Transgenic IL-2 expression in Ewing tumor cell lines after transfection with Starburst dendrimers and cationic liposomes.

Immunotherapy with IL-2-transduced cells requires efficient methods of gene transfer. Nonviral methods have been studied intensively in recent years. This study examined whether tumor and fibroblast cell lines established from Ewing tumor patients could be efficiently transfected with the IL-2 gene.

Induction of a CD3+/CD56+ lymphocyte population following gene therapy with transgenic IL-2 secreting fibroblasts in a child with peripheral neuroectodermal malignancy.

Background: Adjuvant interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy after stem cell transplantation can improve the prognosis of patients with Ewing tumors. This has been attributed to stimulation of the immune system and its antineoplastic activity, thus eliminating minimal residual disease. As the side effects of systemic IL-2 limit the dosage, attempts have been made to locally augment the concentration of IL-2 in the proximity of the tumor.

Differential production of interleukin-3 in human T lymphocytes following either CD3 or CD2 receptor activation.

Interleukin-3 (IL-3) is expressed in T lymphocytes and stimulates the growth of multipotent hematopoietic progenitors. Little is known, however, about the stimuli that lead to IL-3 protein release. We examined IL-3 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) mRNA expression and protein secretion in human T lymphocytes following activation via the TCR/CD3 complex, the CD2 receptor, and the IL-2 receptor.