Dendritic cells are in every person’s blood stream and are blood cells. They normally function as an immune cell but are present in very small numbers. Their usual function is to identify a foreign substance including cancer cells and bringing foreign substance to the attention of the rest of the immune system like T lymphocyte cells. The activated immune system is then able to circulates throughout the body and destroy the cancer cells.

Manufacture of Dendritic Cell Vaccination:

The therapy uses patient’s own blood and tumor antigen. Monocyte will be separated from blood. Then monocyte will be cultured with cytokines GM-CSF and IL-4 to convert into undifferentiated dendritic cell. For clinical implementation of DC therapy; valid technique for generation of clinical grade DC processing defined phenotype and functional characteristics need to be developed. Peripheral blood monocytes represent most common source for in vitro DC preparation. Large number of DC can be generated by invitro differentiation of peripheral blood monocytes which are isolated from whole blood or Leukopheresis products by density gradient centrifugation and adherence. The differentiation of monocyte into dendritic cells requires cytokines like GM-CSF and IL-4. The immature DC can be further mature by adding mature DC by adding maturation stimulus. Quality control of the clinical grade of the DC preparation should include DC yield; purity; viability; cryopreservation as well as phenotype and functional parameters. In the last decade, a large number of clinical trials were carried out to establish the therapeutic efficacy of DC vaccines. Among the over 200 DC based clinical trials so far, solid tumors were the most common cancer treated which established the feasibility and safety of DC vaccines.

Theroretically all cancers can be treated. To date, therapeutic benefit has been documented for prostate cancer, colorectal, ovarian, breast, melanoma, pancreatic, renal cell cancers have more success rate. If interested, patients should seek professional advice on DC therapy against specific cancer.

Requirement

Whole blood 100 ml Biopsy sample of cancer tissue or Recombinant proteins

Duration:

Total 8 days are require to prepare dendritic cell vaccination

Product

Dendritic cell formulation contain 3 doses each of 5-10 million DCs. Each has to be administer after every 2 weeks

Multiple early phases of Dendritic Cell therapy for cancer has been completed and establishes the treatment as generally safe.

• The disease is stable
• The patient is free of disease but at a risk for recurrence
• Palliation is required
• Patient requires immune-therapy in addition to ongoing chemo/radiation therapy
• When all other treatment options have been exhausted
• When the patient is not fit to receive chemo/radiation

• Quality of life will increase
• Can be taken in combination of other therapy like chemotherapy; Radiation therapy
• Effective anti-tumor response.
• Clinical trials data showed there is increase in overall survival rate

• There are no major side effects to dendritic cell therapy
• Some patients may experience mild-moderate grade fever after vaccine administration lasting 24-48 hours
• Some may experience lethargy/weakness for few days. None of patients has experienced any anaphylactic reaction till date