title: Clinical and immunologic evaluation of dendritic cell-based immunotherapy in combination with gemcitabine and/or S-1 in patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the current study, we have evaluated the clinical and immunological responses in patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma who received dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapy in combination with gemcitabine and/or S-1.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dendritic cell-based immunotherapy (DC vaccine alone or DC vaccine plus lymphokine-activated killer [LAK] cell therapy) in combination with gemcitabine and/or S-1 has been carried out in 49 patients with inoperable pancreatic carcinoma refractory to standard treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 49 patients, 2 patients had complete remission, 5 had partial remission, and 10 had stable disease. Prolongation of survival in this cohort was highly likely (median survival, 360 days). Survival of patients receiving DC vaccine and chemotherapy plus LAK cell therapy was longer than those receiving DC vaccine in combination with chemotherapy but no LAK cells. Increased numbers of cancer antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells and decreased regulatory T cells were observed in several patients on immunotherapy, but increased overall survival time tended to be associated only with the latter. None of the patients experienced grade 3 or worse adverse events during the treatment period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dendritic cell vaccine-based immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy was shown to be safe and possibly effective in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer refractory to standard treatment.
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Division, Tella Inc, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukino
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tsukada
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tomoda
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Kanae
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimamura
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sunamura
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yonemitsu
authors.forename: Shigetaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimodaira
authors.forename: Shigeo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koido
authors.forename: Sadamu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Homma
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D010094:Oxonic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D005641:Tegafur / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D004338:Drug Combinations; D003841:Deoxycytidine; C079198:S 1 (combination); D005641:Tegafur; D010094:Oxonic Acid; D000093542:Gemcitabine