Patient-specific tumor-associated antigens presented on MHC class I and II by autologous dendritic cells (DC-presented TSA/TAA)

Patient-specific tumor-associated antigens presented on MHC class I and II by autologous dendritic cells represent a sophisticated personalized immunotherapy complex designed to trigger a precise immune response against a patient's unique malignancy (Sahin & Türeci, 2018). Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells that play a pivotal role in orchestrating the adaptive immune response by capturing, processing, and presenting antigens to T-cells (Banchereau & Steinman, 1998). In this therapeutic approach, autologous DCs are loaded with antigens—often neoantigens derived from somatic mutations—which are then presented on Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class I molecules to activate CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocytes and MHC class II molecules to activate CD4+ helper T-cells (Roche & Furuta, 2015). This dual activation is critical for overcoming tumor-induced immunosuppression and establishing long-term immunological memory (Melief et al., 2015). Clinical applications of this target involve the development of autologous DC vaccines, such as Sipuleucel-T and DCVax-L, which have shown potential in treating various cancers including prostate cancer and glioblastoma (Kantoff et al., 2010; Liau et al., 2023). The primary challenge remains the high degree of inter-patient variability in antigen expression and the complex manufacturing process required for each individual therapy.

Other names

Personalized dendritic cell vaccineAutologous neoantigen-pulsed dendritic cellsDC-based personalized immunotherapyTumor-antigen loaded autologous dendritic cellsNeoantigen-MHC complex on autologous DCs

Ex vivo or in vivo loading of autologous dendritic cells with patient-specific antigens to induce a targeted T-cell mediated anti-tumor immune response via MHC I and II presentation.