Objective: To evaluate the safety, acute and long-term toxicity and therapeutic activity of an allogenic and an autologous hybrid cell vaccine in patients with progressive metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
Patients and methods: Eleven patients were vaccinated with a lethally irradiated hybrid cell vaccine of allogenic RCC tumour cells fused with major histocompatibility complex class I-matched and class II-unmatched activated allogenic lymphocytes. These patients were then followed for a mean of 11 months. Another 13 patients were vaccinated with a hybrid cell vaccine of autologous tumour cells fused with allogenic activated lymphocytes and followed for a mean of 6 months.
Results: Six of the 11 patients receiving the allogenic vaccination showed an initial response, with two complete and two partial responses to date. Only three patients who received autologous vaccination responded to treatment.
Conclusions: Hybrid cell vaccination is a promising new approach in the treatment of patients with advanced RCC.