Anti-tumor properties of human-activated macrophages produced in large scale for clinical application.

When properly activated, macrophages can be tumoricidal. To harness the therapeutic potential of these cells, we have developed a process for ex vivo production of large numbers of IFN-gamma-activated monocyte-derived macrophages. These monocyte-derived activated killer (MAK) cells have been safely administered to cancer patients with minimal residual disease in phase I/II clinical studies.