Patent ID: 6228640
Filing Date: 2001-05-08
Classification: A61K,C12N

Abstract:
A method for producing disease-specific programmed super antigen presenting cells (pSAPCs) capable of stimulating an immune response to said disease, the method comprising the steps of:a) isolating CD34 positive hematopoietic stem cells;b) incubating the stem cells in a cell culture medium comprising serum, GM-CSF, IL-4, and SCF, whereby the stem cells are directed to mature into programmable antigen presenting cells (pAPCs);c) mixing the pAPCs with cellular material derived from cells positive for said 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 dendritic cells are produced; ande) adding TNF-.alpha. to the loaded dendritic cell and incubating the loaded dendritic cells with TNF-.alpha., whereby disease-specific pSAPCs capable of stimulating an immune response to said disease are produced.