A Note on the Non-Specific Action of So-Called “Anti-Cancer Serum”

Abstract

The experiments described in this note were undertaken for the purpose of determining whether sera obtained from rats after repeated injections of Jensen rat sarcoma tissue injure specifically Jensen rat sarcoma cells. Outline of Experiments Rats were immunized (1) with Jensen rat sarcoma tissue; (2) with emulsions of normal rat spleen; (3) with normal rat blood. Sera from rats of these three series were tested against ( a ) cultures of Jensen rat sarcoma cells; ( b ) cultures of normal spleen cells; ( c ) cultures of mouse carcinoma 63; ( d ) cultures of cells of normal mouse spleen. Jensen Rat Sarcoma Tissue as Antigen: Two series of “tumour-resistant” rats were employed. (1) Rats of the Jensen rat sarcoma susceptible strain of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund Laboratories. These rats had been used for routine transplantation of the Jensen rat sarcoma; the implants had grown for a time and had then regressed. (2) Rats of the Wistar strain in which the Jensen rat sarcoma cells do not flourish readily. Twelve such rats were given routine inoculations with minced Jensen rat sarcoma. Of these, 9 showed transient growth of a tumour; one produced a good tumour of progressive growth which was subsequently used for further transplantation; two rats died, one after a small growth had entirely regressed.