Selected allogeneic dendritic cells markedly enhance human tumour antigen-specific T cell response in vitro

Background Alloreaction is known to accumulate several theoretical advantages that can improve dendritic cell (DC)-based anti-infective or antitumour strategies. Allogeneic DC have already been tested in experimental and clinical studies, but their efficacy compared with their autologous counterparts was rarely investigated and conclusions diverge. Objective This study compared antigen-specific T cell responses following priming with autologous versus allogeneic DC and examined the possibility of screening these responses in order to select allogeneic DC that lead to a great amplification. Results Allogeneic DC obtained from donors matched with the single HLA-A2 allele were efficient in generating in vitro peptide-specific T cell responses. When randomly chosen, allogeneic DC generated a broad range of antigen-specific T cell responses in comparison with autologous DC. When screened and selected, allogeneic DC markedly enhanced peptide-specific T cell priming and allowed a more efficient boosting of resulting T cells. These selected allogeneic DC provided a favourable cytokinic and cellular environment that can help concurrent antigen-specific responses. Conclusion Ex vivo selected allogeneic DC provide adjuvant effects that lead to amplification of concomitant antigen-specific T cell responses.