Treatment of tumor cells for use in immunotherapy of cancer
AssigneeThomas Jefferson University
InventorDavid Berd
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method comprising exposing tumor cells to ethanol has been found to preserve the tumor cells during storage. As compared to control cells, tumor cells are preserved for a longer time, and retain display of antigen. In a specific embodiment, modified or unmodified cells are exposed to a concentration of about 37.5% (v/v) ethanol for a period of about 10 minutes at about 40° C. Methods of storing haptenized tumor cells and vaccine preparations are also provided. It has also been found that tumor cell vaccines which comprise mainly dead or non-Trypan Blue-excluding cells can have retained or even improved antigenicity as compared to live cells. Methods of preparing and using such vaccines are also described.
Claims38
A method of preserving tumor cells, which method comprises:
- contacting the tumor cells with ethanol at a concentration effective to preserve the tumor cells;
- whereby the tumor cells are better preserved than the same type of tumor cells incubated in control medium without ethanol for the same period of time and at the same temperature.
A composition comprising tumor cells for use in a vaccine and a concentration of ethanol effective to preserve the tumor cells.
A tumor cell vaccine comprising
- (i) dead autologous tumor cells;
- and
- (ii) an adjuvant,
- wherein the vaccine is essentially free of live autologous tumor cells of the same tumor type.
A method for treating cancer in a subject, the method comprising administering a vaccine comprising an adjuvant and autologous tumor cells which have been treated to render them dead, wherein the vaccine is essentially free of live autologous tumor cells of the same tumor type.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.