lymphoid cells in vitro with anti-tumor reactivity in vivo can be accomplished by incubation with interleukin-2 (IL-2) and secondary stimulation with irradiated tumor. This methodology is being employed to investigate the generation of lymphoid cells from tumor-bearing hosts. Efforts in treating hosts bearing established advanced macroscopic tumor is also being pursued.
