Fig. 5.

DTT-VEGF vaccine inhibits tumor growth. a Survival rates of mice after the tumor challenge in preventive vaccination. C57BL/6 mice (n = 8) were immunized (im.) three times at 2-week intervals. One week after the second immunization, the mice were challenged subcutaneously with 1 × 10⁵ B16-F10 tumor cells. ***p < 0.001, Log-rank test. b Survival rates of mice after the tumor challenge in therapeutic vaccination. C57BL/6 mice (n = 8) were challenged subcutaneously with 1 × 10⁵ B16-F10 tumor cells. One day later, the mice were immunized three times at weekly intervals. *p < 0.05, Log-rank test. c–g BALB/c mice (n = 10) were vaccinated with three immunization of DTT-VEGF or DTT at 2-week intervals. Immunized mice were challenged subcutaneously with 3 × 10⁵ CT26 tumor cells 1 week after the second immunization. Tumors volumes were measured at indicated times (c). Tumors were excised and weighted (d). ***p < 0.001, **p < 0.01, Mann–Whitney U test. Macroscopic appearance of CT26 tumors (e). Scar bar 1 cm. H&E staining of CT26 tumor sections shows necrosis in tumors from DTT-VEGF-immunized mice (f). Scar bar 100 μm. Hematoxylin staining shows mitosis (indicated by arrows) in tumors from DTT-immunized mice (g). Scar bar 50 μm. Data are representative of three independent experiments