Development of a Novel Vaccine With Fusions of Dendritic and Ovarian Cancer Cells From Patients

摘要

In the present study, ovarian carcinoma cells (OVCA) derived from 15 patients were successfully fused with autologous DC in 10 cases and allogeneic DC in 7 cases (both autologous and allogeneic fusion cells were formed in 4 cases). The created heterokaryons expressed tumor-associated antigens, such as CA-125, MUC1 and/or HER2/neu, and DC-derived co-stimulatory and adhesion molecules. The fusion cells were functional in stimulating the proliferation of autologous T cells. in addition, CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells derived from patients with ovarian cancer were stimulated by fusion cells to secret high level of IFN- r as demonstrated by intracellular staining in 8 patients. Significantly, T cells primed by fusion cells produced MHC class I-dependent lysis of autologous ovarian tumor cells. Furthermore, MUC1- specific CTL were generated from a HLA- A2 patient with ovarian carcinoma positive for MUC1 as demonstrated by MHC class I/MUC1 peptide tetrameric analysis. These findings indicate that fusions of human ovarian cancer cells with autologous or allogeneic DC activate both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells and are associated with potent and antigen-specific antitumor responses against autologous ovarian cancer cells.