Dendritic cell vaccination for patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia

Takahashi, Tsuyoshi; Tanaka, Yuji; Nieda, Mie; Azuma, Takeshi; Chiba, Shigeru; Juji, Takeo; Shibata, Yoichi; Hirai, Hisamaru

doi:10.1016/S0145-2126(03)00011-0

« Previous Next »Leukemia Research
Volume 27, Issue 9 , Pages 795-802, September 2003

Dendritic cell vaccination for patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia

Tsuyoshi Takahashi
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan
Yuji Tanaka
- Division of Hematology, Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital, 3-18-22 Honkomagome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Mie Nieda
- Department of Research, The Japanese Red Central Blood Center, 4-1-31 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Takeshi Azuma
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan
Shigeru Chiba
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan
Takeo Juji
- Department of Research, The Japanese Red Central Blood Center, 4-1-31 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Yoichi Shibata
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan
Hisamaru Hirai
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +81-3-5804-6690; fax: +81-3-5689-7286.

Received 10 October 2002; accepted 21 December 2002.

Abstract

In this pilot study, we investigated the ability of autologous dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed ex vivo with leukemia-specific peptide to stimulate host antitumor immunity when administrated as a vaccine. Three patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) received three series of four administration of bcr-abl peptide-pulsed (1) blood DCs injected intravenously, (2) immature monocyte-derived DCs injected intradermally or (3) mature monocyte-derived DCs injected intradermally. Vaccination was well tolerated. No major toxicity occurred in any of the patients. In method (1), one patient developed peptide-specific cellular immune response with no clinical response. In method (2), one patient developed peptide-specific cellular immune response with no clinical response. In method (3), all patients developed peptide-specific cellular immune response with no clinical response. The clinical benefits of bcr-abl peptide-specific vaccination in CML remain to be determined. Further vaccine development is necessary to increase the clinical effect.

Abbreviations: DC, dendritic cell, CML, chronic myelogenous leukemia, APC, antigen-presenting cell, CTL, cytotoxic T lymphocyte, i.v., intravenously, i.d., intradermally, KLH, keyhole limpet hemocianin, PBMC, peripheral blood mononuclear cell, DTH, delayed-type hypersensitivity, FISH, fluorescence in situ hybridization