Method for treating malignant melanoma

A method for treating a patient suffering from malignant melanoma, the method comprising:

• i) identifying in a patient one or more sentinel or metinel lymph nodes draining a malignant melanoma tumour or a metastasis from a malignant melanoma tumour;
• ii) resecting the one or more lymph nodes and, optionally all or part of the tumour or metastasis;
• iii) isolating tumour-reactive T-lymphocytes from said lymph nodes;
• iv) in vitro expanding said tumour-reactive T-lymphocytes, wherein the in vitro expansion comprises
• a) a first phase of stimulating tumour-reactive CD4+ helper or CD8+ T-lymphocytes with tumour-derived antigen together with at least one substance having agonistic activity towards the IL-2 receptor to promote survival of tumour-reactive CD4+ helper or CD8+ T-lymphocytes, and
• b) a second phase of activating and promoting growth of tumour-reactive CD4+ helper or CD8+ T-lymphocytes, wherein the second phase is initiated when a CD25 cell surface marker or IL-2R marker is down-regulated on T-lymphocytes;
• and
• v) administering the thus obtained tumour-reactive T-lymphocytes to the patient;
• wherein the T-lymphocytes are CD4+ helper or CD8+ T-lymphocytes.