Dendritic cells have been studied intensely for a few decades for their excellent antigen-presenting capabilities, and lately the focus has been on the idea of utilizing them for therapeutic cancer vaccines. Previous studies have shown great potential of using the CD11c molecule as a target on the dendritic cells. However, studies are focusing on the murine model and not much is known about the potential of targeting CD11c in human models.
The aim of the project was to investigate how CD11c is distributed in the blood, how 2 CD11c antibody clones affect dendritic cell maturation and if they are internalized by the dendritic cells.
CD11c distribution was analyzed by flow cytometry, dendritic cell maturation by flow cytometry and microscopy and CD11c internalization by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry.
Results showed that CD11c wasexpressed by both dendritic cells and monocytes in the blood. Neither of the CD11c antibody clones induced maturation of dendritic cells. CD11c antibody clones was internalized by dendritic cells; 12,63 % and 16,27 % internalization was observed.