The clinical utility of autologous tumor lysate-loaded dendritic cell vaccination for patients with glioma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Dendritic cell (DC) vaccines show promise for glioma treatment, but optimal use remains uncertain. This meta-analysis examined DC vaccine efficacy and safety for gliomas.

Methods

This systematic review and meta-analysis study was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. From the date of inception to October 23, 2023, electronic databases PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus have been thoroughly evaluated.

Results

A total of 12 studies with 998 patients and a mean age ranging from 40.2 to 56 years were included. Across 12 articles, DC vaccine 6-month overall survival (OS) was 100% [95% confidence interval {95%CI}: 100%–100%]. Respectively, 12-month OS reported 75% [95%CI: 65%–85%] but declined to 32% [95%CI: 20%–43%] for 24-month OS. 6- and 12-month progression-free survival reached 49% [95%CI: 21%–77%] and 19% [95%CI:8%–30%]. Studying radiological outcomes shows that complete response and partial response rates were 13% [95%CI: 17%–42%], and 26% [95%CI: 10%–42%], though stable disease reached 33% [95%CI: 15%–51%], suggesting predominant antineoplastic effects. The progressive disease rate also was 24% [95%CI: 9%–57%].

Conclusions

In gliomas, DC vaccinations show a temporary efficacy; stability is more prevalent than regression. Impacts favor decreased resistance to early disease. Enhancing efficacy remains critical. Early therapy can be enhanced by appropriate supplementary therapy integration.