Figure 3.

Recombinant lvDLK1-based vaccines are therapeutic and promote a type-1–polarized TME. (a–d) BALB/c mice were inoculated s.c. with RENCA tumor cells in the right flank on day 0. (a) After cohort (n = 5) randomization for similar mean tumor size on day 10 post-tumor inoculation, mice were treated i.d. in the left flank with 40 or 200 transduction units (TU) of lvDLK1 or control virus, lvNEG. Tumor size was then monitored longitudinally. (b–e) On day 27 post-tumor inoculation, mice were euthanized, with harvested tumors fixed, sectioned and analyzed by immunofluorescence microscopy for expression of (b) CD31 (green) and DLK1 (red) with white arrows indicating DLK1⁺ cells, (c) CXCL10, (d) co-localization of VCAM1 with CD31, and (e) CD8⁺ TIL (green) and NG (red). Histograms to the right of images reflect mean fluorescence intensity quantitation of the indicated markers (±SD) from three independent fields per slide as described in Materials and Methods. Data are representative of three independent experiments performed. *P < 0.05 versus control treatments (analysis of variance). i.d., intradermal.