In this study, the immunomodulatory effects of a sequential micro-
immunotherapy medicine, referred as MIM-seq, were appraised in human primary M1 and M2 macrophages, in which the secretion of pro-inflammatory
cytokines, such as
interleukin (IL)-1β,
IL-6,
IL-12,
IL-23, and
tumor necrosis factor (
TNF)-alpha, was inhibited. In addition, the potential anti-proliferative effects of MIM-seq on
tumor cells was assessed in three models of
colorectal cancer (CRC): an in vitro two-dimensions (2D) model of HCT-116 cells, an in vitro tri-dimensional (3D) model of spheroids, and an in vivo model of subcutaneous xenografted mice. In these models, MIM-seq displayed anti-proliferative effects when compared with the vehicle. In vivo, the
tumor growth was slightly reduced in MIM-seq-treated animals. Moreover, MIM-seq could slightly reduce the growth of our spheroid models, especially under serum-deprivation. When MIM-seq was combined with two well-known anti-cancerogenic agents, either
resveratrol or
etoposide, MIM-seq could even further reduce the spheroid's volume, pointing up the need to further assess whether MIM-seq could be beneficial for CRC patients as an adjuvant
therapy. Altogether, these data suggest that MIM-seq could have anti-
tumor properties against CRC and an immunomodulatory effect towards the
mediators of inflammation, whose systemic dysregulation is considered to be a poor prognosis for patients.