AFP and hepatocellular carcinoma: CD40L on activated CD4 + Th cells can communicate with CD40 on DCs to promote the secretion of Th1 cytokines by DCs, and the CD40L-DCs were confirmed to improve the anti-tumor activity of the AFP-DC vaccine in an orthotopic HCC mouse model, and the combination of them could significantly suppress tumor progression, accompanied by a robust Th1-shift in the TME and increased tumor cell apoptosis [227].