Ex-vivo expansion of T cells obtained from tumor samples or from peripheral blood and reinfused in metastatic patients

Autologous T cells, obtained from the tumor site, grown ex-vivo and then reinfused in metastatic patients, have shown to have a very good antineoplastic activity, being capable to overcome some of the most powerful escape mechanisms from the immune system. In particular, the ex-vivo treatment can reactivate T cells potentially capable of recognizing and destroying tumor cells but anergic or exhausted from their being for a long time in an immunosuppressive neoplastic microenvironment. 

In addition, in vitro expansion allows the achievement of a huge amount of active T cells that upon injection into the patient are able to reach the tumor site and to induce tumor apoptosis and death. 

This procedure has been successfully used at first in melanoma and then in other solid tumors, such as triple negative breast cancer. With the aim to start a clinical protocol for solid tumors, a collection of tumor samples and paired patient peripheral blood is currently ongoing to test T cells features in terms of antigen specificity and cytotoxic activity.