Methods of inducing a T cell mediated immune response by administering antigen presenting B cells

A method for inducing a T cell mediated immune response in the immune system of an individual which comprises:

• (a) withdrawing B cells from said individual,
• (b) culturing said B cell under conditions comprising a lymphocyte proliferating agent, wherein the lymphocyte proliferating agent is IL-4 that result in proliferation and activation of the B cells and an immunosuppressive agent, wherein the immunosuppressive agent is cyclosporin A,
• (c) isolating activated B cells from the culture of step (b) and using said activated B cells as antigen presenting cells, APCs,
• (d) presenting a desired tumor associated antigen to said APCs of step (c),
• (e) administering an effective amount of said APCs of step (d) to said patient to modulate an immune response,
• (f) at fixed intervals thereafter preparing additional APCs from the culture of step (b), and
• (g) presenting desired antigen to said additional APCs and administering an effective amount of said additional APCs to said patient, wherein the modulation of the immune system is the generation of a T-cell mediated immune response.