Cytokine-induced killer cells co-cultured with non-cell derived targeting peptide-loaded dendritic cells induce a specific antitumor response

ABSTRACT

Cancer is a severe lethal disease. Currently, immunotherapy has become an effective alternative therapeutic approach for cancers. Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells have a higher proliferation rate, increased efficacy with few side-effects, and non-MHC-restricted killing after co-culturing with dendritic cells (DCs). Therefore, it has been widely studied and applied in the treatment of cancers. In our study, we explored the antitumor effects of CIK cells co-culturing with DCs pulsed with non-cell derived targeting peptides, which could specifically bind to certain tumor cells. Our results indicated that targeting peptide-loaded DCs could enhance the differentiation and cytotoxicity of CIK cells. Moreover, CIK cells, which were treated with specific targeting peptide-loaded DCs, could effectively and specifically kill tumor cells in vitro and in vivo, as long as tumor cells were pre-coated with the specific binding peptides. In conclusion, targeting peptides could guide DC-CIK to effectively and specifically kill tumor cells which were pre-coated with these targeting peptides and non-cell derived targeting peptide-loaded-DC-CIK may work as a novel means for cancer therapy.

KEYWORDS:

• Dendritic cells
• cytokine-induced killer cells
• cancer
• peptide
• immunotherapy

Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81372361, 81602552), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu province (No. BE2015647), Science and Technology Bureau of Suzhou (No.SS201649).

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [81372361, 81602552];Science and technology Bureau of Suzhou [SS201649];National Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province [BE2015647].