AFP464 in Treating Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors

Inclusion Criteria: * Bilirubin normal * Platelet count \>= 100,000/mm³ * AST and ALT =\< 2.5 times upper limit of normal * Creatinine normal OR creatinine clearance \>= 60 mL/min * Adequate pulmonary function * DLCO =\< grade 1 * No symptomatic pulmonary disease * Not pregnant or nursing * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Negative pregnancy test * No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to AFP464 * No uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, any of the following: * Ongoing or active infection * Symptomatic congestive heart failure * Unstable angina pectoris * Cardiac arrhythmia * Psychiatric illness or social situation that would limit study compliance * No smoking within the past 30 days; must be willing and able to completely refrain from smoking during study participation * More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas, mitomycin C, or bleomycin) and recovered * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy; no prior thoracic radiotherapy; no prior radiotherapy to \>= 50% of total marrow volume * More than 4 weeks since prior experimental therapy (non-FDA-approved agents), immunotherapy, or targeted agents and recovered * More than 8 weeks since prior UCN-01 * More than 2 weeks since prior hormonal therapy except for patients on androgen suppression for prostate cancer * Concurrent androgen suppression allowed in patients with prostate cancer * No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients * No other concurrent investigational agents * Histologically confirmed malignant solid tumor that is metastatic or unresectable and for which standard curative or palliative measures do not exist or are no longer effective * Tumor amenable to biopsy (maximum tolerated dose expansion cohort) * No known brain metastases * ECOG performance status (PS) 0-2 OR Karnofsky PS 60-100% * Life expectancy \> 12 weeks * Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/mm³ * No other concurrent anticancer agents or therapies * Renal cell cancer, breast cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer encouraged