Immunogenicity of L 1210 Murine Leukaemia Cells after Treatment with Neuraminidase

Abstract

THE privileged position of trophoblast and tumour cells may depend on a barrier which interferes with antigenic expression. As a working hypothesis it was suggested that cell surface sialomucins could act as a barrier to intimate contact between such privileged cells and lymphoid cells. Subsequent studies have indicated that histocompatibility antigens on mouse trophoblast can be detected after treatment with neuraminidase². The increased immunogenicity of Landschutz ascites tumour cells after treatment by the same enzyme has also been reported from this laboratory³. This communication reports studies with another murine tumour. L 1210 (v) leukaemic cells were passaged every 5 days by 0.05 ml. of ascitic fluid in C57Bl/DBA2F₁ mice. All passage animals which were not killed died within 8 days of injection, with haemorrhagic ascites and wasting.