Dendritic cell vaccine modified by Ag85A gene enhances anti-tumor immunity against bladder cancer

The ability of dendritic cells to provide all the signals required for T-cell activation makes them an ideal cancer vaccine platform. With the use of established DC2.4 cell line, originated from C57BL/6 mice and developed by superinfecting GM-CSF transduced bone marrow cells with myc and raf oncogenes, we investigated whether the DC 2.4 cell line transfected with Ag85A gene could enhance immunity against bladder cancer. Both phenotypic and functional analyses of Ag85A‐DCs were done with use of FCM and T cell proliferation test. The cytotoxicity of Ag85A-DCs loaded with tumor cell lysate was verified by LDH. Finally, the production of interferon gamma was assayed by both ELISA and FCM. The immunotherapeutic effect of DC vaccine on murine bladder cancer was assessed pharmacologically and pathologically. Our results showed that Ag85A gene transfected DCs expressed high levels of key surface markers such as CD80, CD86 and MHC-II. The CTL primed with MB49 lysate-pulsed Ag85A-DCs elicits higher activity against MB49 tumor cells and upregulated level of IFN-γ production. Furthermore, the significant inhibitive effect on tumor growth in mice was found in the group of Ag85A-DC vaccine. The infiltration of CD4+ or CD8+ T cell within established tumor treated by Ag85A-DC vaccine significantly increased as compared with control groups. It is therefore concluded that DCs engineered by Ag85A gene exerts enhanced anti-tumor immunity against bladder cancer and this study might provide a meaningful mode of action with the use of Ag85A engineered DC vaccination in anti-cancer immunotherapy. ► Ag85A gene transfection could markedly induce phenotypic and functional maturation of DC2.4 cells. ► Ag85A-DC vaccine could markedly enhance infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in tumor tissues. ► Ag85A-DC vaccine could markedly increase production of IFN-γ, triggering a chain of cellular immune response. ► Ag85A-DC vaccine could markedly elicit mouse with anti-tumor effect against bladder cancer.