IFN-Conditioned Dendritic Cells for the Therapy of Melanoma

Abstract

Viewing melanoma as one of the most immunogenic tumors has led to the development of a number of recent strategies for therapeutic manipulation of immune responses. One of the most interesting approaches in this field includes the utilization of specific vaccines. IFNα-conditioned dendritic cells (IFNα-DCs) are seen by many as promising candidates for the immunotherapy of melanoma. Farkas and Kemeny [1] in their research suggest that IFNα-DCs are capable of producing Th1 cytokines, including interleukin-12 (IL-12), which in turn leads to T-cell derived IFNγ production, thus boosting the immune response. In addition, the combination of this approach with chemotherapy takes advantage of a presumptive preconditioning phenomenon, which occurs when cytotoxic agents are administered prior to the autologous IFNα-DC inoculation. However, despite the theoretical advantages foreseen with this approach, potential limitations of the IFNα therapy are to be acknowledged, as the formerly mentioned authors believe that only selected patients are likely to benefit from this therapeutic modality.