Recombinant ret oncogene products induce T lymphocyte proliferation, and suppress lymphoma derived from ret transgenic mice

Recombinant ret oncogene products in complete Freund's adjuvant were injected into normal mice and ret oncogene transgenic mice. Spleen cells from the mice immunized with ret proteins were highly proliferated in vitro by the stimulation of ret proteins. The proliferating T cells have CD4⁺ phenotype and secreated CTLL-2 reactive interleukins. The peritoneal exudate cells from ret proteinimmunized mice suppressed ret-2 lymphoma, which was derived from ret lymphoma transgenic mice. The peritoneal exudate cells from ret melanoma transgenic mice did not suppress ret-2 lymphoma, when they were immunized with ret proteins.