A DNA Topoisomerase II Inhibitor Results in Ex Vivo Differentiation of THP-1 Cells and Activation of Dendritic Cells

Background/Aim: Effective ex vivo maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) can increase the efficiency of cancer immunotherapy. We aimed to identify novel chemicals with the potential to differentiate and activate immature DCs (iDCs) to mature DCs (mDCs). Materials and Methods: The expression of surface markers on THP-1 monocytes treated with the screened compounds was analyzed using FACS. Subsequent DC subset analysis and secreted cytokine profiling were also performed. Results: FACS analysis showed that THP-1 cells treated with amsacrine hydrochloride, a DNA topoisomerase II inhibitor, exhibited the typical phenotype of conventional DCs (cDCs). The expression of DC activation markers was also increased after amsacrine treatment. The profile of cytokines produced by THP-1 cells treated with amsacrine was similar to that of mDCs. Conclusion: Amsacrine has an ex vivo capability of differentiating THP-1 monocytes into cDCs. As amsacrine has been used as a stable chemotherapeutic agent in humans, it can be useful for producing mDCs for cancer immunotherapy.