title: Dendritic cells pulsed with hsp70-peptide complexes derived from human hepatocellular carcinoma induce specific anti-tumor immune responses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the anti-tumor effect of dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with hsp70-peptide complexes derived from human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells on human T cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hsp70-peptide complexes were purified from human HCC cells with column chromatography using ADP-agarose and DEAE-Sepharose. DCs were derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors in the presence of human GM-CSF and IL-4. The anti-tumor effect of DCs pulsed with hsp70-peptide complexes on human T-cell was assayed by CTL and enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hsp70-peptide complexes derived from human HCC cells activated phenotypic and functional maturation of DCs. The matured DCs stimulated a high level of autologous T-cell proliferation and type I cytokine secretion, and induced HCC-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), which specifically killed HCC cells by a MHC class I restricted mechanism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hsp70-peptide complexes derived from human HCC cells can serve as a potent tumor antigen source for pulsing DCs, the pulsed DCs are very effective in activating specific T-cell responses against HCC cells.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Xian-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Mei-Hao
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins