A therapeutic melanoma vaccine consisting of autologous dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with antigens from lethally irradiated autologous tumor cells derived from a patient-specific, continuously proliferating and melanoma-initiating cell line and suspended in a solution containing the cytokine granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), with potential immunostimulatory and antineoplastic activities. Upon subcutaneous administration, eltrapuldencel-T may stimulate the immune system to exert a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) immune response against the patient's repertoire of melanoma-associated antigens, particularly tumor stem cell antigens, found in the irradiated autologous cancer cells. As an immunostimulant, GM-CSF enhances the activation of dendritic cells (DCs) and promotes antigen presentation to both B- and T-lymphocytes.