Antibody-mediated suppression of grafted lymphoma. IV. Influence of time of tumor residency in vivo and tumor size upon the effectiveness of suppression by syngeneic antibody.

Abstract

In the suppression of the growth of a mouse lymphoma 6C3HED by antibody, the effectiveness of antibody in suppressing growing or established tumor cells and a comparable number of freshly injected tumor cells is quantitatively similar. The effectiveness of antibody diminishes markedly when the number of tumor cells per mouse reaches the level of 106 due to the development of a macrophage shortage. At the 105 tumor cell level (antibody-mediated suppression takes place in an optimal manner and between 105 and 104 tumor cell numbers) the amount of antibody required to suppress 50% of the tumor cells is directly proportional to the number of tumor cells suppressed.