Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) are highly efficient antigen-presenting cells capable of priming both cytotoxic and helper T cells in vivo. Recent studies have demonstrated the potential use of DCs that are modified to carry tumor-specific antigens in cancer vaccines. However, the optimal administration route of DC-based vaccines to generate the greatest anti-tumor effect remains to be determined. This study is aimed at comparing the levels of immune responses and anti-tumor effect generated through different administration routes of DC based vaccination. We chose the E7 gene product of human papillomavirus (HPV) as the model antigen and generated a stable DC line (designated as DC-E7) that constitutively expresses the E7 gene. Among the three different routes of DC-E7 vaccine administration in a murine model, we found that intramuscular administration generated the greatest anti-tumor immunity compared with subcutaneous and intravenous routes of administration. Furthermore, intramuscular administration of DC-E7 elicited the highest levels of E7-specific antibody and greatest numbers of E7-specific CD4+ T helper and CD8+ T cell precursors. Our results indicate that the potency of DC-based vaccines depends on the specific route of administration and that intramuscular administration of E7-transfected DCs generates the most potent E7-specific anti-tumor immunity.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 726-733 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Gene Therapy |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 2000 |
Keywords
- Cervical cancer
- Dendritic cell
- E7
- Human papillomaviruses (HPV)
- Immunity
- Vaccines
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Molecular Medicine
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics