Clinical application of vaccination with four peptides-pulsed dendritic cells in postoperative patients with malignant melanoma

Abstract

Objective To investigate the safety and clinical response of dendritic cells （DC）vaccine loaded with HLA-A2-restricted peptides MAGE-3、 Tyr、 MART-1 and GP-100 against malignant melanoma. Methods Twenty three HLA-A2 positive patients with malignant melanoma were enrolled.Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated into adherent cells for induction of DC loaded with four peptides. DC vaccine was administered subcutaneously once a week in inguinal region. The immunological responses and clinical responses were evaluated. Results Dendritic cell vaccination were well tolerated in all patients and there was no toxicity observed. Serum levels of IL-2, IL-12 and IFN-γincreased significantly after first vaccination and fourth vaccination. The positive rate of DTH test was 50% （5/10）, and 2 fold increase of CD8＋ IFN-γ＋ cells were observed in 6 of 10 patients. Stable disease was observed in 11 of 23 patients, one patient had a complete metastasis regression, four patients had 50% regression of metastasis,four patients had a minor response, and disease progressed in three patients. Conclusion DC vaccines loaded with peptides MAGE-3、 Tyr、 MART-1 and GP-100 can elicit non-specific and specific immune responses, leading disease control. DC vaccine is considered one of safe and effective treatments for malignant melanoma. Key words: Melanoma; Dendritic cells ; Immunotherapy