Immature dendritic cell vaccine causes immune response against melanoma.

2003 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The clinical response after intradermal immature dendritic cell vaccination for metastatic melanoma was associated with an immune response to particulate antigen.

According to recent research from Australia, "Metastatic melanoma is poorly responsive to treatment, and immunotherapeutic approaches are potentially beneficial. Predictors of clinical response are needed to identify suitable patients. We sought factors associated with melanoma-specific clinical response following intradermal vaccination with autologous melanoma peptide and particulate hepatitis B antigen (HBsAg)-exposed immature monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDC)."

"Nineteen patients with metastatic melanoma received a maximum of 8, two-weekly vaccinations of DC, exposed to HBsAg in addition to autologous melanoma peptides," reported Mark Smithers and colleagues at the University of Queensland and Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. "A further three patients received an otherwise identical vaccine that did not include HBsAg. Patients were assessed 1-2 monthly for safety, disease volume, and cellular responses to HBsAg and melanoma peptide. There was no significant toxicity. Of 19 patients receiving HBsAg-exposed DC, 9 primed or boosted a cellular response to HBsAg, and 10 showed no HBsAg response."

The researchers found, "HBsAg-specific responses were associated with in vitro T cell responses to melanoma peptides and to phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Zero out of 10 non-HBsAg-responding and 4/9 HBsAg-responding patients achieved objective ...