An evaluation of autologous tumor-reactive TIL generation from head and neck squamous cell cancers

Methods Our group formed a multidisciplinary group to study the immunobiology of HNSCC and to develop strategies to effectively treat this disease. Over the past 3 years we have collected and processed more than 192 HNSCC specimens. Starting in June of 2013 we began to set up cultures of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) from specimens with sufficient numbers of cells isolated by triple enzyme digestion. Between June 13, 2013 and May 14, 2015 we processed 120 specimens. Fourty-one were processed but were not set-up for TIL culture. Sixteen were determined to be grossly contaminated within 18-24 hours and excluded from further analysis. Sixty-three TIL cultures were initiated and 33 generated TIL (52%).