These 70 patients were evaluated in the DERMA-ER-DC 04 clinical trial of DC-based therapy of melanoma patients (multipeptide loaded cytokine matured moDC +/- CD40L activation). The analysis for the first time showed a clinical correlation of induced immune responses as measured in the blood with outcome, as there have been so far statistically significantly less events in stage III patients showing good CTL reponses (IFN-y Elispot) to multiple class I and II peptides compared to low responders of the stage III cohort. Additional in vitro maturation of DC by CD...

We have attempted to identify the antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that are responsible for the development of immune tolerance in mice that have been breast-fed by antigen-exposed lactating mothers. Recent experiments performed in our laboratory have shown that the exposure of a mother to an airborne antigen during lactation impacts asthma development in their progeny. We found that airborne allergens were efficiently transferred from the mother to the neonate through the milk and that this transfer resulted in the development of antigen-specific tolerance.

Patients with stage III or stage IV melanoma who undergo surgical resection of a melanotic lesion. These patients are vaccinated with pulsed and thouroughly tested dendritic cell vaccine.

These patients undergo leukapheresis and later intradermal administration of the produced vaccine (V administrations of autologous dendritic cells generated from adherent peripheral blood monocytes and subject to quality controls - with eventual additional ones depending on clinical outcome).

These patients undergo leukapheresis and later intradermal administration of the produced vaccine (V administrations of autologous dendritic cells generated from adherent peripheral blood monocytes and subject to quality controls - with eventual additional ones depending on clinical outcome).

These dendritic cells were generated from adherent peripheral blood monocytes, subject to quality controls, and subsequently used for intradermal administration in HLA-A1 and HLA-A2 positive patients with stage III/IV melanoma (V administrations with eventual additional ones depending on clinical outcome).

These are strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that were cultured and collected in different conditions: - different growth phase (exponential and stationary phase) - different growth media (standard and promoting pseudohyphal growth) - different cell form (spheroplast, spore and whole cell)

This patient experienced an outstanding response to immunotherapy. The patient received several adoptive T cell transfers and regressed from stage IV melanoma to a disease free state and has remained tumor free for several years.

These patients were treated in a long peptide trial. Analysis of the local immune response demonstrated the presence of HPV16-specific Th1/Th2 cells infiltrating the vaccination site and the VIN lesion after vaccination. 5 out of 20 patients showed complete clearance of all VIN III disease and in 4 of these this was also associated with complete clearance of HPV16 virus.

These are RCC patients with clear cell histology, treated using the PME-CD40L DC product. At present, 6 of the 12 patients that have been restaged using RECIST criteria have less tumor burden that when they enrolled in the study (15 weeks earlier).

Granzyme expressing T cells were observed in human Hemato-Lymphoid System Rag2-/-gc-/- mice after being infected with EBV and mounting an immune response. They infiltrated in B cell infected areas in lymphoid organs in situ.

DC-based vaccines that were given to these patients were combined with low dose IFN-alfa (3 x 10e6 U per wk). In a number of patients we observed vaccine-induced depigmentation and vitiligo.

This vaccine was used for RCC patients who were deficient in T cell IFN-gamma and IL-2 production pre-vaccination.

This patient has received 6 vaccines with peptide only in a randomized trial to receive immunizations either with I3 DC (DC generated with interferon-beta and interleukin-3) or with G4 DC (DC generated with GM-CSF and IL-4). The patient received a sequence of six immunizations every two weeks, consisting of autologous dendritic cells loaded with the 8 HLA-A2 restricted peptides and MAGE.3-DP4 in Cycle 1. In Cycle 2, the patient received a sequence of three immunizations every six weeks, consisting of autologous dendritic cells loaded with the 8 HLA-A2 restric...

Monocyte-derived and cocktail-matured DC electroporated with a combination of RNAs encoding tumor antigens (MelanA, Mage3, Survivin) and E/L-selectin are currently used in a clinical trial.

We also show that DCs derived from ashen mice, which are defective for the small GTPase Rab27a, fail to cross present antigens efficiently, due to increased phagosome acidification and antigen degradation. This defect in Rab27a-deficient DCs results from the impaired recruitment to phagosomes of the NOX2 membrane components. Therefore phagosomal alkalinization by NOX2 is controlled by Rab27a, and is required for efficient cross presentation in DCs.

We found a novel M-CSF dependent DC developmental pathway that is independent of Flt3L. These DC have unique characteristics and precursor origin. The cells can be found in vivo in Flt3L gene deleted (-/-) mice injected with recombinant M-CSF.

These HIV strains were used to infect Human Hemato-Lymphoid System Rag2gc-/- mice to closely resemble HIV infection in humans.

These HIV strains were used to infect Human Hemato-Lymphoid System Rag2gc-/- mice to closely resemble HIV infection in humans.

These mice were infected with both CXCR4 as well as CCR5 tropic HIV-1 strains. HIV causes a disseminated infection and spreads in all newly generated lymphoid tissues, thus closely resembling HIV infection in humans. We are now aiming to improve the recipient mouse background by co-transplanting human mesenchymal stroma cells, and by adding human cytokines as well as human MHC. Furthermore, we use the mice to evaluate targeted therapies directed at human immune system cells as T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells.