Dendritic Cell Vaccination With Standard Postoperative Chemoradiation for the Treatment of Adult Glioblastoma

This is a single arm (non-randomized) first-in-man pilot study to evaluate the safety and feasibility of delivering a dendritic cell vaccine in nine to twenty-four (n=9-24) adult patients diagnosed with glioblastoma (GBM) after undergoing neurosurgical tumor resection, and in whom a neuropathological diagnosis has been established. Standard of care chemotherapy and radiation therapy shall be followed as per routine neuro-oncologic paradigms after which patients enrolled into this study will receive a personalized vaccine beyond standard of care. Effective adjuvant therapies are urgently needed for these patients given that standard of care is rarely successful in preventing recurrence among GBM patients, nor death among relapsed patients with this very poor-prognosis tumor type. The study is constructed in a 3+3 algorithm for three steps of dose escalation with rigorous and mandatory safety monitoring.

Inclusion criteria

• Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
• Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study
• Male or female, aged 18 years and older
• Diagnosed with glioblastoma (GBM) deemed to be potentially resectable and who are deemed to be good candidate for postoperative adjuvant chemo and radiation therapy. This may include patients whose tumors are deemed suitable for gross total resection as well as patients whose tumors are deemed partially resectable and who undergo partial resection followed by adjuvant therapy. [neoadjuvant therapy is rarely if ever given]..
• Ability to adhere to the bi-weekly injections of DC vaccine regimen
• For females of reproductive potential: use of highly effective contraception for at least 1 month prior to screening and agreement to use such a method during study participation and for an additional 12 weeks following discontinuations of last vaccination. Must have a negative serum pregnancy test prior to first treatment.
• For males of reproductive potential: use of condoms or other methods to ensure effective contraception with partner during study participation and for an additional 12 weeks following discontinuations of last vaccination.
• Presented at Tumor Board for review and consensus of Multidisciplinary group to proceed with enrollment.
• Adequate kidney, liver, bone marrow function, and immune function, as follows:

• Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 gm/dL
• Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1,500 cells/mm3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000 /mm3
• Lymphocyte count greater than 500/L
• Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) > 60 mL/min/m2 and Creatinine < 1.5mg/dl

i. For males = (140 - age[years]) x (body weight [kg]) (72) x (serum creatinine [mg/dL] ii. For females = 0.85 x male value f. Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN), g. Aspartate transaminase AST (SGOT) and alanine aminotransferase ALT (SGPT) ≤ 2.5 times the ULN h. Albumin >2g/dL i. (IgM), surface antibody and antigen, Hepatitis B and C antibody. j. Negative HIV status

• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤ 2.

Exclusion criteria

• Locally advanced tumors deemed unresectable and/or recurrent tumors after prior vaccination.
• Use of non-standard post-operative treatment regimen, as defined by the Stupp protocol: postoperative chemoradiation and initiation of temozolomide (TMZ). The use of a tumor treatment field (TTF) device with adjuvant TMZ is at the discretion of the investigator.
• Female patients who are pregnant, breast feeding, or of childbearing potential without a negative pregnancy test prior to baseline. Post-menopausal women must be amenorrheic for at least 12 months to be considered of non-childbearing potential.
• Patients unwilling or unable to comply with the protocol or provide informed consent.
• Any severe or uncontrolled medical condition or other condition that could affect participation in this study, including but not limited to: hyper/hypothyroidism, systemic autoimmune disorders, untreated viral hepatitis or autoimmune hepatitis.
• Concurrent or expected need for therapy with corticosteroids during the vaccination phase of the study.
• Treatment with another investigational drug or other intervention outside of the prespecified standard of care for GBM.
• Patients suffering from active HIV disease.