The strategy of adoptive cell transfer of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) was developed and refined in patients with metastatic melanoma treated at the Clinical Center of the National Cancer Institute. Lessons learned in those decades of experience now guide the exploration of adoptive transfer of TIL in patients with metastatic epithelial cancers and checkpoint-refractory melanoma.

Attendees will learn:

• Understand the human clinical experiments that led to the development of the current three-part TIL strategy (lymphodepletion, cell transfer, and cytokine support)
• Growth patterns of TIL in checkpoint refractory melanoma and some epithelial malignancies
• Discussion of key single patient case studies that highlight experimental concept

Stephanie L. Goff, Associate Research Physician , Surgery Branch, NCI NIH

Stephanie L. Goff is a surgical oncologist on the senior staff of the Surgery Branch of the National Cancer Institute at the NIH. Her research interests include adoptive cell therapy for the treatment of solid tumors, building on the backbone of success in patients with metastatic melanoma to investigate the strategy in patients with metastastic breast cancer. Current and recent protocols have included the administration of TIL, TCR, and CAR for the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma, lymphoma, or other epithelial cancers.

There is a great need to identify biomarkers for TIL therapy which indicate high cell and product quality, demonstrating their function to enhance specificity. In order to reduce the cost and time spent in manufacturing, it is vital to selectively expand tumor reactive T cells preferentially and tailor the manufacturing process to be able to treat more patients in a shorter time frame with increased efficacy.Although a very clear predictive and pharmacodynamic biomarkers have not been identified, a large number have been investigated.

Attend this workshop to:

• Review the list of potential biomarkers that are currently being explored for TIL therapy
• Focus on the leading biomarkers and discuss their potential for future investigation as an industry

Kumar Karyampudi, Principal Scientist , Iovance

Lavakumar Karyampudi (Kumar) is a Principal Scientist at Iovance Biotherapeutics. Previously, he was senior scientist at NewLink Genetics where he worked on preclinical, clinical programs of hyperacute vaccine and IDO inhibitor. Kumar received his postdoctoral training in the areas of cancer vaccines, tumor microenvironment and checkpoint inhibitors from Mayo clinic, Rochester Minnesota. Kumar holds a Doctorate in Immunology from the Indiana State University, and obtained his Masters degree in Medical Microbiology from Kasturba Medical College, India.