Contribution of the CXC chemokines IP-10 and Mig to the antitumor effects of IL-12

The mechanisms by which interleukin-12 (IL-12) exerts antitumor effects have been difficult to dissect. In this study, we examined the potential contribution of the chemokines interferon-γ-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) and Mig to the antitumor effects of IL-12. Using an athymic mouse model, local inoculations with IL-12 consistently produced tumor size reductions associated with characteristic tumor necrosis and vascular damage. These effects were indistinguishable from those produced by IP-10 or Mig injected locally in the same tumor model. Local and systemic treatment with IL-12 was associated with expression of the interferon-γ (IFN-γ), IP-10, and Mig genes and proteins in the tumor. Levels of IP-10 and Mig expression in the tumor, the liver, and the kidney were inversely correlated with tumor size. Administration in vivo of neutralizing antibodies to IP-10 and Mig reduced substantially the antitumor effects of IL-12 inoculated locally into the tumors. These results support the notion that IP-10 and Mig contribute to the antitumor effects of IL-12 through their inhibitory effects on tumor vasculature.