Dendritic Cells—Conductors and Activators of the Immunological Orchestra

Dear Colleagues,

Dendritic Cells (DCs), professional antigen-presenting cells that are present in all tissues including tumors, connect the innate and adaptive immune systems. Immature DCs phagocyte and process infectious/tumor-antigens. They mature after inflammatory “danger-signaling” and migrate to organs/tissues where they express “DC-/MHC-antigens” and attract and regulate immune functions.

Different “activating” and “inhibiting/tolerogenic” DC-subsets (e.g., conventional, monocyte, Langerhans, plasmacytoid, and tolerogenic-CD85K DCs) mediate and reactivate antigen-specific immune reactions against infections and tumors. They can also be used against inflammation, autoimmune diseases, allergies, in transplant medicine (TolDC), or against malignant cells. The use of DCs generated from precursor cells or monocytes and pulsed/loaded with tumor antigens as vaccinations showed promising results in patients with leukemia or tumors in terms of tolerability, safety, induction of antitumor/tumor specific reactions, and installation of immunological memory.

“Leukemia-derived DC” (DCleu) presenting leukemic antigens can be generated or quantified ex vivo from myeloid leukemic cells. They can reactivate the humoral, innate, or adaptive anti-leukemic immune-system, along with clonally-restricted T-cells. Predictive correlations of the frequencies and quality of DC/T-cell subsets have been performed after culture with induced anti-leukemic T-cell responses ex-vivo and in-vivo.

Ex vivo DC/DCleu production is time-consuming, requires good manufactural practice (GMP) and contamination-free conditions and yields limited cell products.

The combination of two approved drugs (“kits”) was shown to generate DCleu from leukemic whole-blood containing patients’ soluble/cellular factors and (re)activate antileukemic cells.

The initiation of antitumor reactions by designed DCs (loaded with tumor antigens) or DCleu induced in-vivo by “kits” with antigen presentation and migration capability could be promising treatment options for the initiation of anti-tumor or anti-leukemic reactions and the installation of immunological memory in-vivo independent of patient age, MHC, mutation, or transplantation status.

Prof. Dr. Helga Maria Schmetzer
Guest Editor

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