Spots Global Cancer Trial Database for Peptide-pulsed vs. RNA-transfected Dendritic Cell Vaccines in Melanoma Patients

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Trial Identification

Brief Title: Peptide-pulsed vs. RNA-transfected Dendritic Cell Vaccines in Melanoma Patients

Official Title: In Vivo Responses of DC Vaccines Presenting HLA Class I and II Restricted Tumor Epitopes Either by Peptide-pulsing or mRNA Transfection in Melanoma Patients

Study ID: NCT00243529

Conditions

Melanoma Stage III or IV

Interventions

autologous dendritic cell vaccine

Study Description

Brief Summary: Dendritic cells (DCs)are the most potent antigen-presenting cells of the immune system, as such they are able to direct the immune system specifically against cancer cells. Currently DCs are used in clinical vaccination studies and immunological and clinical responses have been observed. For inducing anti-tumor immunity, the DCs have to be loaded with tumor antigen (i.e. molecular structures that are presented by the tumor, that are recognized by the immune system). Currently most studies use tumor peptides (small protein fragments) for this purpose. This approach has several disadvantages: only patients with a certain HLA-type can be treated and the immune response that is induced by the vaccine is limited to the used peptides. These disadvantages do not exist when the DCs present antigen which is endogenously processed, for example after RNA transfection. For this reason we investigate the immunogenicity of DCs that are pulsed with peptides or transfected with mRNA encoding melanoma associated antigens in stage III and IV melanoma patients.

Detailed Description: