Cloning of human IL-12 p40 and p35 DNA into the Semliki Forest virus vector: expression of IL-12 in human tumor cells.

IL-12 can enhance the development of effective immune express the two subunits from the same vector, the p35 responses against tumors as well as against certain infec- and the p40 cDNAs were cloned into pSFV1, each under tious agents. It is therefore a potential candidate for thera- the control of a subgenomic SFV promoter. Recombinant peutic use in cancer therapy and in the design of vaccines RNA produced by in vitro transcription of SFV-IL-12 conagainst several infectious diseases. Several studies have struct, was packaged into SFV viral particles with the use demonstrated that IL-12 could efficiently induce tumor of a non-packageable helper RNA. We show that human regression in animal models. To investigate the antitumor tumor cell lines infected in vitro and in vivo with recombieffect of direct gene transfer of human IL-12 into tumors, nant SFV-IL-12 viral particles secrete high levels of biologihuman IL-12 p35 and p40 cDNAs were cloned into the cally active heterodimeric p35/p40 IL-12, as demonstrated Semliki Forest virus (SFV) vector pSFV1. In order to using ELISA and biological assays.