Immune Monitoring of Patients Treated With a Whole-Cell Melanoma Vaccine Engineered to Express 4-1BBL.

CD8 lymphocytes are mandatory mediators of tumor regression. To enhance their specific antitumor activity, we aimed to improve a melanoma cell-based vaccine by transfecting it with 4-1BB ligand, a costimulatory and immune modulatory molecule. Thirty-four American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage IIB-IV patients were vaccinated with a melanoma antigen-rich cell line engineered to express HLA-A2 and 4-1BBL (M20/A2/BBL).

Adjuvant Autologous Melanoma Vaccine for Macroscopic Stage III Disease: Survival, Biomarkers, and Improved Response to CTLA-4 Blockade.

Background. There is not yet an agreed adjuvant treatment for melanoma patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer stages III B and C. We report administration of an autologous melanoma vaccine to prevent disease recurrence.