Dendritic cell-based autologous tumor vaccines for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
An autologous vaccine of apoptotic tumor cells (ATCs) and dendritic cells (DCs) was administered to patients with stage III/IV head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) to study safety and feasibility.



Autologous DCs were generated from monocytes, loaded with ATCs, and delivered intranodally. Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) and immunological endpoints were measured prevaccination and postvaccination. Clinical follow-up was required.



Tumors obtained from 30 patients yielded 2 × 10(6) to 2 × 10(8) tumor cells. Only 19 of 30 (63%) were sterile. Ten of 30 patients (33%) had ≥1 × 10(7) sterile tumor cells required for vaccine production. Eight of 10 patients had positive recall DTH. Five of 10 patients were leukapheresed to generate DCs. Four of 5 patients were vaccinated. ATC-reactive T cells were detected in 3 of 4 patients. All 4 patients survived >5 years. The trial failed to enroll the projected 12 patients and was terminated.



This vaccine was safe and immunogenic but feasible only in patients with HNSCC with positive prevaccine DTH and ≥1 × 10(7) sterile tumor cells. All vaccinated patients were long-term disease-free survivors. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E494-E501, 2016.
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.|Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.|Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.|University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Theresa L
TL
Whiteside
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.|Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.|University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Robert L
RL
Ferris
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Miroslaw
M
Szczepanski
Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Mitchell
M
Tublin
Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.|University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Joseph
J
Kiss
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Rita
R
Johnson
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.|University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Jonas T
JT
Johnson
D017209:Apoptosis; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003713:Dendritic Cells; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D010865:Pilot Projects
D019496:Cancer Vaccines
T-cell responses; apoptotic tumor cells; dendritic cells; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC); vaccine