Patent ID: 6540994
Filing Date: 2003-04-01
Classification: A61K,C12N,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of treating cancer, comprising administering to a patient in need of said treatment, an effective amount of macrophages produced by culturing monocytes in vitro, said macrophages having at least one of the following properties:their cytotoxic activity without IFN-&ggr; is increased by about 20 to 30% with respect to standard macrophages; deactivation of the cytotoxic activity following activation of IFN-&ggr; is such that sixty hours after activation with IFN-&ggr;, the residual cytotoxic activity is at least 30% of the maximum cytotoxic activity presented by the macrophages due to IFN-&ggr; activation, with said cytotoxic activity being measured as a percentage of the inhibition of 3-H thymidine incorporation by target tumoral cells, wherein said effective amount is about 2Ã—109 to about 5Ã—109 macrophages, the method further comprising administering lymphocytes to said patient in an amount of about 4Ã—109 to about 10Ã—109 lymphocytes.