The accumulation of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in ovarian cancer is prognostic for increased survival while increases in immunosuppressive regulatory T-cells (Tregs) are associated with poor outcomes. Approaches that bolster tumor-reactive TILs may limit tumor progression. However, identifying tumor-reactive TILs in ovarian cancer has been challenging, though adoptive TIL therapy in patients has been encouraging. Other forms of TIL immunomodulation remain under investigation including Treg depletion, antibody-based checkpoint modification, activation and amplification using dendritic cells, antigen presenting cells or IL-2 cytokine culture, adjuvant cytokine injections, and geneengineered T-cells. Many approaches to TIL manipulation inhibit ovarian cancer progression in preclinical or clinical studies as monotherapy. Here, we review the impact of TILs in ovarian cancer and attempts to mobilize TILs to halt tumor progression. We conclude that effective TIL therapy for ovarian cancer is at the brink of translation and optimal TIL activity may require combined methodologies to deliver clinically-relevant treatment. IntroductionTumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are present in ovarian cancer and are prognostic for increased survival. Given the impact of immunomodulatory regimens in melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and lung cancer, and the recent elucidation of bona fide tumor-reactive TILs in ovarian cancer, the development of approaches that mobilize tumor-reactive TILs for successful eradication of ovarian cancer is now a high priority. In spite of strong rationale, attempts at administration of adoptive T cell transfer, immune enhancing antibody, and tumor immune environment conditioning in ovarian cancer have been minimal with some positive results reported in patients. In light of the recent development of new immunotherapeutic agents and treatment regimens that bolster host TIL activity, we review the current understanding of the immunobiology of human ovarian cancer including the impact of TIL subset accumulation on ovarian cancer survival and the effect of immune activation in the tumor microenvironment, and conclude that a new line of cancer immunotherapy investigations is warranted in ovarian carcinoma.Ovarian cancer is the second most common and most lethal gynecologic malignancy in the United States with approximately 22,000 new cases and 14,000 deaths expected in 2013.1 Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, with the large majority of new cases spread past the primary site. Since there are no current recommendations for ovarian cancer screenings, most efforts at combating ovarian cancer have been targeted at the discovery of new treatments rather than preventative measures. Currently, surgical staging and cytoreduction followed by chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment, although in some cases neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is attempted.2 The standard for surgical staging consists of total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingooophrectomy with pelvic and para-aortic lymph node di...

Successful treatment of brain tumors such as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is limited in large part by the cumulative dose of Radiation Therapy (RT) that can be safely given and the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which limits the delivery of systemic anticancer agents into tumor tissue. Consequently, the overall prognosis remains grim. Herein, we report our pilot studies in cell culture experiments and in an animal model of GBM in which RT is complemented by PEGylated-gold nanoparticles (GNPs). GNPs significantly increased cellular DNA damage inflicted by ionizing radiation in human GBM-derived cell lines and resulted in reduced clonogenic survival (with dose-enhancement ratio of ∼1.3). Intriguingly, combined GNP and RT also resulted in markedly increased DNA damage to brain blood vessels. Follow-up in vitro experiments confirmed that the combination of GNP and RT resulted in considerably increased DNA damage in brain-derived endothelial cells. Finally, the combination of GNP and RT increased survival of mice with orthotopic GBM tumors. Prior treatment of mice with brain tumors resulted in increased extravasation and in-tumor deposition of GNP, suggesting that RT-induced BBB disruption can be leveraged to improve the tumor-tissue targeting of GNP and thus further optimize the radiosensitization of brain tumors by GNP. These exciting results together suggest that GNP may be usefully integrated into the RT treatment of brain tumors, with potential benefits resulting from increased tumor cell radiosensitization to preferential targeting of tumor-associated vasculature.