Ex-vivo analysis of peptide-specific T cell functions
Data were obtained from an ex-vivo analysis of different peptide specific T cell functions like degranulation and production of cytokines such as IFN? and TNF? by 8-color flow cytometry. In general, pre-existing immune-responses were rather mono-functional with dominating “IFN?-only”, “TNF?-only” and “degranulation-only” cells in the CD8+ compartment. Vaccination not only increased some of these monofunctional subpopulations but also induced occurrence of tumorantigen specific polyfunctional subsets. The further course of our melanoma patients will show whether these vaccination induced new T-cell “flavours” as well as different patterns of homing receptors do translate into better clinical efficacy.
DERMA-ER-DC 06 trial: RNA-based DC vaccine