Adoptive immunotherapy is used to treat malignant tumors resistant to conventional therapeutic modalities. Patients with metastatic melanoma, renal cell carcinoma or mesothelioma are most likely to benefit from this treatment. Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) contain tumor specific killer cells and are found to be the most effective. When TIL is not available or until it can be produced in sufficient amount, autologous activated lymphocytes (AAL) are an alternative. AAL are leukapheresed lymphocytes, activated by conditioned medium from OKT3 stimulated autologous lymphocytes. Subcutaneous IL-2 and oral cimetidine are also administered to support the reinfused AAL and to inhibit activation of CD8+ suppressor cells, respectively. To improve the yield and activation of reinfused lymphocytes, addition of IL-2 to the culture medium was tested in different time intervals after the onset of the culture. Interleukin-2 added in the first or second day i) improved the yield of activated lymphocytes; ii) increased the expression of activation markers CD25 (IL-2 receptor) and HLA-DR and iii) augmented killing of tumor cells. Later addition of IL-2 had no or negative effects. In vitro priming of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with autologous or allogeneic but histologically identical tumors was used to increase tumor-specificity of AAL. Autologous serum, containing antibodies specific to tumor cells, facilitated antigen presentation and yielded cytotoxic lymphocytes capable of efficiently killing tumor cells.