This study is for patients that have nasopharyngeal carcinoma, breast cancer, gastric cancer and other solid tumors. As epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a well characterized molecule that is closely with poor prognosis and tumor metastasis and invasion. Many therapies targeting EpCAM have shown benefits for cancer patients. This study is to determine the safety of the engineered T cells armed with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) recognizing EpCAM. At the same time, efficacy is to be evaluated by the criteria of RECIST. The EpCAM CAR-T were produced by lentiviral transduction of the novel 2nd generation of CAR genes. Different cohorts of patients receive EpCAM CAR-T with a dose-escalating manner. This study is to find the largest dose of EpCAM CAR-T, to learn what the adverse effects are and to find out whether this experimental intervention might help patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, breast cancer and other EpCAM positive solid tumors.
In this study, the original tumor tissue specimen should be stained to determine the expression levels of EpCAM. Only the patients having tumor with high expression levels will be included. 50-100ml blood with be drawn to get enough CD3 T cells at least 2x10\^7. After separation, PBMC will be activated via antibodies of CD3 and CD28 and then transduced by lentivirus bearing the EpCAM CAR gene. Then the EpCAM CAR-T cells will proliferate up to 10-100 folds for infusion. The produced cells will be frozen or infused if available. Included patients will be preconditioned by cyclophosphamide for lymphodepletion if the levels of white blood cells and lymphocytes are normal. Infusion of T cells, at least 1 day after lymphodepletion, is dose escalating and beginning at the lowest level. If the first level is proven to be safe, the next level will be proceeded. Once severe side effects were observed, the dose will be lowered or the dose will be stopped. During infusion, patients will be taken care of by cardiogram monitor. Blood drawing will be taken before infusion, at 4h after infusion and on day 4, 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180 to determine the presence of CAR-T cells. At the same time, cytokines including IL-6, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma and C-reactive protein levels will be determined. Routine imaging studies will be proceeded. To see whether there are long-term side effects of this therapy, patients received CAR-T cells will be followed up to at least 15 years.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
30
Patients included will be infused the autologous T cells armed with CAR recognizing EpCAM. After infusion, cytokines and other medical test will be performed.
West China Hospital, Sichuan University
Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Number of participants with treatment-related adverse events/dose limiting toxicity as assessed by CTCAE v4.0
Determine the largest dose of EpCAM CAR-T cells for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, breast cancer and other tumors expressing EpCAM.
Time frame: 6 weeks after infusion
Response rate of participants treated with EpCAM CAR-T cells assessed by RECIST v1.1
Determine whether there is therapeutic efficacies of the safe dose infusion of EpCAM CAR-T cells for patients with solid tumors.
Time frame: 24 months after infusion of the CAR-T cells
Persistence of EpCAM CAR-T cells and correlation with the Response rate
Time frame: 24 months post CAR-T infusion
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