IL15 Dendritic Cell Vaccine for Patients With Resected Stage III (A, B or C) or Stage IV Melanoma

IL15 is a T cell growth factor that pre-clinical data overwhelmingly suggests could have a very important role in cancer immunotherapy. A desirable property for a dendritic cell vaccine directed against cancer is the ability to efficiently prime naïve, tumor associated antigen specific T cells into potent CTLs. Results of studies in healthy volunteers have shown that IL15 DCs are particularly efficient at priming functional melanoma specific CD8+ T cells. The use of IL15 in the manufacture of the DC vaccine could result in an improved immunotherapy product.