Definition

A cell-based cancer vaccine composed of autologous dendritic cells (DCs) ex vivo activated with the hepatitis B virus (HBV)-specific tumor-associated antigen (TAA) peptides derived from the patient’s tumor and cell lysate proteins harvested from the immortalized human liver cancer cell line HepG2, with potential immunostimulatory and antineoplastic activities. Upon administration, the HBV peptides/HepG2 cell protein lysate-activated DCs expose the immune system to the HBV epitopes and an undefined amount of other TAAs from the HepG2 cell lysate, which may result in the induction of a specific anti-tumor cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL)-mediated immune response against tumor cells expressing the HBV/HepG2 TAAs. HBV TAAs are found on HBV-positive cells and on HBV-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC).