Generation of antigen-specific T lymphocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells for adoptive immunotherapy

Conquering cancer, one of the leading human health problems, is a major task for both basic and clinical scientists. With the understanding of recently developed cancer immunotherapy, in particular the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-mediated immunotherapy, T cell development as well as the applications of stem cell technologies, an individualized cancer immunotherapy could be promisingly designed by avoiding several main obstacles in obtaining a large number of autologous and highlyreactive tumor-specific CTLs. Through induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technologies, tumor-specific CTLs could be generated from a piece of skin or blood from the individual cancer patient, following genetic modification as well as a directed differentiation. This novel approach could potentially further expand the weaponry to battle cancer.