Vaccination With Dendritic Cells Loaded With Brain Tumor Stem Cells for Progressive Malignant Brain Tumor
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2012-06-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
This is a single center Phase I study to determine the safety and maximum tolerated dose
(MTD) of autologous dendritic cells (DCs) loaded with allogeneic brain tumor stem cells
administered as a vaccination in children and adults with recurrent brain tumors. Once the
MTD has been determined, we will conduct a phase II study to determine efficacy.
Clinical trials that utilize DCs for immunotherapy have demonstrated significant survival
benefit for patients who exhibit robust immune responses against tumor cells. Unfortunately,
at the present time the majority of tumor patients are unable to mount an adequate immune
response and thus succumb to their tumors. We postulate that the inability to generate an
appropriate immune response in these patients is due to a lack of sufficient numbers of
appropriate T cells due to an inadequate source of tumor antigens.