Antitumor effect of antigen-pulsed DC-CIK cells against prostate cancer DU145 cells

Objective To investigate the antitumor effect of Ag-DC-CIK cells,obtained by co-culture of antigen-pulsed dendritic cells(DCs) and cytokine-induced killer(CIK) cells,against prostate cancer cells DU145.Methods The peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from healthy donors,and adherent cells differentiated into DCs were induced by GM-CSF,IL-4 and TNF-αand pulsed by DU145 frozen-thawed antigen,non-adherent cells differenctiated into CIK cells were induced by IL-2,IL-1α,IFN-γ and CD3 mAb.DCs were co-cultured with CIK for 6d to obtained Ag-DC-CIK cells,which were determined for the amount every 2 day and for immuno-phenotype by flow cytometry.Then Ag-DC-CIK cells were used as effecter cells,and unpulsed DC-CIK cells and CIK cells as controls,and DU145 as target cells.The cells in various groups were determined for cytotoxicity by MTT method.Results DCs were successfully induced from the peripheral blood monocytes.The Ag-DC-CIK cells 6 days after co-culture had a higher proliferation rate that was 1.69-2.56 times of CIK cells(0.05).The percentages of positive CD3+CD56+ cells were(19.15±1.55)% in CIK,(28.43±1.51)% in DC-CIK and(39.12±2.29)% in Ag-DC-CIK group(0.01).The cytotoxicity activity for prostate cancer DU145 cells was(26.39±4.47)% in CIK,(46.82±5.68)% in DC-CIK and(62.80±2.01)% in Ag-DC-CIK groups(0.01).Conclusion Ag-DC-CIK cells have high proliferation acitivity and high cytotoxicity against prostate cancer DU145 cells,which was higher than unpulsed DC-CIK and CIK cells.