Gallipoli Medical Research and Greenslopes Private Hospital are excited to announce a ground-breaking achievement by our Clinical Trials Unit, led by Dr. Suzanne Elliott, Professor Victoria Atkinson, and Michelle Beutel. For the first time in Queensland, our team successfully administered an innovative cellular therapy to a melanoma patient. This cutting-edge treatment involves using Tumour Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL), which are immune cells extracted from the patient’s own tumour and reintroduced to fight the cancer.
This landmark event not only highlights the progress we are making in melanoma treatment but also places Queensland at the forefront of this revolutionary therapy.
“TIL has has the potential to have a significant role in PD-1 refractory melanoma. This first-line trial is investigating the role of TILs in untreated patients. It is important that this technology be accessible in Australia and Queensland, and it is great to offer this exciting new technology to eligible patients in Queensland.,” said Professor Victoria Atkinson.
The innovative process began with the surgical removal of the tumour from the patient. The tumour is shipped to the company’s manufacturing facility in USA where it is developed into an investigational treatment made of the TIL from the patient’s tumour. The investigational TIL treatment is then cryopreserved and transported back from the USA in liquid nitrogen—a complex logistical feat that required precise coordination and timing.
Upon arrival, the investigational TIL were carefully thawed and infused back into the patient. The patient then experienced additional treatments to further expand the TILs, enhancing the therapeutic effect. This pioneering procedure is the first of its kind in Queensland and highlights the exceptional collaborative efforts of our dedicated teams.
Professor Atkinson explains, “TIL uses the body’s immune system in combination with Pembrolizumab to attack melanoma cells. We resect a tumour sample, which is sent to the USA, where the cells are cultured and expanded, and then sent back to the site. The patient’s immune system is depleted using chemotherapy, and then given back to the patient with cytokines (IL2) with the intent that it will expand in the patient and target the melanoma.”
Patients suitable for this therapy need to have untreated metastatic melanoma with at least one lesion that can be resected, be less than 70 years old, and otherwise be in good health. Professor Atkinson stated, “These criteria are essential as IL2 therapy places significant stress on the body, and patients need to be in good health to manage this.”
The successful start-up of this trial at our site involved significant logistical coordination between Gallipoli Medical Research, Greenslopes Private Hospital, and various support units, including the Cyril Gilbert Cancer Centre Day Infusion staff and the Transplant Unit. Our trial site was the first in Australia to be activated for this study and to consent a patient.
This accomplishment is a result of the dedication and expertise of our Principal Investigator, Professor Victoria Atkinson, and our entire team. We are proud to be at the forefront of advancing melanoma treatment and look forward to further successes in this critical area of research.
If you or someone you know would like to learn more about clinical trials at Gallipoli Medical Research and Greenslopes Private Hospital, speak to your doctor about the eligibility criteria for now recruiting trials