Immunomodulation following chemotherapy

In the last decade, immunomodulation has emerged as a mode of therapy capable of mediating the regression of cancer in some patients. This article reviews our experience with immunomodulation following transplant and non-transplant chemotherapy. We used interferon and cyclosporine A following conventional chemotherapy in a non-transplant setting for a B16 melanoma in a murine model. This combination generated cells with MHC-unrestricted cytotoxicity. We have also used immunotherapy in the transplant setting with IL-2 activated PBSC in patients with breast cancer. Of the 28 patients treated, 20 developed GVHD and the average time to reconstitution was 12 days (comparable to a control group). This article also raises the possibility of extending immunomodulation to breast cancer patients in the non-transplant setting to induce an antitumor immune response following cytoreductive chemotherapy.