With an eye to the future, Ohio State cancer experts are working with today’s patients to develop new, groundbreaking treatments. “I’m never satisfied with the status quo,” says Richard Wu, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. “There are patients who fail to benefit from standard approved therapies, and I think it’s important to create new options for these patients. That’s what drives me on a daily basis.” Among Wu’s areas of expertise is the development of novel cancer therapies. One of those he’s currently working on is called tumor infiltrating therapy (TIL). The innovative treatment focuses on patients’ T cells, which are programmed to locate and destroy cancer cells, but can sometimes be “outsmarted.” Wu goes into further detail on TIL therapy on our Cancer-Free World Podcast. Watch via the video player above, and listen on SoundCloud. “The body of some patients can be very hostile microenvironments for T cells,” Wu says. “The T cells can’t differentiate between cancer cells and healthy cells and become the potent cancer fighters they’re supposed to be.” This is where the TIL procedure comes into play. “We take and isolate T cells from each patient’s unique tumor and expand them to billions of T cells in the lab, and then reinfuse them back into the patient,” Wu explains. Prior to reinfusion, patients “have received chemotherapy to deplete their immune system to make space for these new T cells. This is a very personalized form of immunotherapy.” Click here to learn more about cancer immunotherapy at the OSUCCC – James. The TIL procedure is currently performed in clinical trials at the OSUCCC – James and other leading cancer hospitals. The Food and Drug Administration is soon expected to approve a new drug that will make the procedure more effective. “The process will make the cells stronger and smarter and better able to differentiate between cancer cells and healthy cells,” Wu says. “The amount of cells we put back into the patient is critical — we need billions.” Currently, TIL is administered to patients with a very limited number of cancers, including metastatic melanomas. However, Wu is optimistic that the procedure will eventually be used to treat several others. Initial clinical trials are testing the TIL approach for patients with head and neck and triple-negative breast cancers. “There are some really exciting signs,” Wu says. Click here to learn more about melanoma, including risks, symptoms and treatment options at The Ohio State University.