Dendritic cell immunotherapy for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma: University of Tokyo experience.
BACKGROUND
Dendritic cells (DC) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells and induce host antitumor immunity through the T-cell response. A clinical study of immunotherapy using cultured DC loaded with tumor antigen, for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) was performed.


METHODS
Dendritic cells were generated by culturing monocytes from peripheral blood for 7 days in the presence of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-4. On day 6 the DC were pulsed with lysate from autologous tumor as the antigen and with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) as immunomodulator. The patients were given four doses of lysate-pulsed DC by intradermal injection with a 2-week interval between doses. Clinical effect and immune response were, respectively, evaluated by radiological examination and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) test.


RESULTS
Three patients were enrolled and the immunotherapy was well tolerated without significant toxicity. The vaccination induced a positive DTH reaction to tumor lysate in two patients and to KLH in all patients. Clinical responses consisted of one case of no change and two cases of progression of disease. However, we did not see a significant reduction of tumor volume in any case.


CONCLUSIONS
Dendritic cell vaccination can safely induce an immunological response against RCC. Further trials are needed to fully evaluate its efficacy.
Azuma
Takeshi
T
Departments of Urology, Cell Therapy and Transplantation and Transfusion Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Horie
Shigeo
S
Tomita
Kyoichi
K
Takahashi
Tsuyoshi
T
Tanaka
Yuji
Y
Kashiwase
Koichi
K
Nieda
Mie
M
Takeuchi
Takumi
T
Ohta
Nobutaka
N
Shibata
Yoichi
Y
Hirai
Hisamaru
H
Kitamura
Tadaichi
T
D000328:Adult; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D016233:Immunotherapy, Active; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D013997:Time Factors; D014041:Tokyo