Tumor immunity in vitro: destruction of a mouse ascites tumor through a cycling pathway.

Lymphocytes in peritoneal exudate from BALB/(c) mice immunized against ascites leukemia EL4 are uniquely efficient at destroying (51)chromiumlabeled EL4 cells in vitro. The lytic process depends upon the number of lymphocyte-tumor cell interactions. Efector lymphocytes are not inactivated as a result of lethal contact but can interact repeatedly with tumor cells.