Glucan: attempts to demonstrate therapeutic activity against five syngeneic tumors in guinea pigs and mice

Animals with established syngeneic tumor transplants were treated with glucan to study the therapeutic potential of this agent under well-defined experimental conditions. The tumors used were a guinea pig hepatoma, 2 murine fibrosarcomas, a murine melanoma, and a murine adenocarcinoma. All tumors were syngeneic to the host. Living BCG, administered directly into guinea pig tumors, cured all animals, whereas glucan, administered under the same conditions, had no significant antitumor activity. Neither BCG nor glucan, when administered iv, was active against the guinea pig hepatoma. An emulsion prepared with endotoxin, a fraction of mycobacteria related to cord factor, and mineral oil when administered intratumorally was also effective in treatment of line 10 tumor. A similar emulsion, in which glucan was substituted for endotoxin, was inactive. Intralesional, ip, or iv administration of glucan was ineffective against the murine tumors. Previous reports of glucan-induced activity against a B16 murine melanoma were not confirmed. BCG was tested against the 2 murine fibrosarcomas and, when given either intratumorally or iv, was found to be effective against one of them.