Combination of T-cell therapy and trigger of inflammation induces remodeling of the vasculature and tumor eradication

In a transgenic mouse model of multistep carcinogenesis, highly angiogenic insulinomas contain an irregular vascular network and develop an intrinsic resistance to leukocyte infiltration and effector function. Even persistently high levels of activated tumor-specific T lymphocytes fail to eradicate the tumors. In contrast, we show that irradiation before adoptive transfer results in complete macroscopic tumor regression. Thus, effective tumor therapy requires a proinflammatory microenvironment that permits T cells to extravasate and to destroy the tumor. Early after initiation of the irradiation/adoptive transfer therapy, the capillary network reacquires an almost normal appearance, a likely consequence of strong induction of the chemokines monokine induced by IFN-gamma (Mig) and IFN-inducible protein 10 (IP10). This remodeling of the vasculature in a proinflammatory environment may directly affect lymphocyte extravasation and effector function. Therefore, irradiation/adoptive transfer therapy combines antigen-driven tumor cell eradication with anti-angiogenic effects on tumor endothelium, a powerful synergy that has not been previously appreciated.