Autologous dendritic cells loaded ex vivo with tumor neoantigens, then reinfused to prime a T-cell response.
A dendritic cell vaccine for both vaccination and neoantigen-reactive T cell preparation for cancer immunotherapy in mice Nature
Beijing Tiantan Hospital is running a single-center, open-label phase 1 of ZSNeo-DC1.1, an autologous, genetically unmodified dendritic cell vaccine loaded with multiple tumor neoantigen peptides, in roughly 15 adults with recurrent or progressive WHO grade III-IV glioma after reoperation. The protocol uses a fixed 1×10^7-cell dose, two immunization schedules, and a DLT window running to 21 days after the third injection, starting with a six-subject dose confirmation stage. It adds a China-based safety and preliminary efficacy datapoint for personalized DC vaccines in recurrent high-grade glioma post-standard treatment.
[COMPLETED · PHASE1 · Chinese PLA General Hospital] This is a single-center, open-label, non-randomized, parallel-group phase 1 study evaluating a personalized neoantigen-based dendritic cell vaccine following microwave ablation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. After re…
[NOT_YET_RECRUITING · PHASE1 · Shenzhen Geno-Immune Medical Institute] This study is designed to treat patients who have been diagnosed with brain cancer, including glioblastoma (GBM) and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). The treatment uses immunomodulatory vaccine generat…
A new perspective published in Genes & Cancer advocates for allogeneic dendritic cell lines to boost cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell responses in neoantigen vaccines. This approach addresses key limitations of autologous DC-based vaccines, specifically their lack of reproducibility and scalability. The strategy aims to provide a standardized platform to overcome patient refractoriness to current checkpoint blockade therapies.
A single-arm phase Ib trial of ZSNeo-DC, a personalized neoantigen-pulsed autologous dendritic cell therapy, showed good tolerability in newly-diagnosed glioblastoma patients. The treatment was well-tolerated with predominantly grade 1 or 2 adverse events, and secondary endpoints revealed a median progression-free survival of 16.2 months. This data supports the clinical viability of DC-based personalized vaccines as an adjuvant to standard radio-chemotherapy.
ZSky Biotech Inc has launched a recruiting, single-center study for ZSNeo-DC, a personalized neoantigen-pulsed autologous dendritic cell therapy for malignant solid tumors. The trial will enroll approximately 100 patients across multiple tumor cohorts, administering seven subcutaneous injections either as monotherapy or with immune checkpoint inhibitors. This real-world study aims to evaluate safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity under GMP manufacturing standards.
An interim analysis of personalized neoantigen-pulsed dendritic cell (Neo-DC) vaccination in advanced solid tumors reports on the tolerability and preliminary efficacy of this approach. The study enrolled patients with confirmed solid malignancies, utilizing next-generation sequencing to identify tumor-specific neoantigens with high MHC affinity for pulsing autologous dendritic cells. As of November 2025, 36 patients were registered with 27 receiving vaccination, offering early clinical data on this personalized immunotherapy modality.
An analysis of 352 patients receiving personalized peptide-pulsed dendritic cell vaccines reveals that only 10-20% of selected peptides induce detectable T-cell responses. The study evaluated 2,317 short peptides from single nucleotide variants using IFN-γ ELISPOT assays to define immunogenicity thresholds. These findings underscore the current limitations of prediction algorithms and the need for improved biomarkers to select clinically relevant neoantigens.
Scientists developed a carrier-free nanovaccine for hepatocellular carcinoma by self-assembling fluorinated CpG with HCC neoantigen peptides. The resulting 69 nm nanoparticles demonstrated high loading efficiency and enhanced dendritic cell uptake, improving antigen cross-presentation by 2.05-fold in vitro. In vivo, the formulation targeted lymph nodes to orchestrate both innate and adaptive immune responses, offering a biosafe alternative to traditional adjuvant-loaded nanovaccines.
Researchers developed a bivalent mRNA-LNP vaccine targeting AFP and GPC3 neoantigens for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Using spleen-homing CL15H6 LNPs, the formulation achieved superior antigen presentation and co-stimulatory molecule expression on splenic dendritic cells compared to clinical standards. In mouse models, two doses provided complete prophylactic protection against HCC challenge, demonstrating high biosafety and potent cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses.
The cancer-immunity cycle requires cross-presenting type I conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s) that induce T cell-mediated immunity, but therapeutic strategies for enhancing intratumoral cDC1 function are currently inadequate. We found the epigenetic enzyme CARM1 (coactivator-as…