Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies (Terumo BCT) has entered into a research collaboration with TrAMPoline Pharma and Eduardo Davila, PhD, at the University of Colorado to develop an automated manufacturing approach for Tumour-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) therapies targeting solid tumours.

The collaboration will focus on developing an automated process to support manufacturing of TrAMPoline Pharma’s lead candidate, MightyTIL, as the company advances towards clinical trials. MightyTIL is a genetically engineered, autologous TIL therapy being investigated for melanoma and selected solid tumour indications, including sarcoma and head and neck cancers.

TIL therapies use immune cells that have naturally infiltrated tumours and are being investigated as a potential treatment approach for solid tumours. However, manufacturing TIL therapies can be complex because the starting material consists of disaggregated tumour tissue containing a variable number of T cells. These cells may also have lower expansion capacity than T cells obtained from circulating blood. In addition, TIL therapies require large numbers of expanded cells to reach therapeutic doses.

To address these manufacturing challenges, the partners will work to automate key cell expansion processes using Terumo BCT’s Quantum Flex Cell Expansion System. The approach is intended to improve manufacturing consistency, reduce labour and reagent requirements and support clinical-scale production of genetically modified TIL therapies.

Mindy Miller, Head of Scientific Development and Engagement at Terumo BCT, said the collaboration aims to establish automated manufacturing processes that could support the clinical and commercial scalability of novel cell-based therapies.

Eduardo Davila, director of immunotherapy and medical oncology at the University of Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Centre, said the collaboration combines the partners’ TIL expertise with Terumo BCT’s automation technology to develop a manufacturing approach that can preserve the biological potential of TIL therapies while making production more practical for broader clinical evaluation.

The collaboration builds on research by the Davila Lab focused on T-cell-based cancer immunotherapies and the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying durable tumour-specific immune responses. The partners plan to generate and publish results from the research to support further development of automated TIL manufacturing.