Dendritic Cell-Based Vaccines for Pancreatic Cancer and Melanoma

Based on leads from our recent animal studies, we are embarking on a series of new clinical trials to evaluate potential improvements in dendritic cell (DC)‐based vaccines for melanoma and pancreatic cancer. The first new strategy involves the use of a powerful chemokine (denoted secondary lymphoid tissue chemokine; SLC/CCL‐21), which can both create functioning lymph node‐like structures at sites of vaccination with tumor‐loaded DCs and dramatically enhance vaccine efficacy in animal tumor models. Using this strategy, we are embarking on a clinical trial in melanoma patients with the intent to create functioning, ectopic, lymph node‐like structures to enhance host antitumor immunity. The second strategy, in the setting of pancreatic cancer, involves a gene therapy and immunotherapy combination of a locally administered tumor necrosis factor‐α gene vector followed by radiation (to induce tumor apoptosis/necrosis) and intratumorally administered monocyte‐derived DCs (to uptake and present antigens from dying tumor cells to elicit potent, systemic, antitumor immunity).