The clinical utility of autologous tumor lysate‐loaded dendritic cell vaccination for patients with glioma: A systematic review and meta‐analysis.

Background: Dendritic cell (DC) vaccines show promise for glioma treatment, but optimal use remains uncertain. This meta‐analysis examined DC vaccine efficacy and safety for gliomas. Methods: This systematic review and meta‐analysis study was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses. From the date of inception to October 23, 2023, electronic databases PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus have been thoroughly evaluated. Results: A total of 12 studies with 998 patients and a mean age ranging from 40.2 to 56 years were included. Across 12 articles, DC vaccine 6‐month overall survival (OS) was 100% [95% confidence interval {95%CI}: 100%–100%]. Respectively, 12‐month OS reported 75% [95%CI: 65%–85%] but declined to 32% [95%CI: 20%–43%] for 24‐month OS. 6‐ and 12‐month progression‐free survival reached 49% [95%CI: 21%–77%] and 19% [95%CI:8%–30%]. Studying radiological outcomes shows that complete response and partial response rates were 13% [95%CI: 17%–42%], and 26% [95%CI: 10%–42%], though stable disease reached 33% [95%CI: 15%–51%], suggesting predominant antineoplastic effects. The progressive disease rate also was 24% [95%CI: 9%–57%]. Conclusions: In gliomas, DC vaccinations show a temporary efficacy; stability is more prevalent than regression. Impacts favor decreased resistance to early disease. Enhancing efficacy remains critical. Early therapy can be enhanced by appropriate supplementary therapy integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]