Grants and Contracts Details
Description
Lung cancer kills more individuals in Kentucky each year than anywhere else in the U.S. Whether a person
survives lung cancer depends on a number of factors; however, the ability of a patient's immune system to
attack his/her lung cancer is one important factor. Many lung cancer cells produce a hormone-like molecule
called interteukin-10 (IL-10). This molecule is known to suppress many aspects of the immune system, but its
role in the development of lung cancer is virtually unknown. We have developed a model in which mouse lung
cancer cells express different levels of IL-10 and grow to form tumors when injected into mice. Using this
model we have demonstrated that IL-10 alters the immune cell types and their state of activation within the
tumor. We propose to use this model to determine if production of IL-10 by lung cancer cells suppresses the
abilty of mice to develop an effective immune response against their tumors and whether IL-10 expression
allows lung tumors to grow faster in mice and to spread more effectively to other tissues in the body. If the
release of IL-10 by lung cancer cells is shown to inhibit the immune response against lung cancer cells and to
enhance the growth and spread of the tumor in mice, it may suggest that therapies to control the production of
IL-10 in lung cancer could enhance the ability of a patient to generate an immune response against their own
tumor and subsequently increase the chances for survival for lung cancer patients. Consequentely, a final
goal of this proposal is to neutralize IL-10 production by lung tumor cells in vivo to determine if a more effective
anti-tumor response can be elicited in tumor-bearing mice. These studies will provide a framework for a future
NIH grant application to determine if the poorer prognosis of lung cancer patients with IL-10-producing tumors
is due to alterations in the immune response against their tumors. Findings from these studies will also allow
us to determine if investigations into therapies which controllL-10 synthesis by lung cancers should be
pursued in future studies. Finally, these studies will enable us to establish new interactions with other tumor
immunologists and tumor biologists within the state of Kentucky and initiate the intellectual and scientific
interactions that are necessary for development of successful NIH program project applications.
Status | Finished |
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Effective start/end date | 7/1/03 → 1/31/07 |
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