RATIONALE: Vaccines may help the body build an effective immune response to kill cytomegalovirus infections. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of vaccine therapy in treating patients who have undergone a donor stem cell transplant and have cytomegalovirus infection that has not responded to therapy.
OBJECTIVES: Primary * To determine the safety of infusing cytomegalovirus (CMV) pp65-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) generated using pp65 peptides in patients who have undergone allogeneic stem cell transplantation and have persistent CMV infections. Secondary * Characterize CMV pp65-specific immune responses in terms of cytotoxicity and cytokine production pre-infusion and then periodically thereafter. * Characterize the levels of CMV DNA in recipients of CMV pp65 CTL and observe whether the CTL infusion has any impact on the level of virus. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients receive cytomegalovirus (CMV) pp65 cytotoxic T-cell infusion on day 1. Patients may receive up to 2 more doses at least 2 weeks after previous dose. Blood samples are collected and analyzed by quantitative CMV PCR, chromium release assays for CMV pp65-specific cytotoxicity, and immunophenotype for CD3, CD4, CD8, CD56, CD19, and CD45 RA/RD. Intracellular cytofluorometry is used to assess IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and IFN-γ production by CD4 and CD8 CMV-specific effector cells. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed periodically for up to 1 year.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
20
Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
Toxicity
Time frame: 1 year
Treatment failure
Time frame: 1 year
Safety
Time frame: 1 year
Time to development of cytomegalovirus (CMV) specific immune reconstitution
Time frame: 1 year
CMV DNA levels
Time frame: 1 year
Time during post-infusion follow up at which the dominant CMV pp65 epitope for the donor is recognized by the cytotoxic t-cell lymphocyte recipient
Time frame: 1 year
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