METHOD FOR TREATING MALIGNANT MELANOMA

摘要

The present invention discloses an immunotherapeutic method for treating patients suffering from malignant melanoma, by administering expanded tumour-reactive CD4+ helper and/or CD8+ T-lymphocytes obtainable from one or more sentinel or metinel lymph nodes draining a malignant melanoma or a metastasis arising from malignant melanoma. The present invention provides a new effective method for treating malignant melanoma and metastatic malignant melanoma, without adverse side effects associated with the known treatments. The method comprises identification of in a patient one or more sentinel and/or metinel lymph nodes draining a malignant melanoma or a metastasis there from, resection of the one or more nodes and, optionally all or part of the tumour or metastasis, isolation of tumour-reactive T- lymphocytes from said lymph nodes, in vitro expansion of said tumour-reactive T- lymphocytes, and administration of the thus obtained tumour-reactive T-lymphocytes to the patient, wherein the T-lymphocytes are CD4+ helper and/or CD8+ T-lymphocytes.