Patent ID: 6645487
Filing Date: 2003-11-11
Classification: A61K,C12N

Abstract:
A method of stimulating a disease-specific immune response, the method comprising infusing an immunogenic cell composition capable of stimulating a disease-specific immune response into a patient whereby a disease-specific immune response is initiated, the immunogenic cell composition being prepared by:a) isolating hematopoietic stem cells from a donor; b) incubating the stem cells in a cell culture medium comprising GM-CSF, SCE and IL-4, whereby the stem cells are directed to develop into programmable antigen presenting cells (pAPCs); c) mixing the pAPCs with cellular material derived from cells positive for the disease, the cellular material selected from the group consisting of cell lysate, cell RNA, cell poly A+ RNA, cDNA derived from cell RNA, and cDNA derived from cell RNA incorporated into an expression vector; d) incubating the pAPCs with the cellular material, whereby loaded pAPCs are produced; and e) incubating the pAPCs with TNF-&agr; after the pAPCs have been loaded, whereby disease-specific programmed surer antigen presenting cells (pSAPCs) capable of stimulating an immune response to said disease are produced.