Dendritic Cell Therapy (DC Therapy)

Dendritic cells themselves do not have the ability to attack cancer cells; however, they play the role of a commander by recognizing cancer antigens expressed by cancer cells and transmitting that information to cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs).

It is said that a single dendritic cell can convey information to hundreds to thousands of CTLs. The CTLs that receive this information not only proliferate but also acquire the ability to attack cancer cells, efficiently destroying them.

Although the cells required for dendritic cell therapy are usually collected using a method called apheresis, which places a significant burden on the patient’s body, our clinic performs cell preparation using a unique method that only requires a small blood sample.

Treatment Process

WT1 PepTiVator

There are various peptides (portions of cancer antigens) used in dendritic cell therapy, but since WT1 is expressed in most cancers, WT1 PepTiVator (MACS® GMP PepTivator® WT1) can be applied to a wide range of cancers.
Furthermore, WT1 PepTiVator is a mixture of over 100 peptides designed to cover the entire WT1 protein, making dendritic cell therapy using WT1 possible regardless of the patient's white blood cell type (HLA type).

※ Source 1) Jpn. J. Clin. Oncol. 2010;40:377-387 、2)　Clin Cancer Res 2009;15:5323-5337

WT1 Peptivator not only activates cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), but also enhances the function of helper T cells that boost CTLs, thereby significantly strengthening the CTLs’ ability to attack cancer cells.