LAUSR

Background/Aim: B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) is an ideal target for adoptive T cell therapy of multiple myeloma (MM). In this study, we evaluated self-differentiated monocyte-derived dendritic cells expressing BCMA (SD-DC-BCMA) to activate T cells for killing MM cells. Materials and Methods: Lentivirus-modified SD-DC-BCMA harboring tri-cistronic cDNAs encoding granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and BCMA was generated. Cytotoxicity of T cells activated by SD-DC-BCMA against MM cells was evaluated. Results: T cells activated by SD-DC-BCMA exhibited a dose-dependent cytotoxicity against BCMA-expressing MM cells and produced high IFN-γ levels, compared to inactivated T cells or control T cells. A significantly higher killing ability of T cells activated by SD-DC-BCMA was further demonstrated in BCMA-overexpressing cells when compared with BCMA-negative cells. Conclusion: The potency of SD-DC-BCMA to activate T cells for antigen-specific cancer killing provides a framework for therapeutic application of adoptive T cell therapy in MM.