Though it is still early in the investigative process, positive results from the use of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes on lung cancer patients may hold promise for those with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes are Immune Cells Found in Mesothelioma Tumors
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are found within cancerous tumors, including mesothelioma tumors. When present in sufficient numbers they can destroy cancer cells, but it is rare for a tumor to contain enough of them for that to happen. An article in the journal Nature Medicine details a Phase 1 trial in which researchers at Florida’s Moffitt Cancer Center removed the cells from a tumor, cultured them in a laboratory in order to dramatically increase their numbers, and then returned them to patients via infusion.
To provide the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, or TILs, the greatest chance of successfully killing cancer cells, patients were simultaneously dosed with the immunotherapy drug Opdivo (nivolumab). This checkpoint inhibitor has been approved for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. It works by blocking the action of proteins that cancer cells produce to protect themselves from the immune system. The addition of this immunotherapy drug enhances the effectiveness of TILs and other aspects of the body’s natural cancer-fighting tools.
“Reduction in Tumor Volume” Offers Hope for Mesothelioma Patients
It is a long way from a Phase 1 trial on lung cancer patients to treatment of mesothelioma patients, but the results of the TIL study still offer reason for hope. The researchers dosed the twenty study participants with Opdivo, then extracted a lung cancer tumor from each of them and sent the tumors to a lab to extract the TILs and grow more.
Thirteen patients experienced the return of tumors and were then provided the TILs that had been cultured and grown from their tumors; eleven of those patients experienced a “reduction in tumor burden,” with two experiencing complete suppression of tumor at the 18-month mark.
According to study author Eric Haura, MD, “The TILs give the immune system a boost by providing more T cells to mount an attack, and the checkpoint inhibitor prevents the tumor from inactivating the T cells that infiltrate the tumor.” This early test showed the process to be safe and effective, giving hope that this technology can be expanded to include use in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, innovative medical procedures offer the promise of longer survival. For information on resources available to you, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
