Assessment of migration of HIV-1-loaded dendritic cells labeled with 111In-oxine used as a therapeutic vaccine in HIV-1-infected patients.

Monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) loaded with heat-inactivated HIV are used in therapeutic immunizations. It is not known whether they migrate in vivo to lymph nodes. We used an (111)In-oxine-labeled DC (ILDC) method to visualize the migration of DCs.

Therapeutic immunization with dendritic cells loaded with heat-inactivated autologous HIV-1 in patients with chronic HIV-1 infection.

Therapeutic immunization with autologous monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) loaded with heat-inactivated autologous human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in 12 patients with chronic HIV-1 infection who were receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was feasible, safe, and well tolerated. Virus was obtained during an initial interruption of HAART (hereafter, "stop 1") so that DCs could be pulsed. After immunization and a second interruption of HAART (hereafter, "stop 2"), set-point plasma viral load (PVL; 24 weeks after stop 2) decreased > or =0.