Dendritic cell immunotherapy for cancer: Application to low-grade lymphomaand multiple myeloma

The confirmation that most cancers express one or more molecular changes, w hich may act as tumour-associated antigens (TAA), combined with the knowled ge that T lymphocytes recognize even single amino acid differences in MHC p resented peptides has stimulated renewed clinical interest in immunotherape utic strategies. Dendritic cells (DC) are now recognized as specialist anti gen-presenting cells, which initiate, direct and regulate immune responses. Recent data suggest that DC are not recruited into, or activated by, cance rs and that other abnormalities in DC function are associated with malignan cy, including multiple myeloma. This provides a rationale for designing imm unotherapeutic strategies, which exploit DC as nature's adjuvant either in vivo or in vitro. Low-grade lymphoma and multiple myeloma are slowly progre ssive malignancies, which generally express a unique immunoglobulin idiotyp e as a potential TAA. Data from animal models and clinical studies suggest that DC-based immunotherapy strategies, applied when the patient has minima l residual disease, may improve the long-term prognosis in these diseases.