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Hybrimune Hybridoma Production System
Publication 015-1010191 Rev 4.0 • www.btxonline.com
Immunotherapy
Another application is the ex vivo fusion of human dendritic
cells and human tumor cells removed from a patient to produce
a personal immunotherapeutic vaccine against the tumor. A
significant number of experiments were conducted at the Arizona
Cancer Center. The results of this research were published in Trevor
et al.
Cancer Immunol Immunother.
2004;53(8):705-714..
Figure 8 shows an electrofusion of dendritic cells with A549 human
lung carcinoma cells. Fusion efficiencies of 10% were obtained.
Cells were fused at 8 million cells/ml. With that concentration, in a
full 9 ml electrofusion chamber, up to 7.2 million therapeutic hybrid
cells can be produced. Data provided courtesy of Dr. Katrina Trevor,
Arizona Cancer Center.
Figure 9 was produced in the laboratory by fusing an immune
system cell and a tumor cell. The image was taken 45 minutes after
electrofusion.
Figure 8: Arizona Cancer Center Fusion Example
Nuclear Transfer
Nuclear transfer is the transfer of a nucleus from one cell to the
cytoplasm of another cell. The donor cell can be either from an
embryo or from somatic cells. The recipient cell is usually an
enucleated oocyte. The process uses electrofusion in the final
steps of nuclear transfer. First a recipient oocyte is enucleated.
Second, a nucleus from another cell is inserted in the recipient
egg under the zona pellucida and outside of the cell membrane.
Finally, electrofusion is used to fuse the nucleus with the
recipient cell. The electrofusion step also serves to activate the
cell. An image furnished by an unidentified Chinese researcher is
presented in Figure 10.
Figure 9: Electrofusion Example
Figure 10: Nuclear Transfer
Cell Electrofusion Tutorial