Autologous dendritic cells (DC)

Autologous dendritic cells are the most potent antigen-presenting cells of the immune system, utilized in personalized immunotherapy to trigger specific T-cell responses. These cells are typically generated by isolating monocytes from a patient's blood, which are then differentiated into dendritic cells and loaded with disease-specific antigens, such as tumor-associated proteins or viral peptides, in a laboratory setting (Banchereau & Steinman, 1998, Nature [https://www.nature.com/articles/32582]). Once matured and re-infused, they migrate to lymphoid organs where they present the processed antigens to T-cells via Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules, providing the necessary co-stimulatory signals for T-cell activation (Wculek et al., 2020, Nature Reviews Immunology [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-019-0210-z]). The most well-known clinical application is Sipuleucel-T, the first FDA-approved autologous cellular immunotherapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (Kantoff et al., 2010, NEJM [https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1001294]). Despite their potential to induce long-lasting immunity, the efficacy of autologous dendritic cell therapies can be limited by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and the inherent heterogeneity of the patient's own immune cells (Anguille et al., 2014, Pharmacological Reviews [https://pharmrev.aspetjournals.org/content/66/4/1070]).

Other names

Autologous DCDC-based vaccineMonocyte-derived dendritic cellsmoDCAntigen-presenting cell therapy

Autologous dendritic cells function as a cellular vaccine; they are harvested from the patient, loaded with specific antigens and matured ex vivo, and then re-infused to prime and activate antigen-specific T-cells in vivo.