Affiliations: [a] H Lee Moffitt Comprehensive Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA | [b] University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA | [x] Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA | [y] Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Shari Pilon-Thomas, H. Lee Moffitt Comprehensive Cancer Center, Translational Science and Technology Development, 12902 Magnolia Dr, SRB-2, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. Tel.: +1 813 745 1536; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Continual attempts to stimulate the immune system against malignancies have led to the development of various strategies based on active immunotherapy treatments. Dendritic cells are the most potent antigen presenting cells with the capacity to stimulate naïve T cells and induce primary and secondary immune responses. Due to the pivotal role that DC play in eliciting and maintaining functional anti-tumor T cell responses, DC have been exploited as vaccines in an attempt to actively immunize patients. Initial solid tumor clinical trials involving DC-based immunization have shown progress in terms of eliciting T-cell reactivity and mediating tumor regression. These early promising data have led to multiple research endeavors to also employ DC immunotherapy for the treatment of poorly immunogenic malignancies such as breast cancer. Various strategies to load DC with tumor associated antigens in murine models of breast cancer as well as the state of human clinical trials are reviewed.
DOI: 10.3233/BD-2004-20108
Journal: Breast Disease, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 65-71, 2004
