Dendritic cells were matured with TNF alpha, IFN gamma and PGE2. These DC were used to produce a DC vaccine.

These DC still have functional receptors and are exposed to the receptor antagonist laminarin in order to block them.

The receptors of these DC were blocked by addition of laminarin, mannan and chitin.

The DC were matured with inflammatory cytokines followed by electroporation with TAA encoding mRNA. They were used to compare different maturation methods.

These T cells are specific for the P14-GP33 antigen. They were used to study the expression of twenty different genes either mediating effector functions, or coding for different receptors involved in T cell differentiation and memory generation.

These T cells are specific for the 0T-1-OVA antigen. They were used to study the expression of twenty different genes either mediating effector functions, or coding for different receptors involved in T cell differentiation and memory generation.

These DC were used to elicit CTL responses in a mouse model.

These T lymphocytes are exposed to HIV-1 to examine if this can directly modulate their functions or interfere with their cross-talk. Preliminary results indicated that, although virus exposure of gamma-delta T cells does not significantly affect their properties, HIV-exposed DCs exhibit a reduced capacity to deliver activation and proliferative signals to gamma-delta T lymphocytes. Moreover, a dysregulated pattern of cytokines and chemokines produced by both cell populations is observed in the presence of the virus.

These bone marrow derived murine dendritic cells (BM-DC) were generated with GM-CSF according to Lutz et al. (J Immunol Methods 1999, 223: 77-92) and were used for the investigation of chemokine dependent CCR7 signalling.

iNKT cells were stimulated in vivo with the synthetic CD1d ligand alpha-GalCer. This significantly enhanced immune responses to protein and peptide based vaccines, due to rapid iNKT dependent DC maturation.

These T cells were isolated during elutriation of a leukapheresis product (patients with stage III or stage IV melanoma).

These DC had been generated from monocytes after elutriation of leukapheresis product (patients with stage III or stage IV melanoma), were not pulsed and were frozen.

These DC were generated from monocytes after elutriation of leukapheresis product (patients with stage III or stage IV melanoma) and pulsed with irradiated tumor cells (apoptotic bodies) prepared from the removed lesion and matured for 48 hours in presence of TNF-alpha, and subsequently frozen.

These dendritic cells were generated from monocytes isolated from buffy coats, activation was induced by lipopolisaccaride (LPS 1microgram/ml, Sigma, St. Louis, MO), by Curdlan (100 micrograms/ml, Wako), by R848 and yeast RNA and by yeast cells in different conditions of culture.

The moDCs are used in the DERMA-ER-DC 05 trial. They are multipeptide loaded cytokine matured moDC + prior Treg elimination by 3x ONTAK treatment [5µg/kg]. 8 patients are enrolled and receive this substance.

The DC are transfected with RNA encoding MelanA, Mage3 and Survivin +/- E/L-selectin. They are used in the DERMA-ER-DC 06 trial.

DCs were pulsed with allogenic melanoma peptides (SK-Mel 24, HLA-A1 and HLA-A2 positive) plus KLH as immunological tracer and subsequently used to produce a vaccine for melanoma.

These T cells were obtained from isolation during elutriation and were used for subsequent adoptive transfer.

Monocytes were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium (GIBCO BRL) supplemented with 2 mM L-glutamine (Sigma), 1% (vol/vol) non-essential amino acids, 100 mM sodium pyruvate, 50 U/ml of penicillin and 50 mg/ml of streptomycin (Gibco BRL) containing 10% (vol/vol) FCS (Hyclone).

A portion of the DCs is pulsed with irradiated tumor cells (apoptotic bodies) prepared from the removed lesion and matured for 48 hours in presence of TNF-alpha.