Dendritic Cells and Tumor Immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy exhibits great promise as a treatment approach. Combining an anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) with an MUC1 mRNA nanovaccine enhances antitumor cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity in triple-negative breast cancer by activating dendritic cells (DCs). This combination therapy reduces the number of immunosuppressive cells, such as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs), in the tumor microenvironment (TME). It also decreases the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increases the levels of immune-stimulating cytokines. This therapy promotes apoptosis in tumor cells, increases the number of CD8+ T cells, and inhibits the tumor-promoting STAT3 signaling pathway.