Dendritic cell-based immunotherapy for cancer reviewed.

2004 OCT 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers review dendritic cell-based immunotherapy for cancer in a recent issue of Transfusion Medicine Reviews.

According to recent research from the United States, "The encouraging results from dendritic cell-related cancer immunotherapy have created tremendous interest for its broad clinical application. Dendritic cells are the most potent antigen-presenting cells. In cancer patients, dendritic cell production and function along with other antitumor immune defenses are compromised."

"Autologous dendritic cells enriched and sensitized in vitro with tumor-associated antigens can effectively elicit host cellular immunity against cancer and result in clinical antitumor responses through either direct injection or ex vivo generation of antitumor T lymphocytes," stated Ching Y. Voss and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "In small group studies, clinical response rates have reached 50% in patients with advanced stage of cancer. These cellular products caused minimal side effects and were well tolerated."

"The isolation and preparation of clinical grade dendritic cells have been driven by transfusion medicine specialists who are well versed in similar processes for hematopoietic stem-cell preparation," reported the investigators. "The purpose of this article is to review the mechanisms of tumor immune ...