Non-T cell killing of mammary tumor cells by spleen cells: secretion of antibody and recruitment of cells.

Both T cell-mediated killing and non-T cell-mediated killing of target MTV-induced mammary tumor cells can be detected in microcytotoxicity assay tests of spleen cells from mice immunologically responsive to either the histocompatibility antigens or the virus-associated antigens of the target cells. The non-T cell-mediated cytotoxicity is antibody-dependent; otherwise inactive cells (null cells) can be recruited to activity by target cell-specific factors obtained from the supernatant of short-term cultures of sensitized B cells or provided by the introduction of a small number of sensitized B cells to the wells of the assay plate.