Selective Accumulation of Mature DC-Lamp+ Dendritic Cells in Tumor Sites Is Associated with Efficient T-Cell-Mediated Antitumor Response and Control of Metastatic Dissemination in Melanoma

Mojgan Movassagh, Alain Spatz, Jean Davoust, Serge Lebecque, Pedro Romero, Mikaël Pittet, Donata Rimoldi, Danièle Liénard, Oliver Gugerli, Laurent Ferradini, Caroline Robert, Marie Françoise Avril, Laurence Zitvogel, Eric Angevin

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    92 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The clinical relevance of dendritic cells (DCs) at the tumor site remains a matter of debate concerning their role in the generation of effective antitumor immunity in human cancers. We performed a comprehensive immunohistochemical analysis using a panel of DC-specific antibodies on regressing tumor lesions and sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in melanoma patients. Here we show in a case report involving spontaneous regression of metastatic melanoma that the accumulation of DC-Lamp+ DCs, clustered with tumor cells and lymphocytes, is associated with local expansion of antigen-specific memory effector CTLs. These findings were extended in a series of 19 melanoma-positive SLNs and demonstrated a significant correlation between the density of DC-Lamp+ DC infiltrates in SLNs with the absence of metastasis in downstream lymph nodes. This study, albeit performed in a limited series of patients, points to a pivotal role of mature DCs in the local expansion of efficient antitumor T-cell-mediated immune responses at the initial sites of metastasis and may have important implications regarding the prognosis, staging, and immunotherapy of melanoma patients.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)2192-2198
    Number of pages7
    JournalCancer Research
    Volume64
    Issue number6
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 15 Mar 2004

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