title: Immunotherapy of patients with hormone-refractory prostate carcinoma pre-treated with interferon-gamma and vaccinated with autologous PSA-peptide loaded dendritic cells--a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We conducted a pilot trial to assess the feasibility and tolerability of a prime/boost vaccine strategy using interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and autologous dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with HLA-A2-specific prostate-specific antigen (PSA) peptides (PSA-1 [141-150]; PSA-2 [146-156]; PSA-3 [154-163]) for the treatment of 12 patients with hormone refractory prostate carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients were vaccinated four times with intracutaneously injected PSA-peptide loaded DCs after subcutaneous administration of IFN-gamma 2 hr before DC administration (50 microg/m(2) body surface). Objectives were safety, clinical benefit, clinical and biochemical response, quality of life, and immunological parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The vaccination was well tolerated without any vaccination-associated adverse events. One partial and one mixed responder were identified, four patients showed stable diseases. Two patients had a decrease and four a slow-down velocity slope in the PSA serum level. All responders showed a positive DTH-response, but only two a slight increase in PSA-peptide specific T-lymphocytes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The immunotherapy with IFN-gamma and PSA-peptide loaded DCs was feasible and well tolerated. The observed responses imply a potential antitumor activity.
authors.affiliation: Tumor Biology Center, Freiburg, Germany. hildenbrand@tumorbio.uni-freiburg.de
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hildenbrand
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sauer
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kalis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stoll
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Freudenberg
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Niedermann
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Giesler
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jüttner
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Häring
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Unger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azemar
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen