Dendritic Cells as Vectors for Immunotherapy of Tumor and Its Application for Gastric Cancer Therapy

Dendritic cells(DCs) are recognized as the most potent antigen-presenting cells(APCs) with the ability tostimulate naive resting T cells and initiate primary immune responses.DCs are poised to capture antigen(Ag),migrate to draining lymphoid organs,and,after a process of maturation,select Ag-specific lymphocytes towhich they present the processed Ag,thereby inducing immune responses.Numerous studies indicated thatimmunotherapies utilizing DC-presenting tumor-associated antigens can safely be administered to cancerpatients and induce significant immunologic and clinical responses.Moreover,it has been demonstrated thatDCs are related to clinical stage,invasion,metastasis and prognosis of gastric cancer.DC-based tumor vaccinesbecome a new effective immunoadjuvant therapy for gastric cancer.Cellular & Molecular Immunology.2004;1(5):351-356.