Figure 3. Single implantation of fibrin matrices functionalized with FNIII 9-10 + FNIII 11-EDA in E.G7-OVA tumor bearing mice reduces tumor growth rate.

C57BL/6J mice were injected s.c. with 10⁶ E.G7-OVA cells on the back. When tumors reached 50 ± 5 mm³, the ability of fibrin-binding FNIII EDA-containing FN fragments to induce a functional CD8⁺ T cell response was tested by treating mice with fibrin matrices functionalized with various matrix formulations implanted s.c. or with soluble formulations injected i.d. Animals were sacrificed either when the tumor reached 1000 mm³ or for humane reasons. (a, b) Tumor growth was significantly delayed in animals vaccinated using a fibrin matrix functionalized with FNIII 11-EDA ± FNIII 9-10 (each with an N-terminal TG domain) + TG-OVA_250–264 both in terms of tumor volume (a) and animal survival (b). TG-OVA_250–264-free matrices also proved slightly effective in delaying tumor growth (a) and extending animal survival (b). Growth curves were stopped when the second animal of the corresponding group died, the value corresponding to the first animal which died was kept as a constant until the curve was stopped. Growth curves represent mean ± SEM; Kaplan-Meier survival-curves (n = 4–9). *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001.