ISOLATION AND IN-VITRO EXPANSION OF LYMPHOCYTES INFILTRATING NONSMALLCELL LUNG-CARCINOMA - FUNCTIONAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION FOR THEIR USE IN ADOPTIVE IMMUNOTHERAPY

Tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) have the capability of recognisi ng and lysing autologous cancer cells, both ill vitro and in vivo. Adv anced non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is partially insensitive t o chemo radiotherapy and has a poor prognosis: thus, for this, an immu notherapeutic approach could be attempted. We expanded in vitro 46 out of 70 samples of TIL derived from NSCLC. From proliferating TILS, a n umber varying from 10 to 50 x 10(9) cells was obtained. These lymphocy tes belonged to the T cell lineage, had the capability of growing for 45-60 days and lysed autologous better than allogeneic cancer cells. I n addition, analysis of the restriction maps of T cell receptor (TRC)- beta, demonstrated that an oligoclonal population of T cells was prese lected in vivo, near the tumour site, and might be expanded ill vivo, using phytohaemagglutin and interleukin 2 while maintaining the same c haracteristics of the original population. These results give a clear rationale for the use of in vitro expanded TIL from NSCLC in protocols of adoptive immunotherapy in patients with residual disease following surgery.