Impact of Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Followed By Dendritic Cell/Myeloma Fusion Vaccine with Lenalidomide Maintenance in Increasing Multiple Myeloma (MM) Immunity (BMT CTN 1401)

In a prior phase 2 study, personalized cancer vaccination with autologous dendritic cells (DCs) fused with primary MM tumor cells (DC/MM fusions) induced the expansion of circulating MM-reactive lymphocytes and was associated with conversion to complete response (CR) post-autoHCT in the absence of maintenance therapy. 1 We now present a multicenter randomized phase II study that examined the efficacy of DC/MM fusion vaccination with lenalidomide maintenance therapy after autoHCT, compared with lenalidomide maintenance alone. The study offered a first-of-its-kind academic collaborative effort of personalized cell therapy using an open-source format, site-specific production, and centralized product characterization/release criteria verification.