Definition

A cancer vaccine consisting of autologous, B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells harvested from a patient and transduced ex vivo with an adenoviral vector encoding the gene for the human cytokine interleukin-2 (IL-2), with potential immunostimulating and antineoplastic activities. Upon reintroduction into the patient, the autologous IL-2-expressing B-CLL vaccine expresses IL-2, stimulates natural killer (NK) cells, and may enhance the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) immune response against the patient’s B-CLL cells.