A murine leukemia x LM fibroblast hybrid cell line with immune augmenting properties stimulated resistance to Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) in mouse peritoneal macrophages, and in immune deficient beige mice (C57BL/6/bgj/bgj). The proliferation of MAC in mouse peritoneal macrophages was inhibited by medium conditioned by the growth of the hybrid cells (hybrid cell-CM). Under similar circumstances, media conditioned by the growth of LM cells (LM cell-CM), a mouse fibroblast cell line used as one parent in forming the hybrid cell, was exhibited no inhibitory effect. Treatment of mouse peritoneal macrophages with hybrid cell-CM, but not with LM cell-CM, stimulated the expression of each of four previously described macrophage activation antigens, suggesting that the hybrid cells formed immunomodulators in addition to those formed by LM cells. Furthermore, the morphology of the macrophages following treatment with hybrid cell-CM was clearly distinguishable from that following exposure of the cells to LM cell-CM. The therapeutic effects of hybrid cells on the progression of MAC-infection were indicated by the prolonged survival of MAC-infected immune-deficient beige mice. One hundred percent of treated animals survived more than 60 days, while untreated animals died in approximately 22 days.