Immunological monitoring of cancer vaccine therapy.
Immunological treatment of malignant diseases in humans aiming at the induction and proliferation of antigen-specific T cells has made rapid progress in recent years. A growing number of tumour-associated antigens, potentially synergistic combinations with adjuvants, and various routes of application provide new opportunities for cancer vaccination. Therefore, a highly accurate assessment of vaccine-induced T cell responses is required. Three T cell assays (tetramers, intracellular cytokine flow cytometry and ELISPOT assay) have emerged as first-line methods for monitoring T cell induction during vaccination. These assays are relatively easy to perform, reliable, sensitive and allow an ex vivo T cell analysis at the single cell level. Although at this stage assays are not a defined surrogate marker for clinical efficacy, they already provide information concerning the immunological potency of a given vaccine. In particular, comparing immune responses under various treatment conditions will help to develop more clinically efficient tumour vaccination. Novel assays, such as CD107 staining, human leukocyte antigen/green fluorescent protein-antigen-presenting cells or microarrays, and assays determining functions, such as proliferation assays, are beginning to complement first-line monitoring assays.
Nagorsen
Dirk
D
Charité, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Medizinische Klinik III, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200 Berlin, Germany. dirk.nagorsen@charite.de
Scheibenbogen
Carmen
C
Thiel
Eckhard
E
Keilholz
Ulrich
U
D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D001704:Biopolymers; D019921:Biotinylation; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000032:analysis; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007159:Immunologic Tests; D016233:Immunotherapy, Active; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D019809:Streptavidin / Q000032:analysis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001704:Biopolymers; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D016207:Cytokines; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006680:HLA Antigens; D019809:Streptavidin