A Dendritic Cell Vaccine in Combination with Cabozantinib for Altering the Immune System in Patients with Localized Clear Cell Renal Cell Cancer
This phase II trial evaluates the safety and effectiveness of an autologous dendritic cell type 1/peptide vaccine targeting tumor-associated blood vessel antigens given in combination with cabozantinib for altering the immune system in patients with clear cell renal cell (kidney) cancer that has not spread to other parts of the body (localized). An autologous dendritic cell vaccine is a vaccine made from a patient's own blood cells—specifically white blood cells called dendritic cells. A unit of the patient's blood is collected and the dendritic cells are then changed in the laboratory to create a personalized vaccine by exposing them to six proteins commonly found on tumor blood vessels. Upon administration, the altered dendritic cells are able to cause an immune response against these six proteins, which inhibits the growth of blood vessels that tumors need to grow and survive. Cabozantinib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It blocks multiple proteins that are often over-expressed on tumor cells, which may prevent tumor growth, as well as the growth of blood vessels that tumors need to grow and survive. Giving the autologous dendritic cell vaccine in combination with cabozantinib may cause changes in tumor blood vessels or the immune system, making it easier for immune cells to enter the tumor and/or attack the tumor's blood supply.
Inclusion Criteria
- Histologically proven clear cell renal cancer that is non-metastatic and amenable to surgical resection with no evidence of metastatic disease or lesions outside of the kidney
- 18 years or older (male or female) with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1
- Have serotype HLA-A2+ if receiving vaccine
- Capable of understanding and complying with the protocol requirements and have signed the informed consent document
- Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1500/uL without granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support (within 14 days before first dose of study treatment)
- White blood cell count ≥ 2500/uL (within 14 days before first dose of study treatment)
- Platelets ≥ 100,000/uL without transfusion (within 14 days before first dose of study treatment)
- Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL (≥ 90 g/L) (within 14 days before first dose of study treatment)
- Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) ≤ 3 x upper limit of normal (ULN). ALP ≤ 5 x ULN with documented bone metastases (within 14 days before first dose of study treatment)
- Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN (for subjects with Gilbert’s disease ≤ 3 x ULN) (within 14 days before first dose of study treatment)
- Serum albumin ≥ 2.8 g/dl (within 14 days before first dose of study treatment)
- (Prothrombin time [PT])/international normalized ratio (INR) or partial thromboplastin time (PTT) test < 1.3 x the laboratory ULN (within 14 days before first dose of study treatment)
- Serum creatinine ≤ 2.0 ULN or calculated creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min (≥ 0.5 mL/sec) using the Cockcroft-Gault equation (within 14 days before first dose of study treatment)
- Urine protein/creatinine ratio (UPCR) ≤ 1 mg/mg (≤ 113.2 mg/mmol), or 24-hour (h) urine protein ≤ 1 (within 14 days before first dose of study treatment)
- Sexually active fertile subjects and their partners must agree to use medically accepted methods of contraception (e.g., barrier methods, including male condom, female condom, or diaphragm with spermicidal gel) during the course of the study and for 4 months after the last dose of study treatment
- Female subjects of childbearing potential must not be pregnant at screening. Female subjects are considered to be of childbearing potential unless one of the following criteria are met: documented permanent sterilization (hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy, or bilateral oophorectomy) or documented postmenopausal status (defined as 12 months of amenorrhea in a woman > 45 years-of-age in the absence of other biological or physiological causes. In addition, females < 55 years-of-age must have a serum follicle stimulating [FSH] level > 40 mIU/mL to confirm menopause). Note: Documentation may include review of medical records, medical examinations, or medical history interview by study site
Exclusion Criteria
- Current (within the preceding 6 weeks) treatment with systemic immunosuppressive agents including steroids except when they are administered as replacement therapy for endocrine dysfunction and do not exceed 10 mg prednisone or equivalent daily
- Known or suspected metastatic disease
- Active hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection or any other active infection requiring intravenous therapy
- Blood transfusion within two weeks prior to leukapheresis
- Prior treatment with cabozantinib
- Receipt of any type of small molecule kinase inhibitor (including investigational kinase inhibitor) within two weeks before first dose of study treatment
- Receipt of any type of cytotoxic, biologic or other systemic anticancer therapy (including investigational) within four weeks before first dose of study treatment
- Radiation therapy for bone metastasis within 2 weeks or any other radiation therapy within 4 weeks before first dose of study treatment. Systemic treatment with radionuclides within 6 weeks before first dose of study treatment. Subjects with clinically relevant ongoing complications from prior radiation therapy are not eligible
- Concomitant anticoagulation with coumarin agents (e.g., warfarin), direct thrombin inhibitors (e.g., dabigatran), direct factor Xa inhibitor betrixaban, or platelet inhibitors (e.g., clopidogrel). Allowed anticoagulants are the following: * Prophylactic use of low-dose aspirin for cardio-protection (per local applicable guidelines) and low-dose low molecular weight heparins (LMWH). * Therapeutic doses of LMWH or anticoagulation with direct factor Xa inhibitors rivaroxaban, edoxaban, or apixaban in subjects without known brain metastases who are on a stable dose of the anticoagulant for at least 1 week before first dose of study treatment without clinically significant hemorrhagic complications from the anticoagulation regimen or the tumor
- Prothrombin time (PT/INR) or partial thromboplastin time (PTT) test ≥ 1.3 X the laboratory ULN within 7 days before the first dose of study treatment
- The subject has uncontrolled, significant intercurrent or recent illness including, but not limited to, the following conditions: * Cardiovascular disorders: ** Congestive heart failure New York Heart Association class 3 or 4, unstable angina pectoris, serious cardiac arrhythmias ** Uncontrolled hypertension defined as sustained blood pressure (BP) > 140 mm Hg systolic or > 90 mm Hg diastolic despite optimal antihypertensive treatment ** Stroke (including transient ischemic attack [TIA]), myocardial infarction (MI), or other ischemic event, or thromboembolic event (e.g., deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism) within 6 months before first dose of study treatment *** Subjects with a diagnosis of incidental, subsegmental pulmonary embolism (PE) or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) within 6 months are allowed if stable, asymptomatic, and treated with a stable dose of permitted anticoagulation (see exclusion criterion #6) for at least 1 week before first dose of study treatment * Gastrointestinal disorders: ** The subject has evidence of tumor invading the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, active peptic ulcer disease, inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn’s disease), diverticulitis, cholecystitis, symptomatic cholangitis or appendicitis, acute pancreatitis, acute obstruction of the pancreatic duct or common bile duct, or gastric outlet obstruction ** Abdominal fistula, GI perforation, bowel obstruction, or intra-abdominal abscess within 6 months before first dose of study treatment ** Note: Complete healing of an intra-abdominal abscess must be confirmed before first dose of study treatment
- Clinically significant hematuria, hematemesis, or hemoptysis of > 0.5 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of red blood, or other history of significant bleeding (e.g., pulmonary hemorrhage) within 12 weeks before first dose of study treatment
- Cavitating pulmonary lesion(s) or known endotracheal or endobronchial disease manifestation
- Lesions invading or encasing any major blood vessels
- Other clinically significant disorders that would preclude safe study participation * Serious non-healing wound/ulcer/bone fracture * Uncompensated/symptomatic hypothyroidism * Moderate to severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh B or C)
- Major surgery (e.g., laparoscopic nephrectomy, GI surgery, removal or biopsy of brain metastasis) within 2 weeks before first dose of study treatment. Minor surgeries within 10 days before first dose of study treatment. Subjects must have complete wound healing from major surgery or minor surgery before first dose of study treatment. Subjects with clinically relevant ongoing complications from prior surgery are not eligible
- Corrected QT interval calculated by the Fridericia formula (QTcF) > 500 ms per electrocardiogram (ECG) within 14 days before first dose of study treatment * Note: If a single ECG shows a QTcF with an absolute value > 500 ms, two additional ECGs at intervals of approximately 3 minutes (min) must be performed within 30 min after the initial ECG, and the average of these three consecutive results for QTcF will be used to determine eligibility
- Pregnant or lactating females
- Inability to swallow tablets
- Previously identified allergy or hypersensitivity to components of the study treatment formulations
- Any other active malignancy at time of first dose of study treatment or diagnosis of another malignancy within 3 years prior to first dose of study treatment that requires active treatment, except for locally curable cancers that have been apparently cured, such as basal or squamous cell skin cancer, superficial bladder cancer, or carcinoma in situ of the prostate, cervix, or breast
- Any other conditions considered as unacceptable risk by the treating physician
Additional locations may be listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for NCT05127824.
Locations matching your search criteria
United States
Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
I. To estimate the probability of immune response for the combination treatment of an autologous dendritic cell type 1 (DC1)/peptide vaccine targeting tumor-associated blood vessel antigens with concomitant oral cabozantinib S-malate (cabozantinib).
II. Characterize the safety profile of interventional therapy.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVE:
I. To assess the effect of treatment on markers of vascular normalization in pre-treatment biopsies and treated tumors.
TERTIARY/EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES:
I. To assess the impact of treatment on formation of tertiary lymphoid structures in pre-treatment biopsies and treated tumors.
II. To assess peripheral blood CD8+ T cells longitudinally for reactivity against alternate peptide epitopes of DLK1, EphA2, HBB, NRP1, RGS5, TEM1 (as an index of intramolecular epitope spreading) or against non-vaccine-related tumor blood vessel antigen (TBVA) (i.e. PDGFR, VEGFR1, VEGFR2), renal cell carcinoma (RCC)-associated antigens (CAIX, c-MET, NY-ESO-1), as an index of intermolecular epitope spreading.
III. To assess immune cell composition and “fitness” within versus (vs.) outside of tumor-associated tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS).
IV. To assess T cell receptor A/B (TCRA/B) repertoire evenness (oligoclonality), convergence (antigenic focus) and compartmentalization (tumor vs. blood) in patients at baseline vs. on treatment.
V. To transcriptionally profile laser capture microdissection (LCM)-isolated TLS versus non-TLS associated cells.
VI. To measure the impact of patient sex on T-cell specific reactivity, vascular normalization (VN) and TLS formation.
VII. To assess further indicators of VN.
OUTLINE: Patients who are HLA-A2+ are assigned to the safety lead-in arm or arm I and patients who are HLA-A2- are assigned to arm II.
SAFETY LEAD-IN (HLA-A2+): Patients undergo leukapheresis over 90-120 minutes for collection of dendritic cells. Patients receive 2 DLK1/EPHA2/HBB/NRP1/RGS5/TEM1 peptide-pulsed alpha-type-1 polarized dendritic cell vaccines intradermally (ID) at least 14 days apart. Patients then undergo standard of care (SOC) resection at least 6 days after their second vaccination. Patients also undergo core biopsy at screening and collection of blood samples throughout the trial.
ARM I (HLA-A2+): Patients undergo leukapheresis over 90-120 minutes between day -7 and -1 for collection of dendritic cells. Patients receive cabozantinib orally (PO) once daily (QD) on days 1-10 and receive the DLK1/EPHA2/HBB/NRP1/RGS5/TEM1 peptide-pulsed alpha-type-1 polarized dendritic cell vaccine ID on days 7 and 21. Patients then undergo SOC resection between days 31 and 38. Patients also undergo core biopsy at screening and collection of blood samples throughout the trial.
ARM II (HLA-A2-): Patients undergo SOC resection. Patients also undergo collection of blood samples at screening.
After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up 14-18 days post-operatively.
Trial PhasePhase II
Trial Typetreatment
Lead OrganizationUniversity of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI)
Principal InvestigatorJodi Kathleen Maranchie
- Primary IDHCC 19-126
- Secondary IDsNCI-2023-09280
- ClinicalTrials.gov IDNCT05127824