title: Induction of a T helper cell response against the tumor-associated antigen HER2 using monocyte-derived dendritic cells.
abstract: Tumor-reactive CD4(+) T helper (Th) cells play a criticalrole in antitumor immunity, due to their ability to induceCD8(+) T cell-mediated cytotoxic activity and humoralresponse. This study focuses on the in vitro generationand expansion of Th cells specific for the tumor-associatedantigen ;human epidermal growth factor receptor-2' (HER2). Aprotocol for efficient HER2 presentation was developed usingautologous monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DC) as antigenpresenting cells (APC) and purified HER2 protein as antigensource. Our data suggest that DC pulsed with recombinantprotein of the extracellular domain (ECD) of HER2 (ECD/HER2)induce an ECD/HER2-specific Th cell response. This finding mayfacilitate the development of immunotherapy regimens withoutrequiring defined immunogenic epitopes of the antigen.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Hematology and Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Metzger
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nicklisch
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kufer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peschel
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Luppa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bernhard