Dendritic cells (DCs) have received considerable attention as potential targets for the development of novel cancer immunotherapies. However, the clinical efficacy of DC-based vaccines remains suboptimal, largely reflecting local and systemic immunosuppression at baseline. An autologous DC-based vaccine (DCVAC) has recently been shown to improve progression-free survival and overall survival in randomized clinical trials enrolling patients with lung cancer (SLU01, NCT02470468) or ovarian carcinoma (SOV01, NCT02107937), but not metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (SP005, NCT02111577), despite a good safety profile across all cohorts. We performed biomolecular and cytofluorometric analyses on peripheral blood samples collected prior to immunotherapy from 1000 patients enrolled in these trials, with the objective of identifying immunological biomarkers that may improve the clinical management of DCVAC-treated patients. Gene signatures reflecting adaptive immunity and T cell activation were associated with favorable disease outcomes and responses to DCVAC in patients with prostate and lung cancer, but not ovarian carcinoma. By contrast, the clinical benefits of DCVAC were more pronounced among patients with ovarian carcinoma exhibiting reduced expression of T cell-associated genes, especially those linked to TH2-like signature and immunosuppressive regulatory T (TREG) cells. Clinical responses to DCVAC were accompanied by signs of antitumor immunity in the peripheral blood. Our findings suggest that circulating signatures of antitumor immunity may provide a useful tool for monitoring the potency of autologous DC-based immunotherapy.

• Klíčová slova
• Cancer immunotherapy, anti-PD-1, circulating biomarkers, epithelial ovarian carcinoma, metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer, non-small cell lung carcinoma,
• MeSH
• dendritické buňky metabolismus   MeSH
• epiteliální ovariální karcinom farmakoterapie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádory plic * farmakoterapie   terapie   MeSH
• nádory vaječníků * genetika   terapie   MeSH
• protinádorové vakcíny * terapeutické užití   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• protinádorové vakcíny * MeSH

Dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccination for cancer treatment has seen considerable development over recent decades. However, this field is currently in a state of flux toward niche-applications, owing to recent paradigm-shifts in immuno-oncology mobilized by T cell-targeting immunotherapies. DC vaccines are typically generated using autologous (patient-derived) DCs exposed to tumor-associated or -specific antigens (TAAs or TSAs), in the presence of immunostimulatory molecules to induce DC maturation, followed by reinfusion into patients. Accordingly, DC vaccines can induce TAA/TSA-specific CD8+/CD4+ T cell responses. Yet, DC vaccination still shows suboptimal anti-tumor efficacy in the clinic. Extensive efforts are ongoing to improve the immunogenicity and efficacy of DC vaccines, often by employing combinatorial chemo-immunotherapy regimens. In this Trial Watch, we summarize the recent preclinical and clinical developments in this field and discuss the ongoing trends and future perspectives of DC-based immunotherapy for oncological indications.

• Klíčová slova
• DAMPs, Dendritic cells, T cell priming, TAAs, antigen cross-presentation, clinical trial, immune checkpoint blockers, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes,
• MeSH
• antigeny nádorové MeSH
• dendritické buňky MeSH
• imunoterapie MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádory * farmakoterapie   MeSH
• protinádorové vakcíny * terapeutické užití   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antigeny nádorové MeSH
• protinádorové vakcíny * MeSH