Dendritic cell-based immunotherapy: a potential player in oral cancer therapeutics

Background & aim: Dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapy modulates a patient's immune system for recognition and subsequent removal of tumor cells. DC-mediated anticancer therapy has been considered in several studies/ongoing trials for multiple types of cancer. Our aim is to describe the potential and current status of DC-based immunotherapy in oral cancer therapeutics. Materials & methods: An internet-based literature search with relevant search terms from 2012 to 2022 post-screening resulted in 58 articles that were considered for systematic review. Results & conclusion: Evaluation of DC based immunotherapy exploiting the critical immune cells in well-equipped laboratories with adequately trained and skilled experts along with a synergistic approach that is affordable and approachable to the patients can prove as an efficient anticancer therapy.Considering the grave scenario of cancer, several studies/ongoing trials have focused on dendritic cell (DC)-mediated anticancer therapy in many types of cancer, including oral cancer. DC-based immunotherapy is a personalized/customized treatment protocol that modulates a patient's immune system to recognize and remove tumor cells by identifying them as foreign. DCs process antigens (present in tumor cells) and present them on MHC class I molecules to CD8+ T cells or MHC class II molecules to CD4+ T cells for an immune response. The literature has evidence exhibiting activation of antigen-specific T cells after injection of antigen-pulsed DCs. In addition, DC-based vaccines have been attempted with successful outcomes in various cancer types. A combination of DCs and other treatment modalities such as immune checkpoint inhibitors appears quite promising. Evaluation of DC based immunotherapy exploiting the critical immune cells in well-equipped laboratories with adequately trained and skilled experts along with a synergistic approach that is affordable and approachable to the patients can prove as an effective anticancer therapy.