Abstract
Three cases of human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) producing stomach cancer could be serially transplanted in BALB/c nu/nu nude mice. In this report, we studied on the biological characteristics of these tumors.
It was characterized that three transplanted tumors retained not only the morphology but also the function of the original tumors. Serum AFP level in nude mice ranged from 10, 690ng/ml to 38, 540ng/ml, and increased progressively. A positive correlation was observed between serum AFP level and tumor weight. It was of further interest that all of three tumors produced both AFP and normal serum proteins, albumin, α1-anti-trypsin and transferrin.
As a series of therapeutic experiment applied to this biological properties, the "missile therapy" has been administered to the transplanted nude mice bearing AFP producing stomach cancer, using a conjugate of mitomycin C and antibody to human AFP. As a result, significant inhibition was obtained in tumor growth and its effect is equivalent to that of ten times as compared with original ordinary concentration dosis of MMC.
