Transgenic B7-H3 therapy induces tumor-specific immune response in human oral squamous cell cancer: an in vitro study

Abstract

Objective: Tumors may present antigens to T cells but lack costimulatory signals which are necessary to initialize an effective immunologic response. This study aimed to develop a tumor cell-based cancer vaccine by genetically modifying oral squamous cell cancer (OSCC) cell line Tca8113 with human B7-H3 immunoglobulin, and to evaluate its efficacy in enhancing the tumor-specific immune response. Study design: Human B7-H3 gene was extracted from isolated T lymphocytes of healthy volunteers. Tumor cell vaccine TCV-hB7-H3 and mock control were prepared by transfecting Tca8113 cells with B7-H3 or mock vector. After being stimulated with TCV-hB7-H3 or mock control, the proliferation, IFN-μ expression, and cytotoxicity of the T cells were assessed. Results: The Tca8113 cells transfected with human B7-H3 significantly enhanced the proliferation, IFN-μ expression, and cytotoxicity of the T cells. Conclusions: Genetically modified OSCC cells encoding B7-H3 enhance the induction of tumor specific immune response. © 2008 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.