New apoptotic bodies, monocyte derived cells containing the same, a process for their preparation and their uses as vaccines

摘要

The present invention relates to apoptotic bodies derived from human tumor cells or cell lines recovered from patient's tumor biopsy and induced to apoptotis, said apoptotic bodies having the following characteristics: they maintain plasma membrane integrity, they are vesicles above about 0,1 mum, they contain intact mitochondria and cleaved nuclear DNA originating from the tumor cells, they present unmasked tumor antigens on their membranes, they present specific tumor and MHC antigens from the patient. The invention also provides new monocytes derived cells, which can be used as anti-tumor vaccines after integration of apoptotic bodies. Apoptotic bodies are phagocytosed and processed by monocyte derived antigen presenting cells and potentiate the effective tumor antigenic presentation to the immune system.