RATIONALE: Studying samples of body fluid and blood from patients who have been exposed to asbestos or vermiculite in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about changes that may occur in DNA and identify biomarkers related to cancer.

PURPOSE: This laboratory study is looking for biomarkers to detect mesothelioma early in patients exposed to asbestos or vermiculite

Read More »

Purpose: The goal of this protocol is to determine the prevalence of somatic and germline mutations in BAP1 (BRCA associated protein-1) among patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), choroidal nevus, primary uveal melanoma (UM), or metastatic UM seen at our institution.

Read More »

Purpose: MPM patients not eligible for surgical procedures like decortication or pleuro-pneumectomy have a median survival of 12 months with palliative chemotherapy. Therefore, new therapeutic approaches are of crucial need in this clinical situation. This is a phase I trial for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma with pleural effusion testing the safety of a fixed single dose of 1x10e6 adoptively transferred FAP-specific re-directed T cells given directly in the pleural effusion. Lymphocytes will be taken 21 days before transfer from peripheral blood. CD8 positive T cells will be isolated and re-programmed by retroviral transfer of a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) recognizing FAP which serves as target structure in MPM.

Read More »

Purpose: HSV1716, an oncolytic virus, is a mutant herpes simplex virus (HSV) type I, deleted in the RL1 gene which encodes the protein ICP34.5.

Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive, asbestos-related tumour of the pleural and peritoneal cavities. It is a rare cancer which occurs in individuals who have been exposed to asbestos, although it typically occurs decades after exposure (10-40 years later). Malignant pleural mesothelioma forms plaques that are distributed on the surface of the pleural space in the lung. Approximately 30% of patients require an indwelling pleural catheter for drainage of pleural effusions. In this patient group, the indwelling catheter may be used to facilitate loco-regional delivery of HSV1716 to the pleural space.

This study seeks to evaluate the safety and biological effects of single and multiple administrations of HSV1716 in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Read More »

Purpose: This clinical trial will evaluate the safety and immune response of the sequential administration cancer vaccine CRS-207 followed by standard of care chemotherapy (pemetrexed and cisplatin). CRS-207 is a weakened (attenuated) form of Listeria monocytogenes that has been genetically-modified to reduce its capacity to cause disease, while maintaining its ability to stimulate potent immune responses. CRS-207 has been engineered to elicit an immune response against the tumor-associated antigen mesothelin, which has been shown to be present at higher levels on certain tumor cells (such asmesothelioma) than on normal cells. Pemetrexed and cisplatin are the standard chemotherapy regimen to treat malignant pleural mesothelioma. This trial will evaluate whether giving CRS-207 cancer vaccine with chemotherapy will induce anti-tumor immune responses and/or objective tumor response.

Experimental Arm: Vaccine plus chemotherapy

Weeks 1 and 3: CRS-207 (1 × 10^9 CFU)

Weeks 5, 8, 11, 14, 17 and 20 (up to 6 cycles every 21 days): Pemetrexed (500 mg/m2) and cisplatin (75 mg/m2)

Weeks 23 and 26: CRS-207

Maintenance Vaccinations: CRS-207 every 16 weeks (starting at Week 30) until disease progression

Assigned Interventions: Biological: Vaccine plus chemotherapy

• CRS-207
• Listeria
• Pemetrexed
• Cisplatin
• ALIMTA
• Platinol

Read More »