Anti-tumor effects of interferon-beta cell therapy in murine model of melanoma

Purpose: Recombinant interferon beta (IFN-β) has been used for a treatment of cancers. However, the efficacy of recombinant IFN-β is limited because of its short half-life and side effects. To overcome these problems, we focused on the efficacy of cell-based therapy (cell therapy) using IFN-β-producing cells in the treatment of melanoma. Methods: IFN-β-producing therapeutic cells were constructed by gene transduction using retrovirus vector. Anti-tumor effects of the cell therapy were investigated by a murine melanoma model. Results: IFN-β cell therapy significantly suppressed the proliferation of B16 melanoma in vitro and the growth of B16-derived tumor in vivo , accompanied with the activation of natural killer (NK) cells. IFN-β cell therapy did not show any systemic side-effects concerning hepatic dysfunction and bone marrow suppression. Conclusion: IFN-β cell therapy could be a candidate as a novel cancer treatment.