Suppression of human prostate carcinoma metastases in severe combined immunodeficient mice by interleukin 2 immunocytokine therapy

Immunocytokines are antibody-cytokine fusion proteins that combine the unique targeting ability of antibodies with the multifunctional activities of cytokines to activate effector cells in the tumor microenvironment. Here, we demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of a tumor-specific immunocytokine, huKS1/4-IL2, which effectively inhibited growth and dissemination of lung and bone marrow metastases of human prostate carcinoma in severe combined immunodeficient mice. This antitumor effect was specific and highly effective, irrespective of reconstitution of these mice with human lymphokine-activated killer cells. Survival times of mice treated with huKS1/4-IL2 were increased 4-fold as compared with animals treated with a mixture of the corresponding antibody and recombinant human interleukin-2 (rhIL2). A persistent antitumor response after treatment with the huKS1/4-IL2 immunocytokine in B, T, and natural killer cell-deficient severe combined immuodeficient-BEIGE mice, depleted of granulocytes, implies a major role for macrophages in this treatment effect. Our data demonstrate that immunocytokine-directed interleukin-2 therapy to tumor sites is an immunotherapeutic approach with potent effects against disseminated metastases of human prostate carcinoma and suggest that this treatment could be effective in an adjuvant setting for patients with minimal residual disease.