Publication date: May 2024
Source: Stanford Medicine
The FDA has recently expanded the use of cell-based therapies, previously effective in blood cancers, to include solid tumors, with Stanford Medicine pioneering this approach in treating a patient with advanced melanoma.
This novel treatment utilizes tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL)—immune cells extracted from the patient's own tumor. These cells are then cultured in the lab, growing into billions of cancer-fighting cells, which are reintroduced to the patient's body after about a month.
This method leverages the body's natural defenses without the need for genetic modification, unlike CAR-T therapies that genetically engineer T cells to target specific cancer molecules. This advancement provides a new hope for melanoma patients who have not responded to conventional immunotherapies or targeted treatments, marking a significant step forward in personalized cancer treatment.
