engineered tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes

Engineered tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (engineered TILs or synthetic TILs) are a form of adoptive cell therapy in which a patient’s own tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are genetically modified ex vivo to enhance their anti-tumor properties before being expanded and reinfused into the patient. Unlike standard TIL therapy, where unmodified immune cells from the tumor are expanded and returned to the body, engineered TILs involve additional genetic modifications—such as enhancing cytotoxicity, improving homing to tumors, or reducing exhaustion—to increase their effectiveness against cancer. These modifications may include gene editing or introduction of new genes that improve function or specificity. Engineered TIL therapies remain experimental and are under investigation for various solid tumors; they represent an evolution beyond conventional adoptive cell transfer approaches[2].

Other names

genetically modified TILssynthetic tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes