title: In vitro activation of hTERT-specific T cell responses in lung cancer patients following chemotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine chemotherapy concomitant in vitro activation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)-specific T cell responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  PBMCs depleted of regulatory T cells were stimulated by peptide loaded dendritic cells (DC) matured either by application of cytokines (cDC) or a Toll-like receptor 7/8-agonist combined with a soluble CD40-ligand (ligDC). The hTERT peptide-specific T cell responses were assessed using flow cytometry for intracellular interferon-γ (IFN-γ).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After cDC activation, T cells producing IFN-γ in response to hTERT were found in PBMC samples of 4 patients. In 2 of these patients the hTERT-specific T cell responses were further increased after ligDC application. However, PBMC of 3 other patients showed little or no induction of hTERT-specific T cell responses as a result of the methods applied during this study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate, that concomitant to chemotherapy hTERT-specific T cell responses can be activated in PBMC of NSCLC patients in vitro. This activation can be further increased by ligDC though the number of responding patients is still limited.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, 24116 Kiel, Germany;
authors.forename: Benedikt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gahn
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Staudinger
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Woester
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wellnitz
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boettcher
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gramatzki
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kneba
keywords: Lung cancer; T cells; dendritic cells; telomerase