Immunotherapy approach with recombinant Survivin adjuvanted with alum and MIP suppresses tumor growth in murine model of breast cancer.

Survivin has received attention as a potential target for cancer immunotherapy because of its crucial role in oncogenesis. We undertook this study to evaluate the immunotherapeutic potential of combination of recombinant Survivin along with adjuvant alum and immune modulator Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP). In vivo efficacy of the combination was studied in an invasive murine breast cancer model. Recombinant Survivin protein was purified from E. coli based expression system and characterized by western blotting. Purified Survivin protein was combined with alum and MIP, and was used for immunization of Balb/c mice. Antigen primed animals were then challenged with syngeneic mammary tumor cells known as 4T-1. Balb/c mice spontaneously develop tumor when inoculated with 4T-1 cells. Antigen and adjuvant combination was immunogenic and significantly suppressed tumor growth in mice immunized with combination of recombinant Survivin (10 µg), alum and MIP. This is the first report that describes a combination immunotherapy approach using recombinant Survivin, alum and MIP in highly metastatic murine breast cancer model and holds promise for development of new biotherapeutics for cancer.