Anew weapon against glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat brain tumours, has been developed by a team from the Neurological Institute of Milan, which has launched a study published in Nature Communications by harnessing the immune defences of patients.
The team of researchers, led by Serena Pellegatta, have exploited tumour-infiltrating T lymphocytes.
These cells of the immune system are present in glioblastoma, but are few and often "exhausted," therefore poorly functional.
The method the team developed isolates and expands in the laboratory - specifically and tailored to the patient - functional and reactive tumor infiltrating T lymphocytes (tr-TIL), maintaining their immune memory intact.
These lymphocytes, once reinfused, are therefore potentially capable of recognizing and eliminating tumor cells.
