Dendritic cells as a basis for designing anti-cancer vaccines
E. M. Frantsiyants,
V. A. Bandovkina,
E. I. Surikova,
N. D. Cheryarina,
I. V. Kaplieva,
A. P. Menshenina,
A. I. Shikhlyarova,
I. V. Neskubina https://doi.org/10.20538/1682-0363-2025-3-172-178
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) have been shown to play a pivotal role in orchestrating the immune response against tumors, thereby acting as a link between innate and adaptive immunity. DCs capture, process, and present tumor antigens to T cells, which triggers a specific immune response aimed at destroying cancer cells. DCs are a heterogeneous population that includes several subtypes, such as conventional DCs (cDC1, cDC2) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDC). Each subtype has unique functions: cDC1s specialize in activating CD8+ T cells, while pDCs produce interferons in response to viral infections. In a tumor microenvironment, DCs are often depleted of their functionality due to immunosuppressive factors, such as IL-6 and PGE2, which impedes their ability to activate T cells. Furthermore, an imbalance between oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis regulated by the AMPK/mTOR axis may lead to the immunosuppressive phenotype of DCs.
A promising direction in cancer immunotherapy is the creation of DC-based vaccines that can restore the immunogenicity of cold tumors lacking T cell infiltration. Such vaccines can be created by generating DCs in vitro or modifying them to enhance the presentation of tumor antigens.
Despite significant advances, the biology of DCs remains poorly understood. This lecture highlights the importance of DCs in developing new cancer treatment strategies and opens up prospects for more effective immunotherapeutic approaches.
Supporting agencies: The authors state that they received no funding for the study
About the Authors
E. M. Frantsiyants
National Medical Research Centre for Oncology
Russian Federation
Competing Interests:
Russian Federation
63 14th Liniya, 344037 Rostov-on-Don
Competing Interests:
The authors declare the absence of obvious or potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article
V. A. Bandovkina
National Medical Research Centre for Oncology
Russian Federation
Competing Interests:
Russian Federation
63 14th Liniya, 344037 Rostov-on-Don
Competing Interests:
The authors declare the absence of obvious or potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article
E. I. Surikova
National Medical Research Centre for Oncology
Russian Federation
Competing Interests:
Russian Federation
63 14th Liniya, 344037 Rostov-on-Don
Competing Interests:
The authors declare the absence of obvious or potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article
N. D. Cheryarina
National Medical Research Centre for Oncology
Russian Federation
Competing Interests:
Russian Federation
63 14th Liniya, 344037 Rostov-on-Don
Competing Interests:
The authors declare the absence of obvious or potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article
I. V. Kaplieva
National Medical Research Centre for Oncology
Russian Federation
Competing Interests:
Russian Federation
63 14th Liniya, 344037 Rostov-on-Don
Competing Interests:
The authors declare the absence of obvious or potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article
A. P. Menshenina
National Medical Research Centre for Oncology
Russian Federation
Competing Interests:
Russian Federation
63 14th Liniya, 344037 Rostov-on-Don
Competing Interests:
The authors declare the absence of obvious or potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article
A. I. Shikhlyarova
National Medical Research Centre for Oncology
Russian Federation
Competing Interests:
Russian Federation
63 14th Liniya, 344037 Rostov-on-Don
Competing Interests:
The authors declare the absence of obvious or potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article
I. V. Neskubina
National Medical Research Centre for Oncology
Russian Federation
Competing Interests:
Russian Federation
63 14th Liniya, 344037 Rostov-on-Don
Competing Interests:
The authors declare the absence of obvious or potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article
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Review
For citations:
Frantsiyants E.M., Bandovkina V.A., Surikova E.I., Cheryarina N.D., Kaplieva I.V., Menshenina A.P., Shikhlyarova A.I., Neskubina I.V. Dendritic cells as a basis for designing anti-cancer vaccines. Bulletin of Siberian Medicine. 2025;24(3):172-178. https://doi.org/10.20538/1682-0363-2025-3-172-178
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