The evolving role of dendritic cell therapy in urologic oncology

The recognition that dendritic cells, the most potent antigen-presenting cells, play a pivotal role in the induction of antitumor immunity has reshaped the development of tumor vaccines in clinical medicine. Early clinical trials of administration of dendritic cell-based vaccines to patients with genitourinary malignancies showed low toxicity profiles, and provided evidence for immunologic and clinical responses in some patients. Although the development of dendritic cell-based vaccines is still in its infancy, the prospects of ultimately generating clinically effective cancer vaccines have become more realistic.