autologous tumor lysate-pulsed DC-CIK cells

Autologous tumor lysate-pulsed DC-CIK cells is a personalized adoptive cellular immunotherapy that combines dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with autologous tumor lysate to prime tumor-specific immunity and cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells expanded ex vivo to provide cytotoxic effector function. DCs are generated from patient peripheral blood monocytes with GM-CSF and IL-4, then matured and loaded with autologous tumor lysate prepared by freeze–thaw cycles, presenting a broad repertoire of tumor-associated antigens to activate T-cell responses. CIK cells are expanded from patient lymphocytes using anti-CD3, IFN-γ, and IL-2 to yield CD3+CD56+ cytotoxic cells with MHC-unrestricted killing. The combined DC vaccine plus CIK infusion aims to enhance both specificity and cytotoxicity, with reported increases in Th1 cytokines (IL-12, IFN-γ), and has been studied in gastric, colorectal, breast cancers and others, often after low-dose chemotherapy, showing potential improvements in progression-free and overall survival in non-randomized/observational settings and ongoing trials. It is an autologous, ex vivo–manufactured cell therapy rather than a single molecular drug.[3][4][5][1][2][7]

Other names

autologous tumor lysate-pulsed dendritic cell immunotherapy with cytokine-induced killer cellsDC-CIKtumor lysate-pulsed DC-CIKTL-pulsed DC-CIK