• Antitumor effector T cells can be generated from tumordraining lymph node cells by activation with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody and interleukin 2. Fresh tumordraining lymph node cells do not have antitumor activity, but after anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody–interleukin 2 activation, these cells mediate immunologically specific tumor regression in vivo. We examined the effect of interleukin 1 α administration on the development of effector T cells derived from tumor-draining lymph nodes. Mice were inoculated with tumor cells, and interleukin 1α (180 to 720 ng) was administered on days 0, 2, and 4. Tumordraining lymph nodes harvested 10 to 14 days later were activated in anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody for 2 days followed by expansion in interleukin 2 for 3 days. Antitumor efficacy of the activated cells was assessed in the adoptive immunotherapy of lung micrometastases. Administration of interleukin 1α enhanced the antitumor reactivity of effector cells derived from tumor-draining lymph nodes without changing the immunologic specificity of the cells. Administration of interleukin 1 α did not alter the phenotype of fresh or activated tumor-draining lymph node cells. Interleukin 1α deserves further investigation as an immune adjuvant in adoptive immunotherapy.
(Arch Surg. 1991;126:1503-1509)