Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have carried out a clinical trial in which patients with metastatic melanoma were given chemotherapy and an immunotherapy of adoptive cell transfer (ACT) with tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL). Tumor tissues were surgically removed from patients, minced, and grown in culture. The treatment combined chemotherapy, then ACT with TIL, followed by interleukin-2 (IL-2). The combination therapy drew a high response rate from some patients.
"Our purpose was to demonstrate the feasibility of performing TIL growth and the efficacy of ACT TIL therapy using techniques developed at the National Cancer Institute," said Amod Sarnaik, M.D. (pictured left), assistant member of the Cutaneous Oncology Department at Moffitt. "Combining chemotherapy with ACT and high dose IL-2 resulted in a 38 percent objective response rate in patients with metastatic melanoma."
"Although our clinical study successfully met its goal of demonstrating that ACT TIL therapy could be offered to advanced melanoma patients, strategies to improve on its feasibility and efficacy are under way," said Shari A. Pilon-Thomas, Ph.D. (pictured right), assistant member of the Immunology Program at Moffitt. "Combination therapies that enhance the proliferation and function of TIL are being explored."
Illustration: Moffitt Cancer Center.
Read more…
Moffitt Cancer Center News Release (10/16/12)
EurekAlert! (10/17/12)
Science Daily (10/17/12)
Abstract (Journal of Immunotherapy; Vol. 35, Issue 8, 615-620 (10/2012))