About the project

Solid tumors are challenging due to limited therapy efficacy and resistance to immunotherapies. While adoptive cell transfer (ACT) using Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) shows promise in immunogenic tumors like melanoma, broader success is hindered by inefficient TIL expansion, T-cell exhaustion, and low tumor reactivity.

The Repro-TIL project aims to selectively expand neoantigen-specific, tumor-reactive TILs, building on the ERC POC project ‘NeoIDC.’ This approach enhances the production of highly tumor-specific TILs, offering more effective immunotherapy for solid tumor patients. The project will focus on preclinical validation, optimizing TIL expansion, identifying biomarkers, developing a GMP-compliant manufacturing process, and establishing regulatory and commercial pathways.

The multidisciplinary consortium ensures successful implementation and commercialization, positioning Repro-TIL as a superior ACT solution with potential to improve treatment outcomes in melanoma and hard-to-treat solid tumors like sarcoma and breast cancer. This scalable, cost-effective platform could usher in a new era of personalized cancer therapies.