CAR-DC Vaccine and ICIs in Local Advanced/Metastatic Solid Tumors

Solid Tumor, Adult Clinical Trial

Official title:

A Pilot Clinical Trial of Autologous EphA-2-Targeting Chimeric Antigen Receptor Dendritic Cell Vaccine Loaded With KRAS Mutant Peptide in Combination With Anti-PD-1 Antibody/Anti-CTLA4 Antibody for Local Advanced/Metastatic Solid Tumors.

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05631899
• Other study ID #: CHN-PLAGH-BT-074
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 1
• Start date: April 3, 2023
• Est. completion date: December 30, 2026

Study information

• Verified date: February 2024
• Source: Chinese PLA General Hospital
• Contact: Weidong Han, Ph.D
• Phone: 010-66937231
• Email: hanwdrsw[@]sina.com
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This is a pilot clinical trial for subjects with local advanced/metastatic solid tumors to determine the safety, efficacy and immune response of autologous EphA2-targeting CAR-DC vaccine loaded with KRAS mutant peptide (KRAS-EphA-2-CAR-DC) in combination with ICIs. It aims to: assess the safety and antitumor effects of KRAS-EphA-2-CAR-DC vaccine; detect T cell response against KRAS mutant peptide and tumor neoepitopes after the treatment with KRAS-EphA-2-CAR-DC vaccine and ICIs.

Description:

Therapeutic cancer vaccines, especially DC-based vaccines, are extensively pursued immune approaches in addition to immune checkpoint blockade antibodies and chimeric antigen receptor T cells. DCs can engulf, process and present tumor antigens to T cells, thereby initiating a potent and tumor-specific immune response. However, clinical outcomes of therapeutic cancer vaccines still remain poor, with objective response rates that rarely exceed ~15%. The maturation and activation of DCs are necessary steps to trigger the antitumor responses. However, it is increasingly clear that tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells (TIDCs) usually have an immature or tolerated phenotype that plays central roles in developing tumor microenvironment (TME). As a consequence, malfunction of TIDCs could suppress the infiltration and function of tumor infiltrating T cells and convert them into immune suppressive regulatory T cells.

In our previous research, we constructed novel CAR-DCs (Chimeric antigen receptor engineered dendritic cells) containing a scFv domain targeting EphA2 antigen, CD8a transmembrane, tandem DC-specific activation domains. The engineered CAR-DCs were activated when contacting with tumor targets in TME, and consequently, augmented the cytotoxicity of antigen specific T cells in immune system humanized solid tumor mouse models. Our design of CAR-DCs provides an effective vaccine strategy for solid tumors. Therefore, we designed an autologous CAR-DC vaccine engineered with anti-EphA2 CAR and KRAS mutant peptide (KRAS-EphA-2-CAR-DC) , which can suppress the growth of tumors expressing the correlated KRAS mutant in animal models. In addition, the combination of the immune checkpoint inhibitors could further reverse immunosuppressive TME and globally activate T cell responses. In this pilot study, we aim to assess the safety, efficacy and immune response of KRAS-EphA-2-CAR-DC combined with anti-PD-1 antibody/anti-CTLA4 antibody in patients with local advanced/metastatic solid tumors.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 15
• Est. completion date: December 30, 2026
• Est. primary completion date: December 30, 2025
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 75 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age 18-75 (inclusive).

2. ECOG performance status =2 and Estimated life expectancy of more than 3 months.

3. Local advanced/metastatic solid tumors confirmed by histopathology or cytology with documentation of tumor EphA2 positive (=20%) and KRAS mutation (G12V or G12D or G12C) within 6 months prior to screening. The second malignancy is allowed.

4. No clinical response to standard frontline therapy, or no standard therapy exists. Patients who have declined standard therapy or have no access to standard therapy may be enrolled and the reasons for lack of access need to be documented. Previous treatment with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies or anti-CTLA4 antibody are allowed, regardless of the level of PD-1/PD-L1 expression, dMMR and TMB.

5. At least one measurable lesion at baseline per RECIST version 1.1.

6. Adequate organ function as defined by the following criteria: ANC =1000 cells/µL; Platelet count =80,000/µL; Hemoglobin =8.0 g/dL; Serum AST and serum ALT, =3.0 x ULN (=5 x ULN for patients with liver metastases); Total serum bilirubin =3.0 x ULN); Serum creatinine =2 x ULN or creatinine clearance of =45 mL/min.

7. Willing to undergo either excised or large-needle lymph node or tissue biopsy, or provide formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue block or freshly cut unstained slides.

8. Willing to complete all scheduled visits and assessments at the institution administering therapy.

9. Able to read, understand and provide written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Having KRAS (G12V or G12D or G12C) germline mutation.

2. Active central nervous system disease involvement (but allow patients with prior brain metastases treated at least 4 weeks prior to enrollment that are clinically stable and do not require intervention), or prior history of NCI CTCAE Grade =3 drug-related CNS toxicity.

3. Prior organ allograft transplantations or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

4. Evidence of active uncontrolled viral, bacterial, or systemic fungal infection.

5. Known positive test result for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

6. Active infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV), or hepatitis C virus (HCV).

7. Patients with history (within the last 5 years) or risk of autoimmune disease who have immunosuppressive medications or immunosuppressive doses of systemic corticosteroids (>10 mg/day prednisone or equivalent) within 28 days prior to enrollment. However, patients who received a short course of corticosteroids (eg, premedication prior to antibody drug) will be eligible for study entry.

8. Major trauma or major surgery within 4 weeks prior to enrollment.

9. Previous treatment involving KRAS mutant (G12V or G12D or G12C) and EphA2.

10. Systemic chemotherapy and other intervene within 2 weeks prior to vaccination.

11. Being participating or withdrew any other trials within 4 weeks.

12. Any serious underlying medical (eg, pulmonary, renal, hepatic, gastrointestinal, or neurological) or psychiatric condition or any issue that would limit compliance with study requirements.

13. Vaccination within 30 days of study enrollment.

14. Pregnant, lactating, or breastfeeding females.

15. Researchers believe that other reasons are not suitable for clinical trials.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• KRAS G12D
• Neoplasms
• Solid Tumor, Adult

Intervention

Biological:
• KRAS-EphA-2-CAR-DC
5~10 × 10^6 CAR-DCs per dose will be administered by intravenous injection.

Drug:
• Abraxane
Intravenous abraxane 125 mg/m^2/day on day-5.
• Cyclophosphamide
Intravenous cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m^2/day on day -4.
• Anti-PD-1 antibody
Intravenous anti-PD-1 antibody 200 mg/day.
• Anti-CTLA4 Monoclonal Antibody
Intravenous anti-CTLA4 antibody 1 mg/kg/day

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
China	Biotherapeutic Department of Chinsese PLA Gereral Hospital	Beijing	Beijing

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Chinese PLA General Hospital	Zhejiang University

Country where clinical trial is conducted

China, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Incidence of treatment related adverse events (AEs)	Determining the safety profile following the initiation of treatment and grading these toxicities by CTCAE v5.0. AEs such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) were graded according to American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) criteria.	2 years
Primary	Clinical Response	Clinical Response will be determined by imRECIST criteria. Response rate is the proportion of patients that achieve CR or PR.	2 years
Primary	Immune Response	Immune response will be evaluated by phenotype and functional analysis of vaccine-reactive T cells and Neoantigen-reactive T cells as well as other immune cells in peripheral blood and tumor samples. Response is defined by =3 folds increase relative to pre-vaccination.	Peripheral blood: baseline, weekly before Week 9, prior to each vaccination after Week 9 until last vaccination and 1 year after last vaccine. Tumor tissue: baseline, Week 3, and following timing will be performed according to subject's condition.
Secondary	Progression Free Survival (PFS)	PFS is defined as the time from KRAS-EphA-2-CAR-DCs infusion to documented disease progression or death.	2 years
Secondary	Overall Survival (OS)	OS is defined as the time from KRAS-EphA-2-CAR-DCs infusion to the date of death.	2 years
Secondary	Time to response (TTR)	TTR is defined as the time from KRAS-EphA-2-CAR-DCs infusion to first assessed CR or PR by investigators and based on the iRECIST criteria.	2 years
Secondary	Duration of response (DOR)	DOR is defined as the time from objective response (OR) until documented tumor progression date among responders.	2 years
Secondary	Number and copy number of KRAS-EphA-2-CAR-DCs	Number and copy number of KRAS-EphA-2-CAR-DCs were assessed by number in peripheral blood and tumor tissue.	Peripheral blood samples are collected on days 0, 3, 7, 10, 22, the day before each vaccination until last vaccination and 1 year after last vaccine. Tumor tissues are collected at baseline, the day before Week 5, and after combination.
Secondary	The level of cytokines in serum	The cytokines mainly include IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12 (p70), TNF-a	Peripheral blood samples are collected on days 0, 3, 7, 10, 22, the days before each vaccination until last vaccination and 1 year after last vaccine. Tumor tissues are collected at baseline, the day before Week 5, and after combination.