Definition

Human autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) transduced with a retroviral vector encoding a T-cell receptor (TCR) that recognizes the human melanoma antigens A3 and A12 (MAGE-A3/12), with potential antineoplastic activity. Upon isolation, transduction, expansion ex vivo, and reintroduction into the patient, the MAGE-A3/12-specific TCR gene-transduced autologous PBLs bind to and lyse tumor cells expressing MAGE-A3/12, which may halt the growth of MAGE-A3/12-expressing cancer cells. MAGE-A3 and MAGE-A12, tumor associated antigens and members of the melanoma-associated antigen gene family, are overexpressed by a variety of cancer cell types.