Spots Global Cancer Trial Database for Ovarian Dendritic Cell Vaccine Trial

Study Description

Brief Summary: The purpose of this study is to determine if a dendritic cell vaccine made with autologous tumor lysate or for patients who are HLA-A2 with peptides of MUC1 and WT1 therapy will produce remissions in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. This research is being done because we want to find new therapies for treatment of relapsed or refractory (resistant to ordinary treatment) ovarian cancer. The use of vaccine therapy is research. A new experimental approach for treating refractory or relapsed ovarian cancer involves using the patients own immune system to kill the cancer cells. These immune cells are called monocytes and are harvested from blood. The process of Leukapheresis collects the monocytes called Dendritic Cells. This is usually a 3 hour process done in the comfort of a hospital bed in the apheresis lab, similar to giving blood for donation. Approximately 300cc's are collected during this process, the equivalent of about 10 ounces of blood. Once these dendritic cells are collected - a special laboratory grows and processes them into a vaccine using a patient's own tumor cells or for those with a specific HLA type (HLA-A2) with tumor peptides. This preparation is then given back to the patient hopefully to stimulate the immune system to kill cancer cells. This type of treatment is considered biological research.

Detailed Description: Patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma who have failed initial curative chemotherapy attempts will be evaluated at the time of relapse for tumor debulking surgery prior to the initiation of salvage chemotherapy. If appropriate, samples will be collected for tumor lysate preparation for vaccination as per the existing Loyola protocol. Lysates may also be produced by the collection of malignant effusions as performed for palliation of symptoms. Patients will then receive palliative chemotherapy to a maximum tumor cytoreduction. Patients from whom sufficient tumor cells have been collected for DC-based vaccine production will undergo a leukapheresis for DC cell production. Once completed, these patients will receive a DC vaccination with 1 x 106 tumor lysate and KLH-loaded immature DCs into inguinal nodes identified by ultrasound guidance for a total of three injections at two week intervals; or for those who are HLA-A2 restricted with pharmaceutical grade MUC1 and WT1 tumor peptides.

Keywords

Eligibility

Minimum Age: 18 Years

Eligible Ages: ADULT, OLDER_ADULT

Sex: FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers: No

Locations

Contact Details

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