Methods for inducing the differentiation of monocytes into functional dendritic cells

A method for inducing an immune response in a mammal against disease effector agents having at least one disease associated antigen, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) treating disease effector agents having at least one disease associated antigen ex vivo to render the disease effector agents apoptotic or to inactivate the disease effector agents by administering to the disease effector agents at least one of a physical force or a substance;
• (b) treating monocytes contained in an extracorporeal quantity of the mammal's blood by pumping the monocytes through a plastic channel at a suitable flow rate to apply a shearing force to the monocytes;
• (c) incubating the treated disease effector agents and the treated monocytes together for a period of time sufficient to induce differentiation of the monocytes into functional dendritic antigen presenting cells and to optimize processing and presentation of the disease associated antigens by the dendritic cells;
• and
• (d) administering the incubated disease effector agents and the dendritic cells to the mammal.