Paclitaxel enhances early dendritic cell maturation and function through TLR4 signaling in mice

Subclinical doses of Paclitaxel (PTX) given 1 day prior to a HER-2/neu (neu)-targeted, granulocyte–macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-secreting whole-cell vaccine enhances neu-specific T cell responses and slows neu+ tumor growth in tolerized HER-2/neu (neu-N) mice. We demonstrate that co-administration of PTX and Cyclophosphamide (CY) synergizes to slow tumor growth, and that in vitro, DC precursors exposed to PTX before LPS maturation results in greater co-stimulatory molecule expression, IL-12 production, and the ability to induce CD8+ T cells with enhanced lytic activity against neu+ tumors. PTX treatment also enhances maturation marker expression on CD11c+ DCs isolated from vaccine-draining lymph nodes. Ex vivo, these DCs activate CD8+ T cells with greater lytic capability than DC’s from vaccine alone-treated neu-N mice. Finally, PTX treatment results in enhanced antigen-specific, IFN-γ-secreting CD8+ T cells in vivo. Thus, administration of PTX with a tumor vaccine improves T cell priming through enhanced maturation of DC.