Specific antihepatocellular carcinoma T cells generated by dendritic cells pulsed with hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 total RNA

Dendritic cell (DC) vaccination with the use of total tumor RNA provides the potential to generate a polyclonal immune response to multiple known and unknown tumor antigens without HLA restriction. Our study evaluated this approach as potential immunotherapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Immature DCs generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with HCC were transfected with HepG2-GFP (HepG2 cells transfected stably with plasmid pEGFP-C3) cells total RNA. Transfected, matured DCs were used to stimulate autologous T cells. Results revealed that DCs transfected with HepG2-GFP cells total RNA expressed EGFP when observed by flow cytometry. Compared with those before transfection, the expressions of membrane molecules were increased dramatically, and interleukin-12p70 release in the supernatant was elevated significantly. Specific T cells generated by DCs transfected with HepG2-GFP total RNA recognized HLA-matched HepG2 cell lines specifically. These findings indicate that these RNA-transfected DCs successfully generate specific T cells that specifically recognize HCC cells. Total tumor RNA-pulsed DCs may have potential as an adjuvant immunotherapy for patients with HCC.