Objective: To prepare antigen specific cytokine induced killer(CIK) cells.
Methods: Soluble antigen was prepared from tumor cells by repetitive freeze-thaw method. Cell killing activity is measured by MTT.
Results: Cytotoxic activity was compared among CIK cells derived under three different conditions. (1) CIK cells prepared in the presence of the same tumor antigen fed dendritic cells (DC); (2) CIK cells prepared in the presence of DC without feeding the same tumor antigen; (3) CIK cells derived in the absence of DC. Among the three groups tested, DC-A-CIK cells showed the highest cytotoxic activity.
Conclusion: Soluble target tumor antigen fed DC can significantly enhance the specificity and cytotoxicity of CIK cells to tumor target cells.