GENERATION OF DENDRITIC CELLS FROM MONOCYTIC DENDRITIC PRECURSOR CELLS WITH GM-CSF IN THE ABSENCE OF ADDITIONAL CYTOKINES

摘要

The present invention it was determined that dendritic cells could be derivedfrom various sources including peripheral blood monocytes in the presence ofonly GM-CSF without other cytokines if the monocytes were not activated. Bypreventing activation, such as by preventing binding of the cells to thesurface of the culture vessel, the monocytes do not require the presence ofadditional cytokines, such as IL-4 or IL-13, to prevent differentiation into anon-dendritic cell lineage. The immature DCs generated and maintained in thismanner were CD14- and expressed high levels of CD1a. Upon maturation bycontact with an agent such as, for example, BCG and IFN.gamma., the cells weredetermined to express surface molecules typical of mature dendritic cellspurified by prior methods and cultured in the presence of GM-CSF and IL-4. Themature dendritic cells produced from monoxytes without activation and culturedin GM-CSF alone are suitable for use in dendritic cell-based immunotherapymethods, such as for use in the treatment of disease, including cancer.