Promoting the accumulation of tumor-specific T cells in tumor tissues by dendritic cell vaccines and chemokine-modulating agents

Nat Protoc. 2018 Feb;13(2):335-357. doi: 10.1038/nprot.2017.130. Epub 2018 Jan 18.

Abstract

This protocol describes how to induce large numbers of tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) in the spleens and lymph nodes of mice receiving dendritic cell (DC) vaccines and how to modulate tumor microenvironments (TMEs) to ensure effective homing of the vaccination-induced CTLs to tumor tissues. We also describe how to evaluate the numbers of tumor-specific CTLs within tumors. The protocol contains detailed information describing how to generate a specialized DC vaccine with augmented ability to induce tumor-specific CTLs. We also describe methods to modulate the production of chemokines in the TME and show how to quantify tumor-specific CTLs in the lymphoid organs and tumor tissues of mice receiving different treatments. The combined experimental procedure, including tumor implantation, DC vaccine generation, chemokine-modulating (CKM) approaches, and the analyses of tumor-specific systemic and intratumoral immunity is performed over 30-40 d. The presented ELISpot-based ex vivo CTL assay takes 6 h to set up and 5 h to develop. In contrast to other methods of evaluating tumor-specific immunity in tumor tissues, our approach allows detection of intratumoral T-cell responses to nonmanipulated weakly immunogenic cancers. This detection method can be performed using basic laboratory skills, and facilitates the development and preclinical evaluation of new immunotherapies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cancer Vaccines / chemical synthesis
  • Cancer Vaccines / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Chemokines
  • Dendritic Cells / physiology*
  • Immunotherapy / methods*
  • Lymph Nodes / immunology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neoplasms
  • Spleen / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / physiology
  • Tumor Microenvironment / physiology

Substances

  • Cancer Vaccines
  • Chemokines