Phase 2 autologous TIL adoptive cell therapy + IL‑2 (T‑cell expansion cytokine) in GIST

This Phase 2 study evaluates adoptive transfer of autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs)—patient-derived anti-tumor T cells expanded ex vivo—followed by aldesleukin (recombinant interleukin‑2), which drives in‑vivo T‑cell proliferation and activation after infusion. Patients first receive lymphodepleting chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide (DNA-alkylating agent) and fludarabine (purine analog DNA synthesis inhibitor) to “make space” for the infused T cells; filgrastim (G‑CSF) can be used to speed neutrophil recovery. The eligible population is unresectable, recurrent, or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), including refractory disease; participants may receive a second course if they have stable disease/response or later recur. Sponsor is listed as Joal Beane (an investigator-sponsored academic study rather than a named pharma program), and the core commercial/scientific angle is testing whether a TIL + IL‑2 platform—proven in some solid tumors—can generate meaningful responses in a genomically defined sarcoma subtype where checkpoint inhibitors have generally underperformed. Today’s care for advanced GIST is sequential KIT/PDGFRA-targeted TKIs (e.g., imatinib, sunitinib, regorafenib, ripretinib; and avapritinib for PDGFRA exon 18–mutant disease), with limited non-TKI options once resistance accumulates.