minor histocompatibility antigen-loaded programmed death-ligand 1 and programmed death-ligand 2-silenced donor dendritic cell vaccine

This experimental cellular immunotherapy is a vaccine composed of donor-derived dendritic cells (DCs) designed to enhance the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The vaccine cells are ex vivo loaded with minor histocompatibility antigens (MiHAs), which are polymorphic peptides that differ between donor and recipient and are specifically expressed on the patient's malignant cells. To prevent T-cell exhaustion and inhibition through the PD-1 pathway, the dendritic cells are genetically modified using small interfering RNA (siRNA) to silence the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and programmed death-ligand 2 (PD-L2). By presenting MiHAs in the absence of these inhibitory signals, the vaccine aims to prime and expand MiHA-specific donor T cells, promoting the targeted elimination of residual leukemic cells. This therapeutic approach was primarily developed by the Radboud University Medical Center for use in patients with high-risk hematological malignancies.

Other names

MiHA-loaded programmed death-ligand 1 and programmed death-ligand 2-silenced donor dendritic cell vaccineMiHA-loaded PD-L1/L2-silenced DC vaccineMiHA-siPDL-DC vaccine