Recombinant Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF): its Potential as an Adjuvant for Developing Vaccines

Abstract

Migration inhibitory factor (MIF) was the first lymphokine to be discovered (Bloom and Bennett 1966, David 1966). The factor was identified by its ability to prevent the migration of guinea pig macrophages out of capillary tubes in vitro. We showed that the production of MIF correlated with delayed hypersensitivity and cellular immunity in humans and animal models (Rocklin et al. 1970, David and David 1977). MIF also altered macrophage physiology (Nathan et al. 1971) and increased macrophage functions such as killing microorganisms and tumor cells (Fowles et al. 1973, Piessens et al. 1975). However, a purified or cloned lymphokine was required to demonstrate that these altered functions of macrophages were induced by MIF and not by other factors. Using functional expression cloning in COS cells, a cDNA, p7-l, encoding for a human MIF was isolated. (Weiser et al. 1989).