Fig. 7.

a Two-step immunotherapy against an established MC-C tumor using DX treatment followed by dendritic cell vaccination. Mice bearing an MC-C tumor (about 550 mm³ of tumor size) received DX and 3 days later (when tumor size was about 600 mm³) dendritic cells (DC) pulsed with MC-C tumor lysate (DX + DC, n = 6). Tumor growth was evaluated in this group as well as in tumor bearing mice receiving DX only (DX, n = 6), DC only (DC, n = 8) or none (control, n = 11). Comparison of DX + DC with the others groups: day 27: P < 0.001 versus control, P < 0.01 versus DC; and P < 0.02 versus DX; day 32: P < 0.001 versus control, P < 0.01 versus DC and DX; day 35: P < 0.01 versus control, P < 0.001 versus DC and P < 0.05 versus DX; day 44: P < 0.001 versus control and DC and P < 0.01 versus DX. Comparison between DC versus control and DX: day 27: P < 0.05. Arrow: day of DX inoculation, open arrow day of DC inoculation. b Comparison between the therapeutic effects of the two-step immunotherapy (DX + DC) and conventional chemotherapy by using vincristine against an established MC-C tumor. Although vincristine-treated mice (vincristine, n = 10) as well as DX, DC and DX + DC-treated and control mice (control) were studied simultaneously, for clarity, data from vincristine were shown in b instead of a. For comparative purposes, data from DX + DC-treated and control mice shown in a were reproduced in b. Comparison between vincristine versus control: P < 0.001, P < 0.01 and P < 0.05 at days 27, 32, and 35, respectively. Comparison between vincristine versus DX + DC: P < 0.02 and P < 0.01 at days 35 and 44, respectively. Arrow Day of DX inoculation. Open arrow Day of DC or vincristine inoculation