As a potent antigen presenting cell and a powerful inducer of antigen specific immunity, dendritic cells (DCs) are being considered as a promising anti-tumor therapeutic module. The expected therapeutic effect of DCs in renal cell carcinoma was tested in the mouse model. Established late-stage tumor therapeutic (E-T) and minimal residual disease (MRD) model was considered in the in vivo experiments.

Syngeneic renal cell carcinoma cells (RENCA) were inoculated either subcutaneously (E-T) or intravenously (MRD) into the Balb/c mouse. Tumor cell lysate pulsed-DCs were injected twice in two weeks. Intraperitoneal DC injection was started 3 week (E-T model) or one day (MRD model) after tumor cell inoculation. Two weeks after the final DC injection, the tumor growth and the systemic immunity were observed. Therapeutic DCs were cultured from the bone marrow myeloid lineage cells with GM-CSF and IL-4 for 7 days and pulsed with RENCA cell lysate for 18 hrs.

Compared to the saline treated group, tumor growth (E-T model) or formation (MRD model) was suppressed in pulsed-DC treated group. RENCA specific lymphocyte proliferation was observed in the RENCA tumor-bearing mice treated with pulsed-DCs. Primary cytotoxic T cell activity against RENCA cells was increased in pulsed-DC treated group.

The data suggest the possible anti-tumor effect of cultured DCs in established or minimal residual disease/metastasis state of renal cell carcinoma. Systemic tumor specific immunity including cytotoxic T cell activity was modulated also in pulsed-DC treated group.