Immunotherapy of patients with hormone-refractory prostate carcinoma pre-treated with interferon-gamma and vaccinated with autologous PSA-peptide loaded dendritic cells--a pilot study

Prostate. 2007 Apr 1;67(5):500-8. doi: 10.1002/pros.20539.

Abstract

Purpose: We conducted a pilot trial to assess the feasibility and tolerability of a prime/boost vaccine strategy using interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and autologous dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with HLA-A2-specific prostate-specific antigen (PSA) peptides (PSA-1 [141-150]; PSA-2 [146-156]; PSA-3 [154-163]) for the treatment of 12 patients with hormone refractory prostate carcinoma.

Patients and methods: All patients were vaccinated four times with intracutaneously injected PSA-peptide loaded DCs after subcutaneous administration of IFN-gamma 2 hr before DC administration (50 microg/m(2) body surface). Objectives were safety, clinical benefit, clinical and biochemical response, quality of life, and immunological parameters.

Results: The vaccination was well tolerated without any vaccination-associated adverse events. One partial and one mixed responder were identified, four patients showed stable diseases. Two patients had a decrease and four a slow-down velocity slope in the PSA serum level. All responders showed a positive DTH-response, but only two a slight increase in PSA-peptide specific T-lymphocytes.

Conclusion: The immunotherapy with IFN-gamma and PSA-peptide loaded DCs was feasible and well tolerated. The observed responses imply a potential antitumor activity.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Cancer Vaccines / adverse effects
  • Cancer Vaccines / immunology
  • Cancer Vaccines / therapeutic use*
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Disease Progression
  • HLA-A2 Antigen / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive / adverse effects
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive / methods*
  • Injections, Subcutaneous
  • Interferon-gamma / adverse effects
  • Interferon-gamma / immunology
  • Interferon-gamma / therapeutic use*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pilot Projects
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen* / immunology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / immunology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Quality of Life

Substances

  • Cancer Vaccines
  • HLA-A2 Antigen
  • Interferon-gamma
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen