HTLV-1 gene expression in adult T-cell leukemia cells elicits an NK cell response in vitro and correlates with cell rejection in SCID mice.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). We have previously shown that the ATL cell line, RV-ATL, formed tumors when inoculated into severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. In contrast, the HTLV-1 in vitro-transformed cell line, SLB-1, was nontumorigenic in SCID mice.