n-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl-n-acetylmuramyl-alanylisoglutamine and Melanoma

Flow cytometry was used to demonstrate that cultured human melanoma BRO cells expressed membrane-bound tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and were able to release TNF-alpha upon treatment with glucosaminylmuramyl dipeptide (GMDP). The released TNF-alpha was shown to prime melanoma cells, previously unable to respond to GMDP by increasing expression of melanoma-associated antigens, making them sensitive to GMDP treatment.

Topics: Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine; Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Antigens, Neoplasm; Cell-Free System; Culture Media, Conditioned; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Melanoma; Mice; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha