Dendritic cell-based vaccine research against cancer

Abstract

Therapeutic vaccines that treat cancers with the help of the patient’s own immune system signify a feasible option for active immunotherapy against the disease. Dendritic cells (DCs) play a central role in modulating the immune response and thus can be wisely utilized as an immunotherapeutic strategy for cancer regimens. Advances in the knowledge of DC biology and function have led to the development of DC-based vaccines for cancer therapy. In the present review, we discuss the biology and function of DCs, their subsets and receptors, antigen loading and route of administration of DC vaccines, as well as active and passive targeting strategies for treating the cancer. We also discuss the preclinical and clinical status of these newly developed vaccines. Special attention should be given by the scientific community to the challenges that need to be solved for the successful implication of these vaccines in cancer therapy.

Keywords:

• cancer
• DC subsets
• dendritic cell
• receptors
• targeting
• vaccination

Financial & competing interests disclosure

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.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Key issues

• Vaccination helps in recognition of the nonself substance by the immune system of the body and helps the body to fight against these invading cells.

• Dendritic cells (DCs) are a type of APCs which presents the peptides and proteins of the antigen to B and T lymphocytes.

• DC-based vaccination is aimed to induce tumor-specific T cells to destroy tumor cells.

• DCs are known to initiate and modulate the immune response against various antigens including self-antigens.

• Targeted delivery of vaccine components to DC surface receptors increases the acceptance of antigen delivery systems by DCs.

• Cross-presentation is the phenomenon suggesting the ability of DCs to engulf exogenous antigens which have different minor histocompatibility antigens and elicit CTL responses.

• DC-based immunotherapy is expected to preserve the quality of life of patients with cancer because of its low toxicity.

Notes