alpha-fetoprotein peptide-pulsed autologous dendritic cells

Alpha-fetoprotein peptide-pulsed autologous dendritic cells is a personalized cancer vaccine and cellular immunotherapy designed to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The therapy involves harvesting a patient's own peripheral blood mononuclear cells, differentiating them into dendritic cells (DCs) ex vivo, and then "pulsing" or loading these cells with specific MHC-restricted peptides derived from alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). AFP is an oncofetal antigen that is significantly overexpressed in the majority of liver cancer cells but is largely absent in healthy adult tissues. Once the mature, antigen-loaded dendritic cells are re-administered to the patient, they act as potent professional antigen-presenting cells that prime and activate AFP-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). These activated T cells can then recognize and selectively eliminate AFP-expressing tumor cells, potentially overcoming the immune tolerance often associated with chronic liver disease and malignancy.

Other names

alpha-fetoprotein-pulsed autologous dendritic cell vaccineAFP peptide-pulsed autologous dendritic cellsautologous dendritic cells pulsed with AFP peptides