Tumour infiltrating lymphocyte therapy for paediatric malignancies
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the feasibility of tumour infiltrating lymphocyte therapy for paediatric malignancies with high risk and poor prognosis
IRAS ID
221654
Contact name
Robert Hawkins
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
This study will investigate whether childhood brain cancers and nerve-cell based malignancies called neuroblastomas could benefit from tumour infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy by studying whether sufficient numbers of TILs can be isolated from tumour samples and whether these TILs possess the capacity to kill tumour cells.
Brain and spinal cord tumours are the most common solid malignancy of childhood, accounting for over 20% of all paediatric cancers. Collectively, they remain the leading cause of cancer-related death and long-term morbidity in children. At relapse, most malignant brain tumours continue to have dismal outcomes. Infant lesions tend to fare poorly since intensifying potentially effective conventional therapy is impractical because of overwhelming toxicity at this developmental stage, often without conferring survival advantage.
Another childhood cancer that can metastasise and prove challenging to cure is neuroblastoma. It can develop from specialised nerve cells (neuroblasts) and arise in the adrenal gland or the sympathetic nervous system, running alongside the spinal cord.
Tumour Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) therapy is an immunotherapy that involves extracting lymphocytes from surgically resected tumours, expanding and activating these lymphocytes outside the body, then re-infusing them into patients.
This approach has shown potential in a range of other cancers. In particular, our research group has already yielded durable remissions in patients with melanoma using TILs, including cases where tumour had spread to the brain.
This study will focus on children with tumours of the central nervous system (CNS) and neuroblastomas, even if they occur outside the CNS. Where tumour biopsy or debulking surgery is indicated as the best course of action for the patient, tumour already been removed as standard therapy will be analysed.
Samples will be collected from Royal Manchester Children's Hospital over the course of 2 years. Patients will not undergo any additional procedures as part of this study.REC name
South Central - Berkshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SC/0155
Date of REC Opinion
3 Apr 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion