W.M. Abo Elkheir

Dendritic cell—based tumor vaccination for patient with malignant glioma

Objective: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive and common primary brain tumor, with a median survival of 12-18 month without the possibility of spontaneous remission. Current treatment has not substantially changed the prognosis for GBM patients. One of the most recent treatment options is the trial of immune therapy. Methods: The present study included 30 patients; liquid culture was established for generation of dendritic cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, using GM-CSF and IL4, followed by pulsing of the generated dendritic cells by tumor lysate to produce tumor-specific dendritic cells to be used as vaccine. Patients were vaccinated five times, four weeks apart. Follow-up of the patients was done using MRI and DMSA scan. Results: Dendritic cell generation was proven by CD1a expression & specific morphology. The median disease free survival was significantly improved in the studied patients. Conclusion: We demonstrated that tumor pulsed dendritic cells can be used as a potential vaccine in the immunotherapy of brain tumors which represents an important approach for improvement of treatment outcome.