Selective Radiation Resistance of Immunologically Induced T Cells as the Basis for Irradiation‐Induced T‐Cell‐Mediated Regression of Immunogenic Tumor

Sublethal, whole‐body γ‐irradiation of immunocompetent, but not T cell deficient, mice bearing an established immunogenic tumor results in T‐cell‐mediated complete tumor regression and in long‐term host survival. This striking T‐cell‐dependent immunotherapeutic action of irradiation was paradoxically associated with the destruction of over 90% of host T cells and with a state of severe immunodepression as evidenced by the inability of irradiated mice to reject a tumor allograft. Furthermore, whereas exposure to 500 rads caused regression of a syngeneic tumor implanted 6 days before irradiation, it caused enhanced growth of a different syngeneic tumor growing on the same animal and implanted 1 day before. This ability of irradiation to cause regression of a 6 day tumor, but accelerated growth of a 1 day tumor, was also seen when the tumors were implanted in the reverse order. This means that, between days 1 and 6 of a tumor growth, tumor‐specific T cells are converted from a radiosensitive to a highly radioresistant state, almost certainly because of having been activated and inducted into the antitumor immune response. This explanation for the selective radioresistance of effector T cells is based on publications showing that activated, in contrast to resting, T cells are highly radioresistant. Thus irradiation‐induced, T‐cell‐mediated tumor regression depends not only on the destruction of radiosensitive suppressor T cells but also on the selective sparing of radioresistant activated effector T cells that are needed to destroy the tumor in the absence of suppression.