Thyroid cancer immuno-therapy with retroviral and adenoviral vectors expressing granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor and interleukin-12 in a rat model.

Background: Introduction of genes encoding immuno-stimulatory cytokine(s) into cancer cells is well known to enhance anti-tumour immunity.

Aim: The present studies were designed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of retroviral- and adenoviral-mediated delivery of IL-12 and/or granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) genes for thyroid cancer in an immuno-competent rat model.

Methods: A rat thyroid cancer cell line FRTL-Tc syngeneic to Fisher rat was used.