Adoptive immunotherapy of renal cell cancer

Abstract The passive transfer of immune lymphocytes into the tumor- bearing host or cancer patient is known as ‘ adoptive immunotherapy’ . The requirements for successful adoptive immunotherapy in animal models involve the ability to generate tumor-reactive cells in sufficient quantities to cause tumor rejection in vivo (Greenberg 1991; Chang and Shu 1992). Compared with other immunotherapeutic modalities, such as cytokines, vaccines, or antibodies, adoptive immunotherapy has been significantly more effective in mediating regression of advanced tumor burdens in animal models (Chou et al. 1988a; Rosenberg et al. 1986). The translation of animal studies to the clinical setting required the development of methods to culture lymphocytes in bulk quantities.