Patients diagnosed with progressive and/or refractory solid malignancies, who have failed conventional therapy, and have no available, potentially curative therapeutic options, will be candidates for this Phase I/II study. Following confirmation of disease progression and/or refractoriness, eligible patients who agree to participate and sign an informed consent form will have their tumor cells/tissues and/or blood analyzed for the expression of a specific panel of Tumor Associated Peptide Antigens (TAPAs), including Sp17, ropporin, AKAP-4, PTTG1, Span-xb, Her-2/neu, HM1.24, NY-ESO-1 and MAGE-1.
For patients whose tumors express one (1) or more of these TAPAs (Sp17, ropporin, AKAP-4, PTTG1, Span-xb, Her-2/neu, HM1.24, NY-ESO-1 and MAGE-1), whole blood will be obtained by phlebotomy and/or leukapheresis performed for generation of autologous DCs. Patient's DCs will be generated in Kiromic's Cell Processing GMP facility, according to established Standard Operating Procedures, and activated by pulsing/loading them with the TAPA(s) relevant for each particular patient. Patients will receive five (5) days of low-dose cyclophosphamide 5 to 7 days prior to each vaccination with TAPA-pulsed DCs to decrease Treg activity. Patients will also receive a single dose of topical Imiquimod cream after each vaccination. TAPA-pulsed DCs will be administered at a fixed dose of up to 1 X 107 DCs. DC vaccination schedule will be weekly via intradermal (ID) injections for a total of 3 vaccinations. Topical Imiquimod cream will also be administered once after the vaccination. Patients will be followed on a weekly basis (or more frequently if required) to evaluate treatment-related toxicity. Immune efficacy and anti-tumor responses will be evaluated per protocol specifications. Continuation and stopping rules for the study will be defined based on toxicity/tolerability (Phase I) and immune efficacy (Phase II).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
3
Subjects will given the vaccine which contains 1 x 10\^7 TAPA-pulsed dendritic cells and is administered ID. A total of three (3) cycles therapy will be administered weekly.
Subjects will be given low-dose cyclophosphamide by mouth for 5 days starting 5 to 7 days prior to the vaccine cycle.
Topical Imiquimod Cream will be applied after vaccination.
Unnamed facility
San Antonio, Texas, United States
Adverse Events Due to Administration of TAPA-Pulse DC Vaccine
Grade, causality, start/stop dates (duration), resolutions for adverse events will be monitored and recorded.
Time frame: Continuous for 45 days after the first dose.
Immune Response
The response of T-cells present in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) population to the peptides used to pulse a patient's dendritic cell vaccine is evaluated by measuring the expression of Th1/CTL-type cytokines (IFN-γ and/or TNF-α and/or IL-17) by a standard ELI-Spot assay using 500,000 PBMCs per experimental replicate and a minimum of 3 experimental replicates for each stimulation. The results are expressed as the average number of spots obtained from the stimulation of 500,000 PBMCs
Time frame: Days -7, 22 and 45
Positive DTH Skin Tests With Relevant TAPA
DTH skin test will be performed on subject's forearm or within 5 cm from the site of prior DC vaccination, if possible
Time frame: Days -7, 22 and 45
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