To enhance the efficacy of IL-12-mediated cancer immunotherapy, decorin (DCN) was explored as an adjuvant for overcoming TGF-β-mediated immunosuppression.
We conclude that enhanced immunogenicity may mediate the antineoplastic effects of decorin gene therapy for malignant glioma but that factors other than TGF-beta may be responsible for glioma-induced immunosuppression.
Decorin gene therapy for experimental malignant glioma is thought to involve antagonism of immunosuppression induced by glioma-derived transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta).
Ectopic expression of decorin results in the regression of rat C6 gliomas, an antineoplastic effect attributed to the reversal of TGF-beta-induced immunosuppression.