Hybrid cell vaccination for cancer immune therapy: First clinical trial with metastatic melanoma

Hybrid cell vaccination is a new cancer immune therapy approach that aims a t recruiting T cell help for the induction of tumour specific cytolytic imm unity. The vaccines are generated by fusion of the patients' tumour cells w ith allogeneic MHC class II bearing cells to combine the tumour's antigenic ity with the immunogenicity of allogeneic MHC molecules. Safety and anti-tu mour activity of this treatment were assessed in a clinical trial that has yielded one complete and one partial remission, and 5 cases of stable disea se among 16 patients with advanced stage metastatic melanoma. As evidenced by histology, the vaccination induced T cell relocation into tumour nodules . Stable disease could be maintained by repeated booster injections for mor e than 24 months in some patients. The side effects were minor. Occasional occurrences of vitiligo spots after vaccination were indicative of a restri cted therapy induced auto-immune reactivity. The results suggest that hybri d cell vaccination is a safe cancer immune therapy potentially effective fo r induction of acute anti-tumour response as well as long-term maintenance. . (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.