An overview of sipuleucel-T: autologous cellular immunotherapy for prostate cancer

Sipuleucel-T, the first autologous active cellular immunotherapy approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, is designed to stimulate an immune response to prostate cancer. Sipuleucel-T is manufactured by culturing a patient's peripheral blood mononuclear cells (including antigen presenting cells) with a recombinant protein comprising a tumor-associated antigen (prostatic acid phosphatase) and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor. Treatment consists of 3 infusions at approximately 2-week intervals, resulting in a prime-boost pattern of immune activation, a robust antigen-specific cellular and humoral immune response, and, consequently, a survival benefit in subjects with asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer. Adverse events are generally mild to moderate and resolve within 2 d. Serious adverse events occur at a low rate. As the first autologous cellular immunotherapy to demonstrate a survival benefit, sipuleucel-T is a novel oncologic therapeutic that warrants the reassessment of the current prostate cancer treatment paradigm.