DC-CIK as a widely applicable cancer immunotherapy

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Immunotherapy is now a standard treatment for many malignancies. Although immune checkpoint inhibition has demonstrated substantial efficacy by enhancing T cell activation and function in the tumor microenvironment, adoptive transfer of T and NK cell products promises to provide activated cells capable of immediate and direct tumor destruction. A widely applicable, non-MHC dependent, cellular therapy, consisting of in vitro generated dendritic cells (DC) combined with cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK), is highly efficient to produce from individual patients and has demonstrated safety and efficacy alone or with chemotherapy.

Areas covered: We summarize the clinical data from studies of DC-CIK and discuss future research directions.

Expert opinion: Patients with a wide variety of tumor types who have received DC-CIK therapy may experience clinical responses. This versatile therapy synergizes with other anti-cancer therapies including chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

KEYWORDS:

• DC-CIK
• immunotherapy
• solid Cancer
• clinical Trail

Article highlights

1. DC-CIK, a combination of in vitro generated dendritic cells (DC) and cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK), predominantly NKTs, are a readily produced, broadly applicable, non-MHC-restricted immunotherapy.

2. Anti-tumor activity and safety for DC-CIK has been reported in studies across a wide variety of malignancies.

3. DC-CIK combined with chemotherapy has greater clinical efficacy than either chemotherapy or DC-CIK treatment alone.

4. Electromagnetic hyperthermia synergizes with DC-CIK for the treatment of peritoneal-based malignancies.

5. Changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte sub-populations and ctDNA during treatment with DC-CIK can predict clinical activity.

6. Future studies will emphasize combinations of checkpoint inhibitors and DC-CIK either during the expansion of the DC-CIK product in vitro or after infusion.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer Disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.