View clinical trials related to Melanoma.
Filter by:Background: The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surgery Branch has developed an experimental therapy for treating patients metastatic cancer that involves taking white blood cells from the patient, growing them in the laboratory in large numbers, genetically modifying these specific cells with a type of virus (retrovirus) to attack only the tumor cells, and then giving the cells back to the patient. This type of therapy is called gene transfer. In this protocol, we are modifying the patient s white blood cells with a retrovirus that has the gene for anti-vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR2) incorporated in the retrovirus. Objectives: - To determine a safe number of these cells to infuse and to see the safety and effectiveness of cell therapy using anti-VEGFR2 gene modified tumor white blood cells to treat recurrent or relapsed cancer. Eligibility: - Individuals greater than or equal to 18 years of age and less than or equal to 70 years of age who have been diagnosed with metastatic cancer that has not responded to or has relapsed after standard treatment. Design: - Work up stage: Patients will be seen as an outpatient at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical Center and undergo a history and physical examination, scans, x-rays, lab tests, and other tests as needed - Leukapheresis: If the patients meet all of the requirements for the study they will undergo leukapheresis to obtain white blood cells to make the anti-VEGFR2 cells. {Leukapheresis is a common procedure which removes only the white blood cells from the patient.} - Treatment: Once their cells have grown the patients will be admitted to the hospital for the conditioning chemotherapy, the anti-VEGFR2 cells and aldesleukin. They will stay in the hospital for about4 weeks for the treatment. - Follow up: Patients will return to the clinic for a physical exam, review of side effects, lab tests, and scans about every 1-3 months for the first year, and then every 6 months to 1 year as long as their tumors are shrinking. Follow up visits will take up to 2 days.
This randomized phase I/II trial studies the side effects and the best dose of RO4929097 (gamma-secretase/Notch signalling pathway inhibitor RO4929097) when given together with whole-brain radiation therapy or stereotactic radiosurgery and to see how well it works compared to whole-brain radiation therapy or stereotactic radiosurgery alone in treating patients with breast cancer or other cancers (such as lung cancer or melanoma) that have spread to the brain. RO4929097 may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Whole-brain radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays deliver radiation to the entire brain to treat tumors that can and cannot be seen. Stereotactic radiosurgery may be able to deliver x-rays directly to the tumor and cause less damage to normal tissue. It is not yet known whether giving RO4929097 together with whole-brain radiation therapy or stereotactic radiosurgery may kill more tumor cells.
Sunitinib is a novel small molecule receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor with direct antitumor effects as well as antiangiogenetic activity. Preclinical and clinical data for Sunitinib and data about angiogenesis and growth regulation in melanoma suggest the activity of Sunitinib in melanoma. This study will investigate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Sunitinib as palliative treatment in chemo-refractory metastatic melanoma.
Our proposed study is designed to test the safety of a new vaccine against melanoma. The induction of immune activity against cancers such as melanoma is a promising approach to cancer treatment, but to date, only a few clinically significant immune responses have been seen following vaccine therapy. This is an important problem, since there are very limited treatment options for patients with metastatic melanoma (melanoma that has spread to lymph nodes and organs). Studies suggest that monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that block inhibitory receptors on immune cells can enhance the immune responses against cancer, but the intravenous injection of such mAbs has caused severe side effects in animals and humans. In our laboratory, we have developed a method to deliver mAbs and other proteins that block such inhibitory receptors locally at the site where immune responses against melanoma proteins are stimulated by vaccination, enhancing anti-melanoma immunity while avoiding the side-effects associated with intravenous injection of these immune modulators. This is achieved by loading dendritic cells, a type of immune cell, with RNA that encodes the immune modulator. The RNA-loaded dendritic cells then make the immune modulatory proteins and release them locally. By mixing these dendritic cells with additional dendritic cells loaded with melanoma proteins, the immune modulators are released at the site where anti-melanoma immune cells are stimulated. In this phase I trial, subjects with metastatic melanoma will undergo the process of leukapheresis, in which white blood cells are removed from the body. Monocytes, a type of immune cell, will then be purified from the white blood cells and cultured under conditions that will change them into dendritic cells. Half of these dendritic cells are then loaded with melanoma antigen RNA, which will lead to the production of melanoma antigen proteins within the dendritic cells. The remaining half of the dendritic cells will be either untreated or loaded with RNA encoding immune modulators so that these dendritic cells will release immune modulators at the site of vaccination. These dendritic cells will be mixed with the melanoma antigen-loaded dendritic cells and injected as a vaccine into lymph nodes. Each subject will receive six weekly injections of their own dendritic cells. Safety and toxicity will be closely monitored. In addition, immune responses against melanoma, as well as clinical responses, will be assessed.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether therapy with MORAb-028 is safe, effective, and to determine the appropriate dose of MORAb-028 in the treatment of metastatic melanoma.
The goal of this clinical research is to learn if the combination of Genasense (oblimersen), carboplatin, and paclitaxel (GCP) can help to control metastatic uveal melanoma. The safety of this combination will also be studied.
Human cancers express tumor antigens that can be targeted by cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL). These antigens consist of a small peptide, derived from endogenous proteins, that is presented at the cancer cell's surface by an HLA class I molecule. Such antigenic peptides, including MAGE-3.A1 and NA17.A2, have been tested in experimental therapeutic vaccines to elicit CTL responses in cancer patients, mainly with metastatic melanoma. Up to now, only rare tumor responses have been observed. Tumor resistance to CTL killing is the most likely explanation for the poor effectiveness of cancer vaccines. This resistance is probably acquired by the tumor during its development and selected by its repetitive challenge with spontaneous anti-tumoral immune responses. The precise molecular mechanisms of tumor resistance remain unknown. The observation that tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) purified from melanoma metastases can recognize and kill autologous tumor cells in vitro, whilst they seem unable to control tumor growth in vivo, suggests that this resistance is hosted by the tumor environment, rather than being the result of a generalized immune suppression. The investigators have developed a murine model of cutaneous graft rejection that mimics the situation in melanoma. Female CBA mice do not reject syngeneic male skin grafts, even though they mount a spontaneous CTL response against H-Y, a male specific minor histocompatibility antigen, following grafting. The investigators have tested various experimental procedures aimed at inducing effective graft rejection in these mice. This was obtained with a combination of IFN-α, IL-2, GM-CSF, each administered separately under the skin graft, associated with topical applications of imiquimod. All these agents are available as registered drugs. Based on this murine model of cutaneous allograft rejection, the investigators postulate that local immunomodulation with this combination can trigger an effective tumor rejection process, and induce a more efficient and long-lasting anti-tumoral immune response following peptide vaccination.
The purpose of this study is to find out how often two investigational drugs that are given together will shrink the patient's tumor and how well they will prolong the time it takes their tumor to grow. The investigators also wish to find out how they affect certain substances in the patient's tumor and in their blood important for tumor growth. The combination of these drugs is experimental, and has not been proven to help treat melanoma
Background: - Aldesleukin (IL-2) is a drug that can help to shrink tumors in some patients with metastatic renal cancer and metastatic melanoma. It is possible that removing certain white blood cells (known as CD4 cells) before IL-2 treatment may improve the treatment effects. - Zanolimumab is an antibody that works by destroying CD4 cells in the blood. Researchers are interested in determining whether zanolimumab can improve the results of IL-2 treatment if it is given before, during, and after IL-2 treatment. In addition, further research with zanolimumab may provide more information on how IL-2 treatment causes tumors to stop growing or shrink. Objectives: - To evaluate the effectiveness of IL-2 treatment in conjunction with zanolimumab in individuals with metastatic cancer. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age who have been diagnosed with metastatic melanoma or metastatic kidney cancer. Design: - Eligible participants will be screened with a full physical examination and medical history, imaging studies, and blood samples, including leukapheresis, to remove a sample of white blood cells for testing purposes. Participants may also have a colonoscopy and biopsies if they have received previous treatments that have been known to cause colon damage. - Participants will be treated with zanolimumab and IL-2 treatment for 9 weeks. - Zanolimumab will be given on an outpatient basis during weeks 1 through 4, 6, 8, and 9. In weeks 5 and 7, participants will receive zanolimumab as an inpatient in addition to IL-2 therapy. - Inpatient IL-2 treatment will be given during weeks 5 and 7. Up to 15 doses of IL-2 treatment will be given over a maximum of 5 days, followed by inpatient recovery time. - During week 5, participants will have tumor imaging studies prior to receiving zanolimumab and IL-2 treatment. - About 2 weeks after the treatment period, participants will return to the clinical center for a 2-day evaluation with a physical examination, imaging studies, and blood samples. - Participants whose tumors have responded to treatment will be offered up to two additional courses of treatment, starting 6 to 8 weeks after the last IL-2 dose. Subsequent courses will be given exactly as described above in the initial course of treatment. Participants whose tumors do not respond to treatment will have follow-up evaluations as required by the study researchers.
The study is an investigation of a novel immunotherapy, SCIB1, for the treatment of melanoma. SCIB1 is a solution of plasmid DNA molecules which will express a modified antibody in human cells. The antibody modifications are designed to stimulate the patient's immune T cells to have a strong and specific reaction against melanoma cells which should then be eliminated. SCIB1 is injected into muscle using a device which simultaneously delivers an electrical impulse to enhance the transfer of SCIB1 into muscle cells. The trial will assess the safety and tolerability of SCIB1, the safety and performance of the injection device and the immunological effects of SCIB1. This is the first study of SCIB1 in humans and the trial has two parts, in the first part the dose will be escalated to determine a safe and tolerable level up to a maximum of 8 mg per dose. In the second part patients will receive the dose determined in the first part. Patients will have stage III or IV melanoma, be HLA type A2 and have a life expectancy of at least three months. All patients will receive 5 injections of SCIB1 over 5.5 months. At the discretion of the investigator, patients may continue to receive SCIB1 at 3-6 month intervals for 5 years. The study will be conducted at major cancer centres in the UK only and is expected to last for seven years. Patients will be followed up for five years after they have completed the trial.