autologous tumor-derived T-lymphocytes

This experimental adoptive cell therapy, developed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surgery Branch, utilizes autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. The therapeutic process involves extracting T lymphocytes from a patient's tumor tissue, expanding them ex vivo in laboratory culture, and specifically selecting those that demonstrate reactivity against unique tumor-specific neoantigens identified through genomic sequencing. These enriched, neoantigen-specific T cells are then reinfused into the patient following a preparative lymphodepleting chemotherapy regimen (typically cyclophosphamide and fludarabine). The therapy is often administered in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors such as pembrolizumab to enhance the anti-tumor immune response. This personalized approach aims to harness the patient's own immune system to recognize and destroy heterogeneous cancer cells that are refractory to standard treatments.

Other names

therapeutic tumor-infiltrating lymphocytesneoantigen-specific tumor-infiltrating lymphocytesTIL therapytherapeutic tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes-National Cancer Institute (NCI)-breast cancer