AUTOLOGOUS AND ALLOGENIC HYBRID CELL VACCINE IN PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC RENAL-CELL CARCINOMA

Objective To evaluate the safety, acute and long-term toxicity and the rapeutic activity of an allogenic and an autologous hybrid cell vaccin e in patients with progressive metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Patients and methods Eleven patients were vaccinated with a lethally i rradiated hybrid cell vaccine of allogenic RCC tumour cells fused with major histocompatibility complex class I-matched and class II-unmatch ed activated allogenic lymphocytes. These patients were then followed for a mean of 11 months. Another 13 patients were vaccinated with a hy brid cell vaccine of autologous tumour cells fused with allogenic acti vated 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 th ree patients who received autologous vaccination responded to treatmen t. Conclusions Hybrid cell vaccination is a promising new approach in the treatment of patients with advanced RCC.