Dendritic cell vaccines in acute leukaemia

Best Pract Res Clin Haematol. 2008 Sep;21(3):521-41. doi: 10.1016/j.beha.2008.07.010.

Abstract

There is a need for novel treatment for acute leukaemia as relapse rates remain unacceptably high. Immunotherapy aims to stimulate the patient's immune responses to recognize and destroy leukaemia cells whilst activating immune memory. The qualities of the most potent professional antigen-presenting cell, the dendritic cell (DC), can be used to stimulate leukaemia-specific cytotoxic T cells. DCs can be loaded with leukaemia antigens, or leukaemia blasts can be modified to express DC-like properties for use in vaccine therapy. This chapter will review the rationale for DC vaccine therapy, the preclinical and clinical trials to date, the barriers to successful DC vaccine therapies and the role of immune adjuncts to improve outcomes.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Adoptive Transfer / methods
  • Cancer Vaccines / immunology
  • Cancer Vaccines / therapeutic use*
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Dendritic Cells / transplantation
  • Humans
  • Jurkat Cells
  • Leukemia / immunology*
  • Leukemia / therapy
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / immunology
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / therapy
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / transplantation
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Cancer Vaccines