Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a B cell malignancy that is resistant to conventional therapies. High-dose therapy (HDT) followed by stem cell transplantation is effective in inducing remission. However, residual lymphoma cells are eventually responsible for the subsequent relapse. Effective therapeutic strategies to eliminate the residual lymphoma is required. In this study, we have examined the in vitro and in vivo anti-lymphoma effects of MCL-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) that were generated using dendritic cells (DCs) fused with MCL cells for immunostimulation. Dendritic cells were generated in vitro using dendritic cell-specific medium, cytomorphology, immunophenotypes and functional capabilities of the generated DCs were studied. Such DCs were then used for the preparation of DC-MCL hybrids and the DC-MCL hybrids were used to generate CTLs against MCL cells and tested for their MCL-specific cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. The CTLs demonstrated MCL-specific cytotoxicity in vitro against GRANT-519, a human MCL cell line. These CTLs did not show significant effect against an irrelevant target. To test the in vivo therapeutic effect of DC-MCL hybrid-stimulated CTLs, a preclinical model consisting of NOD-SCID mice bearing Granta 519 was developed. The NOD-SCID mice bearing Granta-519 MCL tumors were treated with DC-MCL hybrids and the same donor T lymphocytes. There was an increase in survival (60% in mice treated with DC-MCL hybrid approach compared to 20% in the untreated group). Histological analysis of liver from control and treated mice displayed a decrease in the number of the tumor nodules in the treatment group. These results indicate the potential of DC-based therapy for the treatment of MCL.

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