Interleukin 12 (IL-12) is a heterodimeric cytokine that exerts a potent antitumor effect through its pleiotropic actions. It was recently reported that IL-12 has also a potent antiangiogenic effect through the induction of IFN-gamma, which triggers the production of chemokines such as IP-10 that has been shown to have antiangiogenesis properties. In this study we transfected the IL-12 gene into a human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line (PK-1). PK-1 cells transfected with the green fluorescence protein (gfp) gene were used as positive controls. The in vitro growth curve and in vivo tumor growth of transfectants (IL-12/PK-1 and gfp/PK-1) were compared with those of parental cells. The SCID mice used in this study were administered antiasialo GM-1 Ab (100 microg, i.p., twice weekly) to deplete the remaining immunoeffector cells, NK cells. Using a skinfold chamber model, we observed and recorded tumor angiogenesis by intravital microscopy. In vitro growth of IL-12/PK-1 and gfp/PK-1 cells was not different from that of wild-type PK-1 cells (wt/PK-1). However, IL-12 transfected PK-1 cells did not develop into tumors as did the wt/PK-1 cells after subcutaneous inoculation in antiasialo GM-1 Ab administered SCID mice. The growth of IL-12/PK-1 tumors was restored in mice treated with anti-IL-12 antibody. We found that IL-12/PK-1, in contrast to gfp/PK-1 and wt/PK-1, failed to initiate an angiogenic response, as observed in the skinfold chamber model. These results indicate that the antiangiogenesis effect of IL-12 alone, without immune system involvement, is sufficient to block the growth of human pancreatic cancer.