A cell-based vaccine prolongs the survival of cancer patients. The vaccine includes a dose of irradiated cultured lung adenocarcinoma cells (AD100) transfected with HLA A1 and gp96-Ig (human gp96 wherein the endoplasmic reticulum retention signal, KDEL, is replaced with the Fc-portion of human IgG1 and was injected intradermally into patients suffering from advanced, relapsed, or metastatic NSCLC. Administration of the vaccine increased the mean survival time of the patients compared to that of similar patients treated with placebo. Moreover, the immune response of patients to the vaccine (antigen-induced interferon gamma production by T cells) correlated with the survival times.
