Adoptive immunotherapy: novel applications of blood cell separators

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Oncology
• Cell Therapy

Background:

• Adoptive immunotherapy leverages animal model successes in treating tumors with ex vivo-activated lymphocytes.
• This approach has been applied to patients with advanced malignancies resistant to conventional treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of adoptive immunotherapy using lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in cancer patients.
• To explore the potential of TIL as a more potent and specific immunotherapy compared to LAK cells.

Main Methods:

• Lymphocytes collected via blood cell separators, expanded ex vivo with interleukin-2 (IL-2), and reinfused into patients.
• Clinical trials involving LAK cell therapy in over 300 patients.
• Early-stage clinical trials of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) therapy.

Main Results:

• LAK cell therapy demonstrated an overall response rate >15% and complete response rate ~10% in phase 1 studies.
• Renal cell carcinoma, melanoma, and lymphoma showed the best response to LAK cell therapy.
• Substantial toxicity, including treatment-related deaths, associated with high-dose IL-2 was observed.

Conclusions:

• Adoptive immunotherapy with LAK cells shows clinical activity but is associated with significant toxicity.
• TIL therapy represents a promising, potentially more effective and specific, alternative for adoptive immunotherapy.
• Advanced cell processing and storage technologies are crucial for the success of these cellular therapies.