Vaccine Therapy With or Without Interleukin-2 After Chemotherapy and an Autologous White Blood Cell Infusion in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

Overview

This randomized phase II trial is studying how well giving vaccine therapy with or without interleukin-2 after chemotherapy and an autologous white blood cell infusion works in treating patients with metastatic melanoma. Vaccines made from peptides may help the body build an effective immune response to kill tumor cells. Giving vaccine therapy with interleukin-2, chemotherapy, and an autologous white blood cell infusion may be a more effective treatment for metastatic melanoma.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the ability of gp100 and MART-1 peptide vaccines with or without a high-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2), when administered after a nonmyeloablative, lymphodepleting preparative regimen and reinfusion of autologous CD25+ T-regulatory-depleted lymphocytes, to mediate tumor regression in patients with metastatic melanoma. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the generation of antitumor lymphocytes and the rate of repopulation of CD25+ T-regulatory cells in patients treated with this regimen. II. Determine the toxicity of this treatment regimen. OUTLINE: This is a randomized study. Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. ARM I: Patients undergo apheresis and in-vitro depletion of T-regulatory cells. Patients then receive a nonmyeloablative, lymphocyte-depleting preparative regimen comprising cyclophosphamide IV over 1 hour on days -8 and -7 and fludarabine IV over 15-30 minutes on days -6 to -2 followed by autologous T-regulatory-depleted lymphocytes IV over 20-30 minutes on day 0. Patients receive vaccination with gp100:209-217 (210M) and MART-1:27-35 peptides emulsified in Montanide ISA-51 subcutaneously (SC) on days 0-3, 20-23, 41-44, and 62-65. Patients also receive filgrastim (G-CSF) SC beginning on day 1 and continuing until blood counts recover. ARM II: Patients receive treatment as in arm I. Patients also receive high-dose IL-2 IV over 15 minutes every 8 hours on days 0-4, beginning after the lymphocyte infusion. IL-2 treatment repeats every 3 weeks for up to 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 1-3 months.