Phase II Study of Short-Term Cultured Anti-Tumor Autologous Lymphocytes After Lymphocyte-Depleting Chemotherapy in Metastatic Melanoma

Background:

• Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) can mediate the regression of bulky metastatic melanoma when administered to an autologous patient with high dose (HD) IL-2 following a non-myeloablative (NMA) but lymphodepleting chemotherapy preparative regimen.
• Clinical investigations and preclinical animal models have demonstrated that less time in culture, longer telomeres, and a less differentiated lymphocyte phenotype are associated with TIL that are capable of mediating objective clinical responses and persisting long term in the host.
• Previous methods for generating TIL require screening for anti-tumor specificity using gamma-interferon (IFN) production by the TIL. However, in vitro screening depends on autologous tumor reagents that are often unavailable; and gamma-IFN release in vitro may not be the best correlate to in vivo efficacy. Additionally, this method necessitates long in vitro culture times (44 days), and therefore reduces the clonal heterogeneity of TIL cultures, and results in TIL cultures with shorter telomere lengths and phenotypes that are skewed toward a more differentiated phenotype.
• In Surgery Branch pre-clinical experiments, we evaluated a method for rapidly generating young TIL from melanoma tumors with optimal phenotypic characteristics.

Objectives:

• In cohort 1, to determine the ability of autologous TIL cells infused after minimal in vitro culture in conjunction with high dose aldesleukin (IL-2) following a non-myeloablative lymphodepleting preparative regimen to mediate tumor regression in patients with metastatic melanoma.
• In cohort 2, to determine the ability of autologous cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4+) cell depleted TIL cells infused after minimal in vitro culture in conjunction with high dose aldesleukin (IL-2) following a non-myeloablative lymphodepleting preparative regimen to mediate tumor regression in patients with metastatic melanoma.
• In cohort 3, to determine the ability of autologous CD4+ cell depleted TIL cells infused after minimal in vitro culture in conjunction with high dose aldesleukin following chemoradiation lymphoid depleting regimen to mediate complete tumor regression in patients with metastatic melanoma.
• In a prospective randomized fashion, to compare the ability of autologous TIL cells (cohort 4) and autologous CD4plus cell depleted TIL cells (cohort regimen, to mediate tumor regression, progression free survival, and overall survival in patients with metastatic melanoma.
• Evaluate the toxicity of these treatment regimens.
• Determine the rate of repopulation of the young TIL cells in treated patients and establish in vitro correlates of TIL cultures that mediate objective response and in vivo persistence.

Eligibility:

Patients who 18 years of age or older must have:

• Metastatic melanoma;
• Normal values for basic laboratory values.

Patients may not have:

• Received prior cell transfer therapy that included non-myeloablative or ablative chemotherapy;
• Concurrent major medical illnesses;
• Any form of immunodeficiency;
• Severe hypersensitivity to any of the agents used in this study;
• Contraindications for high dose IL-2 administration.

Design:

• Patients will undergo resection to obtain tumor for generation of autologous TIL cultures.
• Cohort 1:
• All patients will receive a non-myeloablative lymphocyte depleting preparative regimen of cyclophosphamide (60 mg/kg/day IV) on days -7 and -6 and fludarabine (25 mg/m^2/day IV) on days -5 through -1.
• On day 0 patients will receive the infusion of autologous TIL and then begin high-dose aldesleukin (720,000 IU/kg IV every 8 hours for up to 15 doses).
• Clinical and Immunologic response will be evaluated about 4-6 weeks after TIL infusion.
• Using a small optimal two-stage Phase II design, initially 21 patients will be enrolled, and if two or more of the first 21 patients has a clinical response (partial response (PR) or complete response (CR)), accrual will continue to 41 patients, targeting a 20% goal for objective response. Cohort 1 will be closed with amendment D.
• Cohort 2 will be initiated with amendment D whereby CD4+ cells will be eliminated from the cultures, using the Miltenyi Clinimacs apparatus, prior to performing the rapid expansion of the young TIL cells. Patients in cohort 2 will receive CD4+ cell depleted young unselected TIL. Patients will also receive high dose IL-2 after non-myeloablative but lymphodepleting chemotherapy preparative regimen as described above for cohort 1. Clinical and immunologic response will be evaluated about 4-6 weeks after TIL infusion. Using a small optimal two-stage Phase II design, initially 18 patients will be enrolled, and if three or more of the first 18 patients have a clinical response (PR or CR), accrual will continue to 35 patients, targeting a 30% goal for objective response. With the initiation of Cohort 3 with amendment H, patients will only be accrued to Cohort 2 if they are not eligible to receive 600 cGy due to prior radiation, or to inability to mobilize cluster of differentiation 34 (CD34+) cells. Also at this time, accrual will be expanded to a total of 50 patients in cohort 2. Cohort 2 will be closed with amendment K.
• Cohort 3 will be initiated with amendment H, whereby patients will receive a chemoradiation lymphocyte depleting preparative regimen consisting of cyclophosphamide, fludarabine, and 600 cGy total body irradiation followed by intravenous infusion of autologous CD4+ cell depleted young TIL plus IV high dose IL-2. Clinical and immunologic response will be evaluated about 4-6 weeks after TIL infusion. Using a small optimal two-stage Phase II design, initially 26 patients will be enrolled, and if one or more of the first 26 patients have a complete response (CR), accrual will continue to 51 patients, targeting a 10% goal for complete response. Cohort 3 will be closed with amendment K.

Prospective randomization between cohorts 4 and 5:

• Cohort 4:
• All patients will receive a non-myeloablative lymphocyte depleting preparative regimen of cyclophosphamide (60 mg/kg/day IV) on days -7 and -6 and fludarabine (25 mg/m^2/day IV) on days -5 through -1.
• On day 0 patients will receive the infusion of autologous TIL and then begin high-dose aldesleukin (720,000 IU/kg IV every 8 hours for up to 15 doses).
• Clinical and immunologic response will be evaluated about 4-6 weeks after TIL infusion.
• Cohort 5
• All patients will receive a non-myeloablative lymphocyte depleting preparative regimen of cyclophosphamide (60 mg/kg/day IV) on days -7 and -6 and fludarabine (25 mg/m^2/day IV) on days -5 through -1.
• On day 0 patients will receive the infusion of autologous CD4+ depleted TIL and then begin high-dose aldesleukin (720,000 IU/kg IV every 8 hours for up to 15 doses).
• Clinical and immunologic response will be evaluated about 4-6 weeks after TIL infusion.