Effects of monoclonal antibody, recombinant interferon-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the treatment of human melanoma xenografts

ZME-018 monoclonal antibody (MAb, IgG2a subclass, 0.04 mg), recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (rHuTNF-alpha, 10(4) units), and recombinant human interferon-gamma (rHuIFN-gamma, 10(6) units) were injected intravenously into athymic nude mice bearing human malignant melanoma (Brown C5513) xenografts. Sixty-four animals were injected subcutaneously with 0.2 ml tumor chunks 4 days prior to administration of one or more of the treatments. The mice were randomized into eight groups so that mean tumor volume/group before initiation of treatment was similar (212-360 mm3); (a) saline, 2X; (b) rHuTNF-alpha, 1X; (c) rHuIFN-gamma, 1X; (d) ZME-018, 1X; (e) rHuIFN-gamma + rHuTNF-alpha, 1X each; (f) rHu-IFN-gamma + ZME-018 + rHuTNF-alpha, 1X each; (g) rHuTNF-alpha + ZME-018, 2X each; (h) rHuTNF-alpha + ZME-018, 3X each. The order of administration of the agents in those groups given more than one modality is as shown above and each injection was separated by a 24 h period. Tumor volume was measured daily for 9 days after the beginning of treatment. Compared to control mice, minimal suppression of tumor growth was noted when ZME-018, rHuTNF-alpha, or rHuIFN-gamma was used singly, but significantly (p less than or equal to 0.05) slower tumor progression occurred in animals given rHuIFN-gamma + rHuTNF-alpha or ZME-018 + rHuTNF-alpha when compared to controls. Histopathologic analyses of tumor biopsies obtained at 1 and 4 days after the last treatment for each group indicated that 15-95% necrosis was present. Necrosis was most striking in the animals given rHuIFN-gamma + rHuTNF-alpha or the ZME-018 MAb alone. However, the group receiving all three agents exhibited a tumor growth rate similar to that seen in the controls and demonstrated minimal necrosis. These results suggest that ZME-018, rHuIFN-gamma, and rHuTNF-alpha may be useful in the treatment of human melanoma. However, the effects of administration of all three of these agents in a single host needs to be evaluated further.