Loading...
Melanoma cells seem to be particularly vulnerable to immunologic attack. Augmenting immunologic attack against metastatic melanomas is a promising therapeutic avenue. French investigators examined the effectiveness of specific melanoma cell–directed “killer” lymphocytes for this purpose.
The researchers isolated and expanded CD8+ T-cell clones with specific activity against the melanoma protein MART-1 (Melan-A). Using a peptide analog of MART-1 to stimulate the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 14 patients with malignant melanoma, the researchers produced large numbers of cloned CD8+ cells capable of killing the patients' melanoma cells. Each patient then received an infusion of his or her own cloned lymphocytes plus interleukin-2 (added…