An iPSC-derived exosome-pulsed dendritic cell vaccine boosts antitumor immunity in melanoma.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) express a broad spectrum of tumor-associated antigens and exert prophylactic effects on various tumors. However, some problems remain, such as potential tumorigenicity, challenges in transport to the lymph nodes and spleen, and limited antitumor effects. Thus, designing a safe and effective iPSC-based tumor vaccine is necessary. We prepared iPSC-derived exosomes and incubated them with DCs (dendritic cells) for pulsing to explore their antitumor effects in murine melanoma models. The antitumor immune response induced by the DC vaccine pulsed with iPSC exosomes (DC + EXO) was assessed in vitro and in vivo. After DC + EXO vaccination, extracted spleen T cells effectively killed a variety of tumor cells (melanoma, lung cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer) in vitro. In addition, DC + EXO vaccination significantly inhibited melanoma growth and lung metastasis in mouse models. Furthermore, DC + EXO vaccination induced long-term T cell responses and prevented melanoma rechallenge. Finally, biocompatibility studies showed that the DC vaccine did not significantly alter the viability of normal cells and mouse viscera. Hence, our research may provide a prospective strategy of a safe and effective iPSC-based tumor vaccine for clinical use.

Immunotherapies targeting neoantigens are effective in PD-1 blockade-resistant tumors.

Only a small fraction of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes can specifically recognize and attack cancer cells in PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy. Here, we investigate approaches to expand the neoantigen-specific CD8+ T cells to overcome the difficulties in treating PD-1/PD-L1 blockade-resistant tumors. Mutation-associated neoepitopes of murine nonsmall cell lung cancer ASB-XIV were estimated by whole-exome and RNA sequencing and predicted by MHC-I binding affinity (FPKM >1) in silico. Using ASB-XIV-specific CD8+ T cells, we screened a panel of 257 neoepitope peptides derived from ASB-XIV missense and indel mutations. Mutated Phf3 peptide (mPhf3) was successfully identified as an immunogenic neoepitope. Prophylactic mPhf3-DC vaccination inhibited ASB-XIV tumor growth through CD8+ T cell-mediated antitumor immunity. Combining the mPhf3-DC vaccine and anti-PD-1 treatment elicited robust antitumor activity through the induction of mPhf3-specific CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, the adoptive transfer of mPhf3-specific CD8+ T cells eradicated ASB-XIV tumors. Likewise, the combination of mutated Cdt1 peptide (mCdt1)-DC vaccine and anti-PD-1 treatment or adoptive transfer of mCdt1-specific CD8+ T cells also led to significant regression of PD-1 blockade-resistant murine gastric YTN16 tumors. In conclusion, a novel immunogenic neoepitope of ASB-XIV was identified for immunotherapy targeting neoantigens. Identification of immunogenic neoantigens can extend the therapeutic strategies by increasing the frequency of neoantigen-specific T cells, even for PD-1/PD-L1 blockade-resistant tumors.

WT1 Pulsed Human CD141+ Dendritic Cell Vaccine Has High Potential in Solid Tumor-Targeted Immunotherapy.

Dendritic cells (DC) are powerful cells that play critical roles in anti-tumor immunity, and their use in cancer immunotherapy unlocks hidden capabilities as an effective therapeutic. In order to maximize the full potential of DC, we developed a DC vaccine named CellgramDC-WT1 (CDW). CDW was pulsed with WT1, an antigen commonly expressed in solid tumors, and induced with zoledronate to aid DC maturation. Although our previous study focused on using Rg3 as an inducer of DC maturation, problems with quality control and access led us to choose zoledronate as a better alternative. Furthermore, CDW secreted IL-12 and IFN-γ, which induced the differentiation of naïve T cells to active CD8+ T cells and elicited cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response against cancer cells with WT1 antigens. By confirming the identity and function of CDW, we believe CDW is an improved DC vaccine and holds promising potential in the field of cancer immunotherapy.

[Tax-targeted dendritic cell vaccine therapy for long-term remission of adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma].

Adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) is a highly aggressive peripheral T-cell neoplasm caused by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection occurring in approximately 5% of patients after prolonged latent period. ATL relapses within a short period despite its transient response to multiagent chemotherapy and the prognosis is extremely poor due to anticancer drug resistance and immunodeficiency. Although novel agents with different mechanisms, such as molecular targeted agents, have improved the prognosis, the number of cured patients remains limited. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation resulted in long-term remission, whereas its indication is limited due to treatment-related mortality. As most ATL patients are of advanced age, development of a lesser toxic treatment is necessary. Therefore, we developed a novel therapeutic dendritic cell vaccine targeting the HTLV-1 Tax antigen. The safety profile has been confirmed in a pilot and phase I clinical studies, and a promising long-term clinical efficacy has also been obtained. This novel vaccine is a noninvasive, long-lasting therapy for ATL and can potentially be extended to different applications for low-grade ATL and high-risk HTLV-1 carriers.

Engineered exosomes as an in situ DC-primed vaccine to boost antitumor immunity in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Dendritic cells (DCs) are central for the initiation and regulation of innate and adaptive immunity in the tumor microenvironment. As such, many kinds of DC-targeted vaccines have been developed to improve cancer immunotherapy in numerous clinical trials. Targeted delivery of antigens and adjuvants to DCs in vivo represents an important approach for the development of DC vaccines. However, nonspecific activation of systemic DCs and the preparation of optimal immunodominant tumor antigens still represent major challenges. METHODS: We loaded the immunogenic cell death (ICD) inducers human neutrophil elastase (ELANE) and Hiltonol (TLR3 agonist) into α-lactalbumin (α-LA)-engineered breast cancer-derived exosomes to form an in situ DC vaccine (HELA-Exos). HELA-Exos were identified by transmission electron microscopy, nanoscale flow cytometry, and Western blot analysis. The targeting, killing, and immune activation effects of HELA-Exos were evaluated in vitro. The tumor suppressor and immune-activating effects of HELA-Exos were explored in immunocompetent mice and patient-derived organoids. RESULTS: HELA-Exos possessed a profound ability to specifically induce ICD in breast cancer cells. Adequate exposure to tumor antigens and Hiltonol following HELA-Exo-induced ICD of cancer cells activated type one conventional DCs (cDC1s) in situ and cross-primed tumor-reactive CD8+ T cell responses, leading to potent tumor inhibition in a poorly immunogenic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) mouse xenograft model and patient-derived tumor organoids. CONCLUSIONS: HELA-Exos exhibit potent antitumor activity in both a mouse model and human breast cancer organoids by promoting the activation of cDC1s in situ and thus improving the subsequent tumor-reactive CD8+ T cell responses. The strategy proposed here is promising for generating an in situ DC-primed vaccine and can be extended to various types of cancers. Scheme 1. Schematic illustration of HELA-Exos as an in situ DC-primed vaccine for breast cancer. (A) Allogenic breast cancer-derived exosomes isolated from MDA-MB-231 cells were genetically engineered to overexpress α-LA and simultaneously loaded with the ICD inducers ELANE and Hiltonol (TLR3 agonist) to generate HELA-Exos. (B) Mechanism by which HELA-Exos activate DCs in situ in a mouse xenograft model ofTNBC. HELA-Exos specifically homed to the TME and induced ICD in cancer cells, which resulted in the increased release of tumor antigens, Hiltonol, and DAMPs, as well as the uptake of dying tumor cells by cDC1s. The activated cDC1s then cross-primed tumor-reactive CD8+ T cell responses. (C) HELA-Exos activated DCs in situ in the breast cancer patient PBMC-autologous tumor organoid coculture system. ABBREVIATIONS: DCs: dendritic cells; α-LA: α-lactalbumin; HELA-Exos: Hiltonol-ELANE-α-LA-engineered exosomes; ICD: immunogenic cell death; ELANE: human neutrophil elastase; TLR3: Toll-like receptor 3; TNBC: triple-negative breast cancer; TME: tumor microenvironment; DAMPs: damage-associated molecular patterns; cDC1s: type 1 conventional dendritic cells; PBMCs: peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

A photodynamically sensitized dendritic cell vaccine that promotes the anti-tumor effects of anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody in a murine model of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors are promising tools in combating several cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, a substantial portion of HNSCC patients do not respond to PD-L1 antibody. Here we describe a photodynamic therapeutic (PDT) approach to enhance anti-tumor effects of the anti-PD-L1 antibody. METHODS: Phototoxicity of PDT was confirmed using fluorescence microscopy, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and flow cytometry analyses. Phenotypic and functional maturation of immature DCs (imDCs) induced by PDT were measured using flow cytometry and ELISA. A mouse model was established using the HNSCC line, SCC7, and was used to evaluate therapeutic effects of PDT-DC vaccine in facilitating anti-tumor immunity of PD-L1 antibody. RESULTS: Immunogenic cell death (ICD) of SCC7 cells was induced by PDT with 0.5 µM of m-THPC and the 5 J/cm2 of light dose. ICD of SCC7 cells stimulated imDCs maturation. In vivo assays suggested that PDT-DC vaccine and anti-PD-L1 mAb synergistically induced anti-tumor immunity and suppressed tumor progression. CONCLUSION: PDT-DC vaccine enhances therapeutic effects of PD-L1 antibody, which might provide a novel approach for HNSCC immunotherapy.

Nanoparticle-based approaches to target the lymphatic system for antitumor treatment.

Immunotherapies have been established as safe and efficient modalities for numerous tumor treatments. The lymphatic system, which is an important system, can modulate the immune system via a complex network, which includes lymph nodes, vessels, and lymphocytes. With the deepening understanding of tumor immunology, a plethora of immunotherapies, which include vaccines, photothermal therapy, and photodynamic therapy, have been established for antitumor treatments. However, the deleterious off-target effects and nonspecific targeting of therapeutic agents result in low efficacy of immunotherapy. Fortunately, nanoparticle-based approaches for targeting the lymphatic system afford a unique opportunity to manufacture drugs that can simultaneously tackle both aspects, thereby improving tumor treatments. Over the past decades, great strides have been made in the development of DC vaccines and nanomedicine as antitumor treatments in the field of lymphatic therapeutics and diagnosis. In this review, we summarize the current strategies through which nanoparticle technology has been designed to target the lymphatic system and describe applications of lymphatic imaging for the diagnosis and image-guided surgery of tumor metastasis. Moreover, improvements in the tumor specificity of nanovaccines and medicines, which have been realized through targeting or stimulating the lymphatic system, can provide amplified antitumor immune responses and reduce side effects, thereby promoting the paradigm of antitumor treatment into the clinic to benefit patients.

Tumor-associated antigen-based personalized dendritic cell vaccine in solid tumor patients.

Tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) have been tested in various clinical trials in cancer treatment but the patterns of specific T cell response to personalized TAA immunization remains to be fully understood. We report antigen-specific T cell responses in patients immunized with dendritic cell vaccines pulsed with personalized TAA panels. Tumor samples from patients were first analyzed to identify overexpressed TAAs. Autologous DCs were then transfected with pre-manufactured mRNAs encoding the full-length TAAs, overexpressed in the patients' tumors. Patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) or advanced lung cancer received DC vaccines transfected with personalized TAA panels, in combination with low-dose cyclophosphamide, poly I:C, imiquimod and anti-PD-1 antibody. Antigen-specific T cell responses were measured. Safety and efficacy were evaluated. A total of ten patients were treated with DC vaccines transfected with personalized TAA panels containing 3-13 different TAAs. Among the seven patients tested for anti-TAA T cell responses, most of the TAAs induced antigen-specific CD4+ and/or CD8+ T cell responses, regardless of their expression levels in the tumor tissues. No Grade III/IV adverse events were observed among these patients. Furthermore, the treated patients were associated with favorable overall survival when compared to patients who received standard treatment in the same institution. Personalized TAA immunization-induced-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses without obvious autoimmune adverse events and was associated with favorable overall survival. These results support further studies on DC immunization with personalized TAA panels for combined immunotherapeutic regimens in solid tumor patients.Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02709616 (March, 2016), NCT02808364 (June 2016), NCT02808416 (June, 2016).

Investigation of parameters that determine Nano-DC vaccine transport.

Effective migration of dendritic cells into the lymphatic system organs is the prerequisite for a functional dendritic cell vaccine. We have previously developed a porous silicon microparticle (PSM)-based therapeutic dendritic cell vaccine (Nano-DC vaccine) where PSM serves both as the vehicle for antigen peptides and an adjuvant. Here, we analyzed parameters that determined dendritic cell uptake of PSM particles and Nano-DC vaccine accumulation in lymphatic tissues in a murine model of HER2-positive breast cancer. Our study revealed a positive correlation between sphericity of the PSM particles and their cellular uptake by circulating dendritic cells. In addition, the intravenously administered vaccines accumulated more in the spleens and inguinal lymph nodes, while the intradermally inoculated vaccines got enriched in the popliteal lymph nodes. Furthermore, mice with large tumors received more vaccines in the lymph nodes than those with small to medium size tumors. Information from this study will provide guidance on design and optimization of future therapeutic cancer vaccines.

Hematologic neoplasms: Dendritic cells vaccines in motion.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are bone-marrow-derived immune cells accounted for a key role in cancer vaccination as potent antigen-presenting cells within the immune system. Cancer microenvironment can modulate DCs maturation resulting in their accumulation into functional states associated with a reduced antitumor immune response. In this regard, a successful cancer vaccine needs to mount a potent antitumor immune response able to overcome the immunosuppressive tumor milieu. As a consequence, DCs-based approaches are a safe and promising strategy for improving the therapeutic efficacy in hematological malignancies, particularly in combinations with additional treatments. This review summarizes the most significant evidence about the immunotherapeutic strategies performed to target hematologic neoplasms including the tumoral associated antigens (TAA) pulsed on DCs, whole tumor cell vaccines or leukemia-derived DCs.

Static image analysis as new approach for the characterization of tumor cell lysate used in dendritic cell vaccine preparation.

BACKGROUND: Safety is an important consideration for the clinical application of dendritic cells (DC) loaded with autologous tumor lysate (TL). Thus, avitalization of TL from living autologous tumor tissue has to be guaranteed. METHODS: Composition of TL was investigated by static image analysis (SIA) with the Morphologi G3 device, which simultaneously measures size and shape of up to 100,000 particles within one sample run. This approach was compared with sample characterization by high-resolution automated cell counting, trypan blue staining, and ATP quantification. RESULTS: Using SIA, we only detected fragmented, non-cellular structures in completely avitalized TL, indicating complete destruction of living cells. Analysis of particle size distribution by SIA as well as CASY cell counter showed that 95% of particles had a diameter of <10 µm as a sign of cell fragmentation. Complete avitalization of TL was confirmed with trypan blue staining and ATP analysis. CONCLUSION: Regarding generation of DC vaccines, the proof of avitality of TL from living tumor tissue can clearly be achieved by SIA alone or in combination with standard assays. Our data show that SIA is a highly precise method for TL characterization. The SIA device complies with FDA regulation and, therefore, might be suitable for characterization of cellular therapy medicinal products.

PD-L1+ macrophages suppress T cell-mediated anticancer immunity.

Recently, we showed that an autologous DC-based vaccine induces an increase in immunosuppressive PD-L1+ tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) both in the tumor and the tumor draining lymph nodes, thereby blunting the efficacy of therapeutic immunization. Only the combination of the DC vaccine with anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibition, but not the use of antibodies targeting PD-1 alone, was able to set off CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-mediated tumor suppression in mice. In sum, we delineated a PD-L1 checkpoint blockade-based strategy to avoid TAM-induced T cell exhaustion during DC vaccine therapy.

Dendritic cell-derived exosomes (Dex): Underlying the role of exosomes derived from diverse DC subtypes in cancer pathogenesis.

Exosomes are nanometric membrane vesicles of late endosomal origin that are released by most, if not all, cell types as a sophisticated means of intercellular communication. They play an essential role in the movement of materials and information between cells, transport a variety of proteins, lipids, RNA, and other vital data, and over time, they become an essential part of the drug delivery system and a marker for the early detection of many diseases. Dendritic cells have generated interest in cancer immunotherapy due to their ability to initiate and modify effective immune responses. Apart from their cytokine release and direct interactions with other cell types, DCs also emit nanovesicles, such as exosomes, that contribute to their overall activity. Numerous studies have demonstrated exosomes to mediate and regulate immune responses against cancers. Dendritic cell-derived exosomes (DCs) have attracted a lot of attention as immunotherapeutic anti-cancer treatments since it was found that they contain functional MHC-peptide complexes along with a variety of other immune-stimulating components that together enable immune cell-dependent tumor rejection. By enhancing tumor and immunosuppressive immune cells or changing a pro-inflammatory milieu to inhibit tumor advancement, exosomes generated from dendritic cells can initiate and support tumor growth. This study reviewed the immunogenicity of dendritic cell-derived exosomes and strategies for expanding their immunogenic potential as novel and effective anti-cancer therapies.

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy-Derived Extracellular Vesicles via DNA Accumulation Boost Antitumor Dendritic Cell Vaccine Efficacy.

Radiated tumor cell-derived extracellular vesicles (RT-EVs) encapsulate abundant DNA fragments from irradiated tumor cells, in addition to acting as integrators of multiple tumor antigens. Accumulating evidence indicates these DNA fragments from damaged cells are involved in downstream immune responses, but most of them are degraded in cells before incorporation into derived RT-EVs, thus the low abundance of DNA fragments limits immune responses of RT-EVs. Here, this study found that different radiations affected fates of DNA fragments in RT-EVs. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) induced DNA accumulation in RT-EVs (BEVs) by causing more DNA breaks and DNA oxidation resisting nuclease degradation. This is attributed to the high-linear energy transfer (LET) properties of alpha particles from the neutron capture reaction of 10B. When being internalized by dendritic cells (DCs), BEVs activated the DNA sensing pathway, resulting in functional enhancements including antigen presentation, migration capacity, and cytokine secretion. After vaccination of the BEVs-educated DCs (BEV@BMDCs), the effector T cells significantly expanded and infiltrated into tumors, suggesting robust anti-tumor immune activation. BEV@BMDCs not only effectively inhibited the primary tumor growth and metastasis formation but also elicited long-term immune memory. In conclusion, a successful DC vaccine is provided as a promising candidate for tumor vaccine.

Recent Advances in Antitumor Dendritic Cell Vaccines.

Background: Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most important antigen-presenting cells in the body and play a key role in antigen recognition, uptake, processing, and presentation and mediate nonspecific immunity and specific immunity. Purpose: To summarize the main findings that DC vaccines are a new immunotherapy scheme combining the strengths of tumor antigens and DCs that can boost the body's identification and clearance of tumors. Methods: In this review, the authors focus on the biological characteristics of DCs, recent advances in the understanding of antitumor mechanisms, and the classification of DC vaccines. Results: The current progress of DC-based vaccine immunotherapy for common tumors with high morbidity or mortality in China were systematically summarize. Conclusions: The DC vaccines combining the strengths of tumor antigens will provide directions to explore reasonable, safe, and effective combination immunotherapy strategies for tumors in the future.

Combination immunotherapy of glioblastoma with dendritic cell cancer vaccines, anti-PD-1 and poly I:C.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a lethal cancer with limited therapeutic options. Dendritic cell (DC)-based cancer vaccines provide a promising approach for GBM treatment. Clinical studies suggest that other immunotherapeutic agents may be combined with DC vaccines to further enhance antitumor activity. Here, we report a GBM case with combination immunotherapy consisting of DC vaccines, anti-programmed death-1 (anti-PD-1) and poly I:C as well as the chemotherapeutic agent cyclophosphamide that was integrated with standard chemoradiation therapy, and the patient remained disease-free for 69 months. The patient received DC vaccines loaded with multiple forms of tumor antigens, including mRNA-tumor associated antigens (TAA), mRNA-neoantigens, and hypochlorous acid (HOCl)-oxidized tumor lysates. Furthermore, mRNA-TAAs were modified with a novel TriVac technology that fuses TAAs with a destabilization domain and inserts TAAs into full-length lysosomal associated membrane protein-1 to enhance major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II antigen presentation. The treatment consisted of 42 DC cancer vaccine infusions, 26 anti-PD-1 antibody nivolumab administrations and 126 poly I:C injections for DC infusions. The patient also received 28 doses of cyclophosphamide for depletion of regulatory T cells. No immunotherapy-related adverse events were observed during the treatment. Robust antitumor CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses were detected. The patient remains free of disease progression. This is the first case report on the combination of the above three agents to treat glioblastoma patients. Our results suggest that integrated combination immunotherapy is safe and feasible for long-term treatment in this patient. A large-scale trial to validate these findings is warranted.

DC vaccine enhances CAR-T cell antitumor activity by overcoming T cell exhaustion and promoting T cell infiltration in solid tumors.

OBJECTIVE: Great success has been achieved in CAR-T cell immunotherapy in the treatment of hematological tumors. However, it is particularly difficult in solid tumors, because CAR-T is difficult to enter interior and exert long-term stable immune effects. Dendritic cells (DCs) can not only present tumor antigens but also promote the infiltration of T cells. Therefore, CAR-T cells with the help of DC vaccines are a reliable approach to treat solid tumors. METHODS: To test whether DC vaccine could promote CAR-T cell therapy in solid tumors, DC vaccine was co-cultured with MSLN CAR-T cells. The in vitro effects of DC vaccine on CAR-T were assessed by measuring cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and cytokine secretion. Effects of DC vaccine on CAR-T were evaluated using mice with subcutaneous tumors in vivo. The infiltration of CAR-T was analyzed using immunofluorescence. The persistence of CAR-T in mouse blood was analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS: The results showed that DC vaccine significantly enhanced the proliferation potential of MSLN CAR-T cells in vitro. DC vaccines not only promoted the infiltration of CAR-T cells, but also significantly improved the persistence of CAR-T in solid tumors in vivo. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this study has demonstrated that DC vaccine can promote CAR-T therapy in solid tumors, which provides the possibility of widespread clinical application of CAR-T cells in the future.

Dendritic cell vaccine trials in gliomas: Untangling the lines.

Glioblastoma is a deadly brain tumor without any significantly successful treatments to date. Tumor antigen-targeted immunotherapy platforms including peptide and dendritic cell (DC) vaccines, have extended survival in hematologic malignancies. The relatively "cold" tumor immune microenvironment and heterogenous nature of glioblastoma have proven to be major limitations to translational application and efficacy of DC vaccines. Furthermore, many DC vaccine trials in glioblastoma are difficult to interpret due to a lack of contemporaneous controls, absence of any control comparison, or inconsistent patient populations. Here we review glioblastoma immunobiology aspects that are relevant to DC vaccines, review the clinical experience with DC vaccines targeting glioblastoma, discuss challenges in clinical trial design, and summarize conclusions and directions for future research for the development of effective DC vaccines for patients.

Natural polysaccharides exert anti-tumor effects as dendritic cell immune enhancers.

With the development of immunotherapy, the process of tumor treatment is also moving forward. Polysaccharides are biological response modifiers widely found in plants, animals, fungi, and algae and are mainly composed of monosaccharides covalently linked by glycosidic bonds. For a long time, polysaccharides have been widely used clinically to enhance the body's immunity. However, their mechanisms of action in tumor immunotherapy have not been thoroughly explored. Dendritic cells (DCs) are a heterogeneous population of antigen presenting cells (APCs) that play a crucial role in the regulation and maintenance of the immune response. There is growing evidence that polysaccharides can enhance the essential functions of DCs to intervene the immune response. This paper describes the research progress on the anti-tumor immune effects of natural polysaccharides on DCs. These studies show that polysaccharides can act on pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) on the surface of DCs and activate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), Dectin-1/Syk, and other signalling pathways, thereby promoting the main functions of DCs such as maturation, metabolism, antigen uptake and presentation, and activation of T cells, and then play an anti-tumor role. In addition, the application of polysaccharides as adjuvants for DC vaccines, in combination with adoptive immunotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), as well as their co-assembly with nanoparticles (NPs) into nano drug delivery systems is also introduced. These results reveal the biological effects of polysaccharides, provide a new perspective for the anti-tumor immunopharmacological research of natural polysaccharides, and provide helpful information for guiding polysaccharides as complementary medicines in cancer immunotherapy.

Adenovirus-assembled DC vaccine induces dual-targeting CTLs for tumor antigen and adenovirus to eradicate tumors.

The dendritic cell (DC) vaccine is a promising cancerimmunotherapy strategy, but its efficacy in treating the solid tumor is limited. To overcome this limitation, an oncolytic adenovirus (OAV-IL-12) was developed to enhance antigen targeting ability of adenovirus-assembled DC vaccine (DCs-CD137L/CAIX) for renal carcinoma treatment. Peritumoral administration of OAV-IL-12 increased the number of tumor-infiltrating DCs and their subsets (CD8+DCs and CD103+DCs). Combining OAV-IL-12 with DCs-CD137L/CAIX significantly inhibited the growth of subcutaneous tumors by inducing potent cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) effect and improving the immune infiltration in tumor lesions. Interestingly, this treatment also reduced tumor growth distal to the OAV-IL-12 injecting side via eliciting a systemic CTL response. Furthermore, OAV-IL-12 potentiated DCs-CD137L/CAIX treatment induced dual CTL responses against both CAIX and adenovirus antigens. The therapeutic benefits of this treatment approach mainly relied on multifunctional CD8+T cell immune responses, as indicated by the depletion assay. Moreover, OAV-IL-12 potentiated DCs-CD137L/CAIX treatment generated a long-lasting protective effect against tumors by inducing memory CD8+T cell immune responses. These results suggest that the effective tumor targeting of the adenovirus-based DC vaccine, boosted by OAV-IL-12, is a promising treatment approach for renal carcinoma and other solid tumors.