Figure 4.

Expanding tumor-specific T cell immunity via adoptive transfer. (A) Biopsies and surgical specimen can be a source of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), which can be expanded ex vivo and tumor-specific cells isolated either by response, or by initial phenotype. Alternatively, tumor-specific T cells can be engineered if both antigen and MHC match known TCR specificities, or using chimeric antigen receptors (CAR). (B) Adoptive transfer can occur prior to conventional therapy to alter the tumor immune environment prior to further treatment, or (C) can follow conventional therapy to target residual disease. At present, with surgical samples the dominant source of TIL, adoptive transfer is generally delivered following completion of conventional multimodality treatment or in the metastatic setting.