title: Efficacy and safety of cord blood-derived dendritic cells plus cytokine-induced killer cells combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with advanced gastric cancer: a randomized Phase II study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cellular immunotherapy has been widely used in the treatment of solid tumors. However, the clinical application of cord blood-derived dendritic cells and cytokine-induced killer cells (CB-DC-CIK) for the treatment of gastric cancer has not been frequently reported. In this study, the efficacy and safety of CB-DC-CIK for the treatment of gastric cancer were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  The phenotypes, cytokines, and cytotoxicity of CB-DC-CIK were detected in vitro. Patients with advanced gastric cancer were divided into the following two groups: the experimental group (CB-DC-CIK combined with chemotherapy) and the control group (chemotherapy alone). The curative effects and immune function were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  First, the results showed that combination therapy significantly increased the overall disease-free survival rate (P=0.0448) compared with chemotherapy alone. The overall survival rate (P=0.0646), overall response rate (P=0.410), and disease control rate (P=0.396) were improved in the experimental group, but these changes did not reach statistical significance. Second, the percentage of T-cell subsets (CD4(+), CD3(-)CD56(+), and CD3(+)CD56(+)) and the levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2, which reflect immune function, were significantly increased (P<0.05) after immunotherapy. Finally, no serious side effects appeared in patients with gastric cancer after the application of cellular immunotherapy based on CB-DC-CIK.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CB-DC-CIK combined with chemotherapy is effective and safe for the treatment of patients with advanced gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.affiliation: Department of Central Laboratory, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei-Hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology.
authors.forename: Jia-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Central Laboratory, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ying-Xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Central Laboratory, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ya-Pei
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Central Laboratory, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chang-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Zhou
keywords: cord blood; cytokine-induced killer cells; dendritic cells; gastric cancer; immunotherapy