Oncology (Medical)

Below are current clinical trials.

Filter this list of studies by location, status and more.

1. Innovative CAR-TIL immunotherapy against melanoma

   Jacksonville, Fla.

   The chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a revolutionary cellular immunotherapy strategy that has transformed the treatment of B cell malignancies by engineering T cells to recognize B cell specific tumor markers; however, attempts to treat solid tumors with CAR T-cells have identified unique challenges that have rendered CAR T cells less effective against these tumors. Conventional CARs are designed to target tumor-associated antigens, but antigenic heterogeneity and the variable nature of surface antigen expression provide escape mechanisms for solid tumors from CAR T-cell attack. [1, 2] The solid tumor stroma acts as an immunosuppressive cloud that impedes the homing of peripheral CAR T-cells into the tumor microenvironment (TME). The hostile TME can also drive CAR T-cells to functional exhaustion and metabolic dysfunction, thus blunting the therapeutic efficacy of CAR T-cells.[3] Oncolytic viruses or radiation that generate local inflammation in the TME have been shown to promote T cell homing and infiltration [4] but do not address the exhaustion of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). The PD-1/PD-L1 cascade allows tumors to evade the immune system by suppressing T cell function within the TME. [5, 6] An ideal adoptive cellular therapy must possess the ability to not only return to the site of the tumor but must also retain cytotoxic potential after a recognition event. We present here a CAR design that allows PD-1 to recognize PD-L1 on the tumor; however, the intracellular CAR design is one that results in T cell activation as opposed to inhibition. We hypothesize that targeting melanoma with a PD-1 (MC9324) CAR TIL therapy would capitalize on the tumor homing machinery of the TIL to drive the CAR TIL to the tumor where engagement of the PD-1 domain of the CAR with PD-L1 on the tumor cell would result in T cell cytotoxic killing.

2. A Study to Evaluate Bleomycin, Carboplatin, Etoposide, or Cisplatin in Treating Pediatric and Adult Patients with Germ Cell Tumors

   Rochester, Minn.

   The purpose of this study is to evaluate how well bleomycin, carboplatin, etoposide, or cisplatin work in treating pediatric and adult patients with germ cell tumors. Active surveillance may help doctors to monitor subjects with low risk germ cell tumors after their tumor is removed. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as bleomycin, carboplatin, etoposide, and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading.

3. A Study of a New Way to Treat Children and Young Adults With a Brain Tumor Called NGGCT

   Rochester, Minn.

   The purpose of this study is to monitor outcome to ensure that children and young adults with localized central nervous system (CNS) non-germinomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCT) treated with Induction chemotherapy followed by response evaluation and whole ventricular + spinal canal irradiation (WVSCI) will maintain the excellent 2-year progression free survival (PFS) rate as compared to ACNS0122. Also, to improve disease control by decreasing the number of spinal relapses for patients who achieve a complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) and receive WVSCI as compared to whole ventricular radiation on ACNS1123.

4. Long-Term Follow-Up of Patients Who Have Participated in Children's Oncology Group Studies

   Rochester, Minn.

   This clinical trial is studying long-term follow-up in patients who are or have participated in Children's Oncology Group studies. Developing a way to track patients enrolled in Children's Oncology Group studies will help doctors gather long-term follow-up information and may help the study of cancer in the future.

5. A Study to Assess Cisplatin and Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Children and Young Adults with Hepatoblastoma or Liver Cancer After Surgery

   Rochester, Minn.

   The purpose of this study is to determine how well cisplatin and combination chemotherapy works in treating children and young adults with hepatoblastoma or liver cancer after surgery. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, doxorubicin, fluorouracil, vincristine sulfate, carboplatin, etoposide, irinotecan, sorafenib, gemcitabine and oxaliplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving combination chemotherapy after surgery may kill more tumor cells.

6. ALPN-202 With PD-1 Inhibition in Advanced Malignancies

   Rochester, Minn., Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz., Jacksonville, Fla.

   The purpose of this study is to evaluate ALPN-202 with PD-1 inhibition to treat adults with advanced solid tumors or lymphoma.

7. A Study to Assess Dynamic Changes in Plasma Proteome to Identify Early Detection and Treatment Response Biomarkers for HGSOC

   Rochester, Minn.

   This study aims to identify candidate High Grade Serous Cancer (HGSC) early detection and chemotherapy treatment response biomarkers.  For the purpose of this study we define high grade serous cancers to include invasive cancers arising in the ovary and/or fallopian tubes (FT).  Using mass spectrometry we will deeply profile and quantitate dynamic changes in the plasma proteome and N-gylcocapture sub-proteome that occur as a consequence of surgical debulking and platinum-based chemotherapy.  

8. A Study to Evaluate Personalized Molecular Marker and Immunoprofiling to Transform Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment

   Jacksonville, Fla.

   The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether profiling aggressive tumors for molecular alterations, together with drug testing in patient-derived 3D models, can provide crucial information for the identification of specific therapeutic targets. Additionally, immunoprofiling of microcancer model systems is crucially necessary data to enable prediction of immunotherapeutic efficacy. We postulate that our innovative approach will establish much needed immune microenvironment information and facilitate the identification of specific sensitivity profiles and biomarker signatures that correlate response to targeted agents (or combinations) with particular tumor profiles.

9. A Study to See if the Depth of Tumor Invasion of Esophageal Carcinoma Predicts Lymph Node Involvement and Cancer Free Survival

   Rochester, Minn.

   The purpose of this study is to see if different depths of submucosal tumor invasion in esophageal cancer can predict lymph node involvement and survival.

10. Testing the Addition of Duvelisib or CC-486 to the Usual Treatment for Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma

    Rochester, Minn.

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of duvelisib or CC-486 and usual chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, etoposide, and prednisone in treating patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Duvelisib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Chemotherapy drugs, such as CC-486, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, etoposide and prednisone, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. This trial may help find out if this approach is better or worse than the usual approach for treating peripheral T-cell lymphoma.