Next Article in Journal
Cellular Plasticity and EMT in Cancer and Fibrotic Diseases
Previous Article in Journal
Chronic Stress and the Brain–Kidney Axis in Renal Injury: From Neuroendocrine Dysregulation to Kidney Damage
Previous Article in Special Issue
Structural Determinants and Repair of Membrane Microdomains in Dendritic Cell-Mediated Antitumor Immunity: An Integrative Mechanistic Synthesis
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
IJMS
Volume 27
Issue 18
10.3390/ijms27188354
ijms-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Crucial Role of Lymphocytes in the Therapeutic Efficacy of Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

by
Wei-Chen Lee
1,2,*,
Yin Lai
1,
Hao-Chien Hung
1,2,
Jin-Chiao Lee
1,2,
Yu-Chao Wang
1,
Chih-Hsien Cheng
1,
Tsung-Han Wu
1,2,
Chen-Fang Lee
1,2,
Ting-Jung Wu
1,2,
Hong-Shiue Chou
1,2 and
Kun-Ming Chan
1,2
1
Division of Liver and Transplantation Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, 5, Fu-Hsing Street, Linkou, Taoyuan 333423, Taiwan
2
College of Medicine, Cheng-Gung University, Taoyuan 333423, Taiwan
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(18), 8354; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27188354 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 19 June 2026 / Revised: 9 August 2026 / Accepted: 17 August 2026 / Published: 19 September 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dendritic Cell-Based Immunotherapy of Cancer)
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

At present, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are used to treat advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with limited therapeutic effects. Dendritic cell (DC) immunotherapy may be a feasible option following ICI/TKI therapy to increase patient survival. Seventy patients with HCC who received DC therapy were included in this study. DCs were propagated from peripheral blood monocytes and pulsed with tumor lysate. The phenotypes of peripheral white blood cells were analyzed prior to and after DC therapy. Among the 70 patients examined, 11 (15.7%) had an objective response (group A), 26 (37.1%) had stable disease and minor regression (group B), 21 (30.0%) had stable disease and minor progression (group C), and 12 (17.1%) had progressive disease (group D). Prior to DC therapy, patients in group A had a higher frequency of CD8+ T-cells and a lower neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio than patients in the other groups. After DC therapy, patients in groups A and B exhibited a significant increase or tendency to increase in the frequencies of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T-cells. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates were 90.9%, 81.8%, and 63.3%, respectively, for group A patients; 76.9%, 50.5%, and 26.9% for group B patients, which were significantly better than the rates of 42.9%, 9.5%, and 4.8% for group C patients and 25%, 8.3%, and 0% for group D patients (p < 0.001). In conclusion, DC therapy following ICI/TKI therapy is feasible for patients with advanced HCC. Patients with objective or minor responses to DC therapy exhibited an increased frequency of T-cells and improved survival.
Keywords: dendritic cell; hepatocellular carcinoma; T-lymphocytes; neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; immunotherapy dendritic cell; hepatocellular carcinoma; T-lymphocytes; neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; immunotherapy

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Lee, W.-C.; Lai, Y.; Hung, H.-C.; Lee, J.-C.; Wang, Y.-C.; Cheng, C.-H.; Wu, T.-H.; Lee, C.-F.; Wu, T.-J.; Chou, H.-S.; et al. Crucial Role of Lymphocytes in the Therapeutic Efficacy of Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27, 8354. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27188354

AMA Style

Lee W-C, Lai Y, Hung H-C, Lee J-C, Wang Y-C, Cheng C-H, Wu T-H, Lee C-F, Wu T-J, Chou H-S, et al. Crucial Role of Lymphocytes in the Therapeutic Efficacy of Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2026; 27(18):8354. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27188354

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lee, Wei-Chen, Yin Lai, Hao-Chien Hung, Jin-Chiao Lee, Yu-Chao Wang, Chih-Hsien Cheng, Tsung-Han Wu, Chen-Fang Lee, Ting-Jung Wu, Hong-Shiue Chou, and et al. 2026. "Crucial Role of Lymphocytes in the Therapeutic Efficacy of Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 27, no. 18: 8354. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27188354

APA Style

Lee, W.-C., Lai, Y., Hung, H.-C., Lee, J.-C., Wang, Y.-C., Cheng, C.-H., Wu, T.-H., Lee, C.-F., Wu, T.-J., Chou, H.-S., & Chan, K.-M. (2026). Crucial Role of Lymphocytes in the Therapeutic Efficacy of Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 27(18), 8354. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27188354

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Article metric data becomes available approximately 24 hours after publication online.
Back to TopTop