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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Generation of a Novel Dendritic-cell Vaccine Using Melanoma and Squamous Cancer Stem Cells
Published on: January 6, 2014
Disease-driven T cell activation predicts immune responses to vaccination against melanoma
Daniel E Speiser1, Donata Rimoldi, Pascal Batard
1Division of Clinical Onco-Immunology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland. daniel.speiser@hospvd.ch
Abstract:
Tumor vaccines may induce activation and expansion of specific CD8 T cells which can subsequently destroy tumor cells in cancer patients. This phenomenon can be observed in approximately 5-20% of vaccinated melanoma patients. We searched for factors associated with T cell responsiveness to peptide vaccines. Peptide antigen-specific T cells were quantified and characterized ex vivo before and after vaccination. T cell responses occurred primarily in patients with T cells that were already pre-activated before vaccination. Thus, peptide vaccines can efficiently boost CD8 T cells that are pre-activated by endogenous tumor antigen. Our results identify a new state of T cell responsiveness and help to explain and predict tumor vaccine efficacy.
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