Administration of Autologous T-Cells Genetically Engineered to Express T-Cell Receptors Reactive Against Neoantigens in People With Metastatic Cancer

• Status: Suspended
• Trial end date: 2028-03-23
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Background:

A person s tumor is studied for mutations. When cells are found that can attack the mutation in a person s tumor, the genes from those cells are studied to find the parts that make the attack possible. White blood cells are then taken from the person s body, and the gene transfer occurs in a laboratory. A type of virus is used to transfer the genes that make those white blood cells able to attack the mutation in the tumor. The gene transfer therapy is the return of those white blood cells back to the person.

Objective:

To see if gene transfer therapy of white blood cells can shrink tumors.

Eligibility:

People with certain metastatic cancer for which standard treatments have not worked.

Design:

Participants may complete screening under another protocol. Screening includes:

• Getting tumor cells from a previous procedure

• Medical history

• Physical exam

• Scans

• Blood, urine, heart, and lung tests

The study has 8 stages:

1. Screening tests repeated over 1-2 weeks. Participants will have leukapheresis: Blood is removed by a needle in one arm. A machine removes white blood cells. The rest of the blood is returned by a needle in the other arm.

2. Care at home over approximately 12 weeks.

3. Stopping therapy for 4-6 weeks while their cells are changed in a lab.

4. Hospital stay approximately 3-4 weeks for treatment. An IV catheter will be placed in the chest to administer drugs.

5. Patients on Arm 2 of the study will receive the first dose of pembrolizumab while in the hospital. Three additional doses will be given after the cell infusion 3 weeks apart.

6. Receiving changed cells by catheter. Then getting a drug over 1-5 days to help the cells live longer.

7. Recover in the hospital for 1-2 weeks. Participants will get drugs and have blood and urine tests.

8. Participants will take an antibiotic and maybe an antiviral for at least 6 months after treatment. They will have repeat screening tests at visits every few months for the first year, every 6 months for the second year, then as determined.

...

• Phase: Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Treatments: Aldesleukin; Cyclophosphamide; Fludarabine; Fludarabine phosphate; Pembrolizumab

Criteria

• INCLUSION CRITERIA:

• Metastatic, solid cancer that can be measured, that falls into one of four cohorts:

(1) gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancers; (2) breast, ovarian, and other solid cancers; (3) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); and, (4) endocrine tumors including neuroendocrine tumors.

Note: NSCLC includes but is not limited to squamous cell carcinoma, adenosquamous carcinoma, or adenocarcinomas.

• Confirmation of diagnosis of cancer by the NCI Laboratory of Pathology.

• Refractory to approved standard systemic therapy. Specifically:

• Participants with metastatic colorectal cancer must have received oxaliplatin or irinotecan.

• Participants with breast and ovarian cancer must be refractory to both first- and second- line treatments.

• Participants with NSCLC must have received at least one platinum-based chemotherapy regimen and at least one FDA-approved targeted treatment (when appropriate).

• Participants with 3 or fewer brain metastases that are < 1 cm in diameter and asymptomatic are eligible. Lesions that have been treated with stereotactic radiosurgery must be clinically stable for one month after treatment for the participant to be eligible. Participants with surgically resected brain metastases are eligible.

• Age greater than or equal to 18 years and less than or equal to 70 years.

• Clinical performance status of ECOG 0 or 1.

• Participants of both genders must be willing to practice birth control from the time of enrollment on this study and for four months after treatment.

• Women of child-bearing potential must be willing to undergo a pregnancy test prior to the start of treatment because of the potentially dangerous effects of the treatment on the fetus.

• Serology:

• Seronegative for HIV antibody. (The experimental treatment being evaluated in this protocol depends on an intact immune system. Participants who are HIV seropositive may have decreased immune-competence and thus be less responsive to the experimental treatment and more susceptible to its toxicities.)

• Seronegative for hepatitis B antigen, and seronegative for hepatitis C antibody. If hepatitis C antibody test is positive, then participant must be tested for the presence of antigen by RT-PCR and be HCV RNA negative.

• Hematology:

• ANC > 1000/mm^3 without the support of filgrastim

• WBC greater than or equal to 2500/mm^3

• Platelet count greater than or equal to 80,000/mm^3

• Hemoglobin > 8.0 g/dl. Subjects may be transfused to reach this cut-off.

• Chemistry:

• Serum ALT/AST less than or equal to 5.0 x ULN

• Serum creatinine less than or equal to 1.6 mg/dl.

• Total bilirubin less than or equal to 2.0 mg/dl, except in participants with Gilbert's Syndrome, who must have a total bilirubin less than or equal to 3.0 mg/dl.

• Participants must have completed any prior systemic therapy at the time of enrollment.

Note: Participants may have undergone minor surgical procedures or limited field radiotherapy within the four weeks prior to enrollment, as long as related major organ toxicities have recovered to grade 1 or less.

• For Cohort 3: More than two weeks must have elapsed since any prior palliation for major bronchial occlusion or bleeding at the time the patient receives the preparative regimen, and patient s toxicities must have recovered to a grade 1 or less.

• Ability of subject to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.

• Willing to sign a durable power of attorney.

• Subjects must be co-enrolled on protocol 03-C-0277.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

• Women of child-bearing potential who are pregnant or breastfeeding because of the potentially dangerous effects of the treatment on the fetus or infant.

• Concurrent systemic steroid therapy.

• Active systemic infections requiring anti-infective treatment, coagulation disorders, or any other active or uncompensated major medical illnesses.

For Cohort 3: Any major bronchial occlusion or bleeding not amenable to palliation.

• Any form of primary immunodeficiency (such as Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease and AIDS).

• For Arm 2: History of major organ autoimmune disease.

Note: Participants with a history of major organ autoimmune disease may be enrolled on Arm 1 if all other eligibility criteria are met.

-For Arm 2: Grade 3 or 4 major organ irAEs following treatment with anti-PD-1/PD-L1, including but not limited to myocarditis and pneumonitis.

Note: Participants with grade 3 or 4 major organ irAEs may be enrolled on Arm 1 if all other eligibility criteria are met.

• Concurrent opportunistic infections (The experimental treatment being evaluated in this protocol depends on an intact immune system. Participants who have decreased immune-competence may be less responsive to the experimental treatment and more susceptible to its toxicities.)

• History of severe immediate hypersensitivity reaction to cyclophosphamide, fludarabine, or aldesleukin.

• For Cohorts 1, 2, or 4: Clinically significant participant history which in the judgment of the Principal Investigator (PI) would compromise the participants ability to tolerate high-dose aldesleukin.

Note: At the discretion of the PI, participants enrolled in Cohort 3 may receive low-dose aldesleukin.

• History of coronary revascularization or ischemic symptoms.

• For select participants with a clinical history prompting cardiac evaluation: last known LVEF less than or equal to 45%.

• For select participants with a clinical history prompting pulmonary evaluation: known FEV1 less than or equal to 50% predicted.

• Participants who are receiving any other investigational agents.