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Updated: May 12, 2026

Preparation of Tumor Antigen-loaded Mature Dendritic Cells for Immunotherapy
Published on: August 1, 2013
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells lead the charge against tumors
Sonia Jiménez-Baranda1, Inês Pires Silva, Nina Bhardwaj
1New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
Abstract:
Imiquimod is a TLR agonist that is used as an antitumor agent, mainly against skin tumors. Its clinical benefits are well described in several studies; however, the mechanisms behind its antitumor effects are not completely understood. In this issue of the JCI, Drobits and colleagues demonstrate that topical application of imiquimod suppresses cutaneous melanoma by TLR7-dependent recruitment and transformation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells into killer cells; this occurs independently of conventional adaptive immune mechanisms.
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