Aim: DNAs containing unmethylated CpG motifs can stimulate innate and adaptive immunity. The aim of this study was to investigate the immunostimulatory and anti-neoplasm effects of a novel CpG oligodeoxynucleotide, ODN10, in tumor-bearing mice.
Methods: B16 melanoma-bearing C57BL/6 mice were administered ip or sc with ODN10 or conventional CpG ODN1826 on the indicated days post inoculation. The animal survival rate and the inhibitory effect on tumor growth were observed in vivo. B and T lymphocyte proliferation, natural killing cell cytotoxicity and the phagocytic ability of peritoneal macrophages from the animals were determined using [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation assay, 4-h (51)Cr release assay and neutral red chromometry method, respectively. The serum levels of IL-12, IL-4 and IgE were quantified using ELISA assays. Histological examination of tumor tissues was performed after HE staining, and the expression of PCNA, CD63, and CD80 in tumor tissues was analyzed with immunohistochemistry.
Results: ODN10 (1, 5 and 25 mg/kg) significantly inhibited the growth and metastasis of the tumor, and significantly prolonged the survival of tumor-bearing mice, as compared with ODN1826. The immune status was suppressed in tumor-bearing mice. Both ODN10 and ODN1826 significantly reversed the suppressed immunoactivities in tumor-bearing mice, which included promoting B and T lymphocyte proliferation, enhancing NK cell and peritoneal macrophage activities, inducing IL-12 secretion and inhibiting IL-4 and IgE secretion. Further, CpG ODNs decreased PCNA and CD63 expression while induced expression of CD80. ODN10 presented more potent activity, and displayed the most prominent immunostimulatory potential.
Conclusion: ODN10 produces prominent immunomodulatory effects on cellular immunity in tumor-bearing mice, which might help reverse the established Th2-type responses to the Th1-type responses, thus may be used as a potent anti-tumor immunotherapy agent or adjuvant.