Tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy for patients with advanced-stage melanoma

• Published in: Nature reviews. Clinical oncology Vol. 21; no. 3; p. 173
• Main Authors: Klobuch, Sebastian, Seijkens, Tom T P, Schumacher, Ton N, Haanen, John B A G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.03.2024
• Subjects: Humans; Immunotherapy, Adoptive; Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating; Melanoma - therapy; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
• ISSN: 1759-4782
• DOI: 10.1038/s41571-023-00848-w

Immunotherapy with immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and targeted therapy with BRAF and MEK inhibitors have revolutionized the treatment of melanoma over the past decade. Despite these breakthroughs, the 5-year survival rate of patients with advanced-stage melanoma is at most 50%, emphasizing the need for additional therapeutic strategies. Adoptive cell therapy with tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is a therapeutic modality that has, in the past few years, demonstrated long-term clinical benefit in phase II/III trials involving patients with advanced-stage melanoma, including those with disease progression on ICIs and/or BRAF/MEK inhibitors. In this Review, we summarize the current status of TIL therapies for patients with advanced-stage melanoma, including potential upcoming marketing authorization, the characteristics of TIL therapy products, as well as future strategies that are expected to increase the efficacy of this promising cellular immunotherapy.