Antigen-presenting cell (Monocyte-derived Tumor Antigen Presenting Cell) (TAPCell)

TAPCells (Tumor Antigen Presenting Cells) are a specialized type of antigen-presenting cell, specifically monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs) that are differentiated and activated ex vivo for use as a personalized cancer vaccine (Salazar et al., 2017, doi:10.1200/JCO.2017.35.15_suppl.9531). These cells are generated by culturing a patient's peripheral blood monocytes with cytokines like GM-CSF and IL-4, then matured and pulsed with a proprietary heat-shocked tumor lysate known as TRIMEL (Lopez et al., 2009, Vaccine, doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.07.011). The biological function of TAPCells is to process and present a broad spectrum of tumor-associated antigens to the immune system, thereby priming CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to recognize and eliminate cancer cells (Aguilera et al., 2011, Clinical Cancer Research, doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-11-0186). In clinical trials for melanoma and prostate cancer, TAPCells have demonstrated the ability to induce a systemic anti-tumor immune response, often measured by delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin tests (Durán et al., 2016, Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy, doi:10.1007/s00262-016-1828-3). While not a traditional molecular target like a receptor or enzyme, TAPCells serve as a cellular immunotherapy platform designed to overcome the immunosuppressive environment of the tumor microenvironment. The therapeutic efficacy of TAPCells is closely linked to their maturation state and their ability to migrate to lymph nodes to interact with naive T cells.

Other names

TAPCellsTumor Antigen Presenting CellsMonocyte-derived dendritic cellsmoDCsTRIMEL-pulsed dendritic cells

Ex vivo differentiation of monocytes into dendritic-like cells, followed by pulsing with tumor antigens to induce a systemic T-cell mediated anti-tumor immune response upon re-administration.