Development of cancer immunotherapies based on identification of the genes encoding cancer regression antigens.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have been grown from patients with metastatic melanoma and administered to the autologous patients to identify those TIL populations capable of mediating tumor regression. These TILs have been used to clone the genes that encode melanoma antigens. With the use of this strategy, we have identified six different genes encoding antigens restricted by multiple HLA alleles that appear to be related to tumor regression in patients. These antigens are now being used to develop immunization approaches for the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma. The availability of genes encoding unique cancer antigens is opening new possibilities for the development of immunotherapies for the treatment of patients with cancer.