Anti-tumour Activity of Canine Activated T-Cells and Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells against Canine Malignant Melanoma In Vitro.

CIK cells and activated T-cells show comparable, robust in vitro cytotoxicity against canine malignant melanoma cell lines.

This in vitro study investigated the anti-tumour potential of two adoptive cell transfer (ACT) immunotherapy approaches—cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells and activated T-cells—against canine malignant melanoma (CMM) cell lines. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from healthy canine donors and expanded using standardised protocols incorporating IFN-γ, anti-CD3/CD28 stimulation, and IL-2 supplementation. Flow cytometric analysis confirmed successful expansion, with CIK cells demonstrating 85% NKp46 expression and T-cells achieving 91.96% CD8+ expression. Both populations showed comparable expansion folds (7.94 vs. 7.88). Cytotoxicity assays against seven CMM cell lines at a 10:1 effector-to-target ratio revealed robust anti-tumour activity: CIK cells achieved 61.5% mean tumour cell killing and T-cells achieved 59.8% in allogeneic settings. Pearson's correlation analysis confirmed strong negative correlations between effector cell numbers and target cell viability (r = -0.960 for CIK cells; r = -0.790 for T-cells), indicating dose-dependent cytotoxicity. Cytokine profiling revealed distinct secretion profiles, with T-cells producing a broader cytokine repertoire compared to CIK cells. Notably, CIK cells demonstrated non-MHC-restricted tumour recognition, a significant advantage for allogeneic therapeutic applications. These findings establish the technical feasibility of expanding both effector populations from canine donors and confirm comparable cytotoxic efficacy against CMM in vitro. The results support further preclinical and clinical development of CIK cell and T-cell-based immunotherapy for canine melanoma, a tumour with recognised translational relevance to human melanoma.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.