Aim: Treatment options are limited in uterine cancer, leading to a poor prognosis. Overexpression of Wilms' tumor gene 1 (WT1), the highest ranked tumor antigen, is attractive for immunotherapy.
Patients and methods: Six pre-treated patients with uterine cancer received four weekly vaccines of autologous dendritic cells (DCs) electroporated with WT1 mRNA. Safety, feasibility and immunogenicity were assessed. In cases of response, patients received monthly booster vaccines.
Results: The technique was feasible. One patient had a local allergic reaction. Three out of four Human Leucocyte Antigen-A2 (HLA-A2)-positive patients showed an oncological response; an enrichment of WT1-specific T-cells was observed in two of them. Two HLA-A2-negative patients did not show an oncological or an immunological response.
Conclusion: A first series of six patients with uterine cancer treated with WT1 mRNA-electroporated DCs is presented herein. Oncological and immunological responses were observed and are supportive for further research.
Keywords: DC immunotherapy; WT1; endometrial carcinoma; uterine cancer; uterine sarcoma.