# UCSF study links autoantibodies to response of melanoma patients to a dendritic cell vaccine in trial

- Published: 2026-11-05 21:50 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: melanoma autoantibodies, dendritic cell vaccine, NCT01622933, PhIP-seq, Rapid Extracellular Antigen Profiling, B cell receptor signaling, prognostic biomarkers, tumor-associated antigens, clinical responders, UCSF Parker Institute
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-8ca69ad1995964a9714495be_ucsf_study_links/

**Analysis of samples from a dendritic cell vaccine trial (NCT01622933) found de novo autoantibodies after vaccination, most often in patients with a favorable outcome, the authors report.**

![UCSF study links autoantibodies to response of melanoma patients to a dendritic cell vaccine in trial](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/ccadad6940bbdaa8.jpg)
*Goleisureintl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0*

A team from the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, the University of California San Francisco and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center analysed autoantibody profiles in patients with melanoma who received a dendritic cell-based vaccine. The results were published on 4 November 2026 in Nature Communications; the corresponding author is Lisa H. Butterfield. [1] The patients came from a vaccine trial registered as NCT01622933, and profiles were assessed before and after vaccination. [1]

## Autoantibody profiling by PhIP-seq and REAP

The authors applied two assays: phage immunoprecipitation sequencing (PhIP-seq) and Rapid Extracellular Antigen Profiling (REAP). [1] Compared with healthy donors, patients with melanoma showed significantly elevated breadth and titer of autoantibodies. [1]

Vaccination induced de novo autoantibodies, particularly those associated with a favorable clinical outcome. [1] The vaccine expresses multiple tumor-associated antigens. Increased B cell receptor signaling pathways in patients correlated with a favorable clinical response to it. [1]

## Cytokines, monocytes and biomarker signatures

Development of autoantibodies was associated with reduced serum levels of SDF1-alpha, MIP-1ß and MCP1 and with increased circulating monocytes. [1]

From plasma autoantibody profiles, the authors identified signatures that separate patients with melanoma from healthy subjects. They also identified signatures that separate clinical responders from non-responders to the vaccination treatment. [1]

According to the authors, these findings demonstrate the potential of autoantibodies as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers that predict clinical outcomes in cancer. [1] The first author of the paper is Paul V. Munson; co-authors include Juraj Adamik, Yile Dai, Marshall A. Thompson, Christine N. Spencer, Caleigh Mandel-Brehm and Aaron M. Ring. [1]

## Sources

1. [Nature Communications](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-78893-z)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-8ca69ad1995964a9714495be_ucsf_study_links/