HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Novel Cancer Therapies Aim to Destroy the Disease at Its Root: The Cancer Stem Cell

Rich66 · 06-21-2009, 01:04 PM

1: Stem Cells. 2009 Apr 23. [Epub ahead of print] Links: Antigen-Specific T Cell Response from Dendritic Cell Vaccination Using Cancer Stem-like Cell-Associated Antigens.

Xu Q, Liu G, Yuan X, Xu M, Wang H, Ji J, Konda B, Black KL, Yu JS.
Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.
Glioblastoma multiforme is the most aggressive primary brain tumor, with current treatment remaining palliative. Immunotherapies harness the body's own immune system to target cancers and could overcome the limitations of conventional treatments. One active immunotherapy strategy uses dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccination to initiate T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity. It has been proposed that cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) may play a key role in cancer initiation, progression and resistance to current treatments. However, whether using human CSC antigens may improve the anti-tumor effect of DC vaccination against human cancer is unclear. In this study, we explored the suitability of CSCs as sources of antigens for DC vaccination again human GBM, with the aim of achieving CSC-targeting and enhanced anti-tumor immunity. We found that CSCs express high levels of tumor associated antigens (TAAs) as well as major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Furthermore, DC vaccination using CSC antigens elicited antigen-specific T cell responses against CSCs. DC vaccination induced interferon (IFN) -gamma production is positively correlated with the number of antigen-specific T cells generated. Finally, using a 9L CSC brain tumor model, we demonstrate that vaccination with DCs loaded with 9L CSCs, but not daughter cells or conventionally cultured 9L cells, induced CTLs against CSCs, and prolonged survival in animals bearing 9L CSC tumors. Understanding how immunization with CSCs generates superior anti-tumor immunity may accelerate development of CSC-specific immunotherapies and cancer vaccines.

06-21-2009, 01:04 PM	#22
Rich66 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: South East Wisconsin Posts: 3,431	1: Stem Cells. 2009 Apr 23. [Epub ahead of print] Links Antigen-Specific T Cell Response from Dendritic Cell Vaccination Using Cancer Stem-like Cell-Associated Antigens. Xu Q, Liu G, Yuan X, Xu M, Wang H, Ji J, Konda B, Black KL, Yu JS. Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA. Glioblastoma multiforme is the most aggressive primary brain tumor, with current treatment remaining palliative. Immunotherapies harness the body's own immune system to target cancers and could overcome the limitations of conventional treatments. One active immunotherapy strategy uses dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccination to initiate T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity. It has been proposed that cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) may play a key role in cancer initiation, progression and resistance to current treatments. However, whether using human CSC antigens may improve the anti-tumor effect of DC vaccination against human cancer is unclear. In this study, we explored the suitability of CSCs as sources of antigens for DC vaccination again human GBM, with the aim of achieving CSC-targeting and enhanced anti-tumor immunity. We found that CSCs express high levels of tumor associated antigens (TAAs) as well as major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Furthermore, DC vaccination using CSC antigens elicited antigen-specific T cell responses against CSCs. DC vaccination induced interferon (IFN) -gamma production is positively correlated with the number of antigen-specific T cells generated. Finally, using a 9L CSC brain tumor model, we demonstrate that vaccination with DCs loaded with 9L CSCs, but not daughter cells or conventionally cultured 9L cells, induced CTLs against CSCs, and prolonged survival in animals bearing 9L CSC tumors. Understanding how immunization with CSCs generates superior anti-tumor immunity may accelerate development of CSC-specific immunotherapies and cancer vaccines.