Automated Isolation And Expansion Of CD137 Positive Tumor-Reactive T Cells On The CliniMACS Prodigy®

Despite the remarkable success of adoptive cell transfer (ACT) of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) for cancer therapy, conventional TIL expansion methods constitute a laborious process which hampers a wide spread application. The anti-tumor response of this therapy usually relies on a small fraction of tumor-specific T cells within the TILs. As tumor samples are not always available, the use of blood as a source for tumor-specific T cells represents a promising approach.

Consequently, the enrichment of tumor-reactive T cells from tumor or peripheral blood by isolating the CD137 positive T cells after stimulation prior to their ex vivo expansion and the automation of the process may improve the efficacy and usability of this therapy. Evaluate the performance of a fully automated procedure for the CD137 isolation and subsequent expansion of tumor-reactive T cells.