Gene and Cell Technologies Lab seeks ways to inhibit melanoma cells
A paper saw light in Current Issues in Molecular Biology.
"Immunotherapy is an innovative approach to cancer treatment based on the activation of the human immune system to fight tumor cells. Among the various immunotherapy strategies, a special place is occupied by vaccines based on dendritic cells, which are white blood cells specialized in antigen presentation and have a characteristic spurred morphology. Dendritic cells are able to migrate to lymph nodes and activate T-killers (T-lymphocytes)—the main cells of antitumor immune response. This fact makes dendritic cells an important link between innate and adaptive immunity," explains Junior Research Associate Ivan Filin.
Personalized vaccines based on dendritic cells are researched as means for antitumor therapy, the young scientist says, "These vaccines are safe and have a prolonged anti-tumor effect, keeping the disease in check. To obtain such a vaccine, blood is taken from the patient, monocytes (a type of leukocyte, a cell of the immune system) are isolated, and dendritic cells are selected from them using protein factors. The resulting dendritic cells are loaded with tumor antigen and injected into the patient."
The KFU-made experiments showed that dendritic cells loaded with tumor-derived vesicles do indeed activate T-lymphocytes, and the latter start inhibiting melanoma cells.
"What is unique about our approach is that we loaded the dendritic cells with membrane vesicles that are tumor-specific antigens because each vesicle has tumor-specific antigens on its surface," concludes Filin.
The membrane vesicles were obtained from tumor cells through induction by cytochalasin B. As previous studies by KFU's Laboratory of Intercellular Communication have shown, cytochalasin B helps increase production of vesicles by orders of magnitude.
The employees of the Laboratory of Gene and Cell Technologies work on differentiating, loading and activating cells to increase efficacy of potential vaccines. The next step is in vivo testing on mice.
More information:
T-Lymphocytes Activated by Dendritic Cells Loaded by Tumor-Derived Vesicles Decrease Viability of Melanoma Cells In Vitro
www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/45/10/493
Provided by Kazan Federal University