title: Co-transfection of dendritic cells with AFP and IL-2 genes enhances the induction of tumor antigen-specific antitumor immunity.
abstract: Dendritic cells (DCs) are highly efficient, specialized antigen-presenting cells and DCs transfected with tumor-related antigens are regarded as promising vaccines in cancer immunotherapy. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether DCs co-transfected with the α-fetoprotein (AFP) and human interleukin-2 (IL-2) genes were able to induce stronger therapeutic antitumor immunity in transfected DCs. In this study, DCs from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients were co-transfected with the IL-2 gene and/or the AFP gene. The reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) data revealed that the DCs transfected with the adenovirus AdAFP/IL-2 expressed AFP and IL-2. The DCs co-transfected with IL-2 and AFP (AFP/IL-2-DCs) enhanced the cytotoxicities of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and increased the production of IL-2 and interferon-γ significantly compared with their AFP-DC, green fluorescent protein (GFP)-DC, DC or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) counterparts. In vivo data suggested that immunization with AFP-DCs enhances antigen-specific antitumor efficacy more potently than immunization with IL-2-DCs or AFP-DCs. These findings provide a potential strategy to improve the efficacy of DC-based tumor vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, State Key Discipline of Cell Biology, Xijing Hospital;
authors.forename: Jing-Yue
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Zeng-Hui
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.forename: Wen-Chao
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Liu