Combined radiation therapy and dendritic cell vaccine for treating solid tumors with liver micro-metastasis

BACKGROUND: Tumor metastasis and relapse are major obstacles in combating human malignant diseases. Neither radiotherapy alone nor injection of dendritic cells (DCs) can successfully overcome this problem. Radiation induces tumor cell apoptosis and necrosis, resulting in the release of tumor antigen and danger signals, which are favorable for DC capturing antigens and maturation. Hence, the strategy of combined irradiation and DC vaccine may be a novel approach for treating human malignancies and early metastasis. METHODS: To develop an effective combined therapeutic approach, we established a novel concomitant local tumor and liver metastases model through subcutaneous (s.c.) and intravenous (i.v.) injection. We selected the optimal time for DC injection after irradiation and investigated the antitumor effect of combining irradiation with DC intratumoral injection and the related mechanism. RESULTS: Combined treatment with radiotherapy and DC vaccine could induce a potent antitumor immune response, resulting in a significant decrease in the rate of local tumor relapse and the numbers of liver metastases. The related mechanisms for this strong antitumor immunity of this combined therapy might be associated with the production of apoptotic and necrotic tumor antigens and heat shock proteins after irradiation, phagocytosis, migration and maturation of DCs, and induction of more efficient tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity through a cross-presentation pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Co-administration of local irradiation and intratumoral DC injection may be a promising strategy for treating radiosensitive tumors and eliminating metastasis in the clinic.