Adoptive immunotherapy for head and neck cancer with killer cells induced by stimulation with autologous or allogeneic tumour cells and recombinant interleukin-2.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes drawn by leukapheresis using Haemonetics V50 were mixed and cultured with autologous or allogeneic tumour cell line to activate killer cells by tumour antigenic stimulation, and further with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2). Killer cells were intra-arterially infused, as a primary therapy, in 5 patients with maxillary and one with lingual cancer (squamous cell carcinoma). Effects on reduction of primary tumour size were significantly high without any severe side effects. The effects were interpreted mainly by direct day-by-day observation of the site, findings of CT and histology. Histological findings of the tissue obtained by surgical operation performed after adoptive immunotherapy were remarkable changes, such as infiltration of lymphoid cells around the cancer nets, degeneration of cancer cells, infiltration of scavenger macrophages (giant cells) and so on. The results suggested that adoptive immunotherapy by the killer cells can be a powerful treatment to bring the cancer under control, in with combination of other therapies.