Low Dose of IL-12 Stimulates T Cell Response in Cultures of PBMCs Derived from Non Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

Lucia D’Amico, Enrico Ruffini, Riccardo Ferracini, Ilaria Roato

CeRMS (Center for Research and Medical Studies), A.O. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Torino, Italy.
Department of Orthopaedics, A.O. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Torino, Italy.
Department of Toracic Surgery, A.O. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Torino, Italy.

DOI: 10.4236/jct.2012.324044                

Abstract

Cancer induces tolerance by suppressing immune function, modulating the T helper activity and causing an imbalance of cytokines produced by T cells. IL-12 is an immune regulatory cytokine with potent anti-tumor activity and its signalling network leads to polarization of na?ve CD4+ T cells into Th1. In pre-clinical studies, administration of recombinant IL-12 by intravenous injection or IL-12 plasmid DNA by intra-tumoral injection showed some anti-tumor effects, measurable immunological responses, but also important dose-dependent side effects. We investigated the ability of low doses of IL-12 to modulate the T cell subpopulations in cultures of PBMCs derived from Non Small Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients and to induce lysis of lung adenocarcinoma cells by T cells. PBMCs were stimulated with different doses of IL-12 and T cell phenotype was evaluated. IL-12 at 0.01 pg/ml significantly increased the number of CD4 and CD8 T cells, in particular of CD4/IFNγ producing cells. IL-12 did not stimulate T regulatory, but it increased the lysis of lung adenocarcinoma cells induced by T cells. Our results showed that low doses of IL-12 modulates T cell sub-populations in vitro and it increased their lytic activity on adenocarcinoma cells, thus we hypothesize the use of low dose of IL-12 as a therapeutic tool against pathologies characterized by a T cell imbalance, in order to promote an immuno-modulation.

Keywords

Interleukin-12; Immuno-Modulation; T Helper; T Regulatory; Anti-Tumor Immune Response

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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