Concurrent Application of Interferon-gamma and Vincristine Inhibits Tumor Growth in an Orthotopic Neuroblastoma Mouse Model

Purpose: Tumor-associated macrophages are present within neuroblastoma, and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) can polarize macrophages into cancer-inhibiting M1 type. We hypothesize that treating neuroblastoma with interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) can suppress tumor growth, and the concurrent treatment with IFN-γ and vincristine can lead to enhanced tumor killing as compared to vincristine alone.

Methods: We loaded IFN-γ or vincristine into silk biomaterials and recorded the amount released over time. Orthotopic, syngeneic neuroblastoma xenografts were generated by injecting 9464D cells into adrenal gland of C57BL/6 mice, and IFN-γ-loaded and/or vincristine-loaded silk biomaterials were implanted into the tumor once the tumors reached 100 mm. Drug release at different timepoints was measured and tumor growth after different treatments were compared.

Results: 1-2% of IFN-γ and 70% of vincristine were released from the biomaterials by the fifth day. Combining IFN-γ and vincristine significantly slowed tumor growth as compared to the controls (12.2 ± 2.7 days to reach 800 mm versus 5.7 ± 1.2 days, p = 0.01), and IFN-γ alone also delayed tumor growth as compared to the controls (10.9 ± 1.5 days versus 5.7 ± 1.2 days, p = 0.001). Hematoxylin and eosin staining demonstrated tumor necrosis adjacent to the drug-loaded silk biomaterials.

Conclusion: Local delivery of sustained release IFN-γ can inhibit neuroblastoma tumor growth by itself and in combination with vincristine.