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Cure of Mammary Carcinomas in Her-2 Transgenic Mice through Sequential Stimulation of Innate (Neoadjuvant Interleukin-12) and Adaptive (DNA Vaccine Electroporation) Immunity

¹ Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Orbassano, Italy; ² Center of Excellence on Aging Research, "G. D'Annunzio" University Foundation, Chieti, Italy; ³ Department of Molecular, Cellular and Animal Biology, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; ⁴ Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan; and ⁵ Cancer Research Section, Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Requests for reprints: Federica Cavallo, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Ospedale San Luigi Gonzaga, Regione Gonzole 10, I-10043 Orbassano, Italy. Phone: 39-11-790-5419; Fax: 39-11-236-5417; E-mail: federica.cavallo{at}unito.it..

Purpose: Whereas neoadjuvant therapy is emerging as a treatment option in early primary breast cancer, no data are available on the use of antiangiogenic and immunomodulatory agents in a neoadjuvant setting. In a model of Her-2 spontaneous mammary cancer, we investigated the efficacy of neoadjuvant interleukin 12 (IL-12) followed by "immune-surgery" of the residual tumor.

Experimental Design: Female BALB/c mice transgenic for the rat Her-2 oncogene inexorably develop invasive carcinomas in all their mammary glands by the 23rd week of age. Mice with multifocal in situ carcinomas received four weekly i.p. injections of 100 ng IL-12 followed by a 3-week rest. This course was given four times. A few mice additionally received DNA plasmids encoding portions of the Her-2 receptor electroporated through transcutaneous electric pulses.

Results: The protection elicited by IL-12 in combination with two DNA vaccine electroporations kept 63% of mice tumor-free. Complete protection of all 1-year-old mice was achieved when IL-12-treated mice received four vaccine electroporations. Pathologic findings, in vitro tests, and the results from immunization of both IFN- and immunoglobulin gene knockout transgenic mice and of adoptive transfer experiments all show that IL-12 augments the B- and T-cell response elicited by vaccination and slightly decreases the number of regulatory T cells. In addition, IL-12 strongly inhibits tumor angiogenesis.

Conclusions: In Her-2 transgenic mice, IL-12 impairs tumor progression and triggers innate immunity so markedly that DNA vaccination becomes effective at late points in time when it is ineffective on its own.

Key Words: DNA vaccination • Breast cancer • Immunotherapy

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