Abstract
Introduction: In vitro cultivation of DCs and cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK cells) - a special phenotype of T lymphocyte populations — for cancer treatment has gained significant research interest. The goal of this study is to understand whether the priming from DCs helps CIK cells to exert their toxic function and kill the cancer cells.
 Methods: In this research, DCs were differentiated from mononuclear cells in culture medium supplemented with Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and Interleukin-4 (IL-4), and were induced to mature with cancer cell antigens. Umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells were induced into CIK cells by Interferon-γ (IFN-γ), anti-CD3 antibody and IL-2. After 4-day exposure (with DC:CIK = 1:10), DCs and CIK cells interacted with each other.
 Results: Indeed, DCs interacted with and secreted cytokines that stimulated CIK cells to proliferate up to 133.7%. In addition, DC-CIK co-culture also stimulated strong expression of IFN-γ. The analysis of flow cytometry data indicated that DC-CIK co-culture highly expressed Granzyme B (70.47% ± 1.53, 4 times higher than MNCs, twice higher than CIK cells) and CD3+CD56+ markers (13.27% ± 2.73, 13 times higher than MNCs, twice higher than CIK cells). Particularly, DC-CIK co-culture had the most specific lethal effects on cancer cells after 72 hours.
 Conclusion: In conclusion, co-culture of DCs and CIK cells is capable of increasing the expression of CIK-specific characteristics and CIK toxicity on cancer cells.
 
Highlights
In vitro cultivation of dendritic cells (DCs) and cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK cells) — a special phenotype of T lymphocyte populations — for cancer treatment has gained significant research interest
In this research, DCs were differentiated from mononuclear cells in culture medium supplemented with Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and Interleukin-4 (IL-4), and were induced to mature with cancer cell antigens
The analysis of flow cytometry data indicated that DC-Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) co-culture highly expressed Granzyme B (70.47% ± 1.53, 4 times higher than MNCs, twice higher than CIK cells) and CD3+CD56+ markers (13.27% ± 2.73, 13 times higher than MNCs, twice higher than CIK cells)
Summary
In vitro cultivation of DCs and cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK cells) — a special phenotype of T lymphocyte populations — for cancer treatment has gained significant research interest. The purpose of cancer treatments is to reduce tumor size and eliminate cancer cells 5; when the tumor is not detectable anymore at the cellular level, this is evidence for successful therapy 6. It is the goal of immune cell therapy to demonstrate full and convincing ability to destroying the body’s abnormal cells, including cancer cells 7. There is a disruption of the molecular balance between oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes 9 When this cell balance is disrupted, this can lead to an inbalance between cancer cells and immune cells 10. When an inadequate amount of immune cells exists, cancer cells just keep evading from immune surveillance until the quantity of cancer cells increases; these cells can tolerate the immune system that was intended to engage or attack them
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