Fig. 4

Formulating CuMV_TT-p33 nano-vaccine with the micron-sized MCT adjuvant causes tumour regression and enhances CD8⁺ and p33 specific CTL infiltration into B16F10p33 tumours. a A diagram illustrating the adapted tumour experimental method based on injecting ~ 1 × 10⁶ B16F10p33 melanoma cell line into the flank of RAG2^−/− deficient C57BL/6 mice. Twelve to thirteen days later the growing tumours were collected and processed in ~2mm³ for transplantation into the flank of WT C57BL/6. b Vaccination scheme for three vaccine groups, CuMV_TT-VLPs, CuMV_TT-p33 and CuMV_TT-p33 formulated with MCT. c Tumour growth curve of subcutaneous B16F10p33 melanomas in each vaccinated group, mice were euthanized when the tumour reached ~1000mm³, arrows indicate start of treatment. d Tumour volume mm³ (mean ± SEM) measured at day 14 post tumour collection in each vaccinated group, each dot represents a tumour. e Representative flow cytometry dot plots showing the total number of CD8⁺ Tetramer⁺ CTLs in each vaccinated group. f Density of CD8⁺ T cells (means ± SEM) in each vaccinated group, “measured by dividing the total number of CD8⁺ cells in TILs by the tumour volume^”. g Density of CD8⁺ Tetramer⁺ CTLs (means ± SEM) in each vaccinated group, “measured by dividing the total number of CD8⁺ Tetramer⁺ CTL by tumour volume^”. h Percentage of CD8⁺ IFN-γ ⁺ secreting cells (means ± SEM) in each vaccinated group. Statistical analysis by Student’s t test. (5 mice per group), one representative of 3 similar experiments is shown