Abstract: This invention provides methods of evaluating immune system parameters to identify and treat patients who are likely to experience more favorable treatment outcomes. This invention also provides methods for treating a human patient with a dendritic cell therapy by obtaining at least one value or measurement of the level and/or amount of a particular type of treatment indicator in the patient, confirming that said value or measurement exceeds or is less than the treatment threshold value for that value or measurement, and administering said dendritic cell therapy to the patient.

Abstract: This invention provides methods to prepare and use immunostimulatory cells for enhancing an immune response. The invention provides a method for preparing mature dendritic cells (DCs), comprising the sequential steps of: (a) signaling isolated immature dendritic cells (iDCs) with a first signal comprising an interferon gamma receptor (IFN-?R) agonist and/or a tumor necrosis factor alpha receptor (TNF-?R) agonist to produce signaled dendritic cells; and (b) signaling said signaled dendritic cells with a second transient signal comprising an effective amount of a CD40 agonist to produce CCR7+ mature dendritic cells. Also provided by this invention are enriched populations of dendritic cells prepared by the methods of the invention. Such dendritic cells have enhanced immunostimulatory properties and increased IL-12 secretion and/or decreased IL-10 secretion. CD40 signaling can be initiated by one or more of polypeptide translated from an exogenous polynucleotide encoding CD40L (e.g.