E7 TCR T Cells for Human Papillomavirus-Associated Cancers

Last updated: May 17, 2025
Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Overall Status: Active - Recruiting

Phase

1/2

Condition

Carcinoma

Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia

Precancerous Condition

Treatment

Fludarabine

E7 TCR cells

Aldesleukin

Clinical Study ID

NCT02858310
160154
16-C-0154
  • Ages 18-120
  • All Genders

Study Summary

Background:

Human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause cervical, throat, anal, and genital cancers. Cancers caused by HPV have a HPV protein called E7 inside of their cells. In this new therapy, researchers take a person s blood, remove certain white blood cells, and insert genes that make them to target cancer cells that have the E7 protein. The genetically changed cells, called E7 TCR cells, are then given back to the person to fight the cancer. Researchers want to see if this can help people.

Objective:

To determine a safe dose and efficacy of E7 TCR cells and whether these cells can help patients.

Eligibility:

Adults ages 18 and older with an HPV-16-associated cancer, including cervical, vulvar, vaginal, penile, anal, or oropharyngeal.

Design:

Participants will list all their medicines.

Participants will have many screening tests, including imaging procedures, heart and lung tests, and lab tests. They will have a large catheter inserted into a vein.

Participants will have leukapheresis. Blood will be removed through a needle in the arm. A machine separates the white blood cells. The rest of the blood is returned through a needle in the other arm.

The cells will be changed in the lab.

Participants will stay in the hospital. Over several days, they will get:

Chemotherapy drugs

E7 TCR cells

Shots or injections to stimulate the cells

Participants will be monitored in the hospital up to 12 days. They will get support medicine and have blood and lab tests.

Participants will have a clinic visit about 40 days after cell infusion. They will have a physical exam, blood work, scans, and maybe x-rays.

Participants will have many follow-up visits with the same procedures. At some visits, they may undergo leukapheresis.

Participants will be followed for 15 years.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

  • INCLUSION CRITERIA:
  1. Measurable metastatic or refractory/recurrent HPV-16+ cancer (determined by insitu hybridization (ISH) or a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based test).

  2. Patients must be HLA-A02 by low resolution typing, and HLA-A02:01 by one ofthe high resolution type results.

  3. All patients must have received prior first line standard therapy or declinedstandard therapy.

  4. Patients with three or fewer brain metastases that have been treated withsurgery or stereotactic radiosurgery are eligible. Lesions that have beentreated with stereotactic radiosurgery must be clinically stable for one monthbefore protocol treatment. Patients with surgically resected brain metastasesare eligible.

  5. Greater than or equal to 18 years of age.

  6. Able to understand and sign the Informed Consent Document.

  7. Clinical performance status of ECOG 0 or 1.

  8. Individuals must be willing to practice birth control from the time ofenrollment on this study up to twelve (12) months after treatment. Individualsmust be willing to undergo testing for HPV-16 prior to becoming pregnant afterthis period.

  9. Individuals of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy testbecause of the potentially dangerous effects of the treatment on the fetus.Individuals of childbearing potential are defined as all individuals exceptindividuals who are postmenopausal or who have had a hysterectomy.Postmenopausal will be defined as individuals over the age of 55 who have nothad a menstrual period in at least one year. Because there is a potential riskfor adverse events in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother withE7 TCR transduced PBL, breastfeeding should be discontinued if the individualis treated with E7 TCR transduced PBL. These potential risks may also apply toother agents used in this study.

  10. Serology:

  • Seronegative for HIV antibody. (The experimental treatment being evaluated in thisprotocol depends on an intact immune system. Patients who are HIV seropositive canhave decreased immune-competence and thus are less responsive to the experimentaltreatment and more susceptible to its toxicities.)

  • Seronegative for hepatitis B antigen, and seronegative for hepatitis C antibody. Ifhepatitis C antibody test is positive, then the patient must be tested for thepresence of antigen by RT-PCR and be HCV RNA negative. a. Hematology:

  • Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1000/mm^3 without the support of

filgrastim.

  • WBC greater than or equal to 3000/mm^3

  • Platelet count greater than or equal to 100,000/mm^3

  • Hemoglobin > 8.0 g/dL b. Chemistry:

  • Serum ALT/AST less than or equal to 2.5 times the upper limit of normal

  • Calculated creatinine clearance (CCr) greater than or equal to 50 mL/min/1.73^2using the Cockcroft-Gault equation

  • Total bilirubin less than or equal to 1.5 mg/dL, except in patients with Gilbert'sSyndrome who must have a total bilirubin less than 3.0 mg/dL c. More than four weeks must have elapsed since any prior systemic therapy at thetime the patient receives the E7 TCR cells.

Note: Patients may have undergone minor surgical procedures within the past three weeks, as long as all toxicities have recovered to Grade 1 or less.

Exclusion

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

  1. Active systemic infections (for e.g.: requiring anti-infective treatment),coagulation disorders or other active major medical illnesses of the cardiovascular,respiratory or immune system, as evidenced by a positive stress thallium orcomparable test, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias, severe obstructive orrestrictive pulmonary disease. Patients with abnormal pulmonary function tests butstable obstructive or restrictive pulmonary disease may be eligible.

  2. Any form of primary immunodeficiency (such as Severe Combined ImmunodeficiencyDisease).

  3. Concurrent opportunistic infections (The experimental treatment being evaluated inthis protocol depends on an intact immune system. Patients who have decreased immunecompetence may be less responsive to the experimental treatment and more susceptibleto its toxicities).

  4. Patients with autoimmune diseases such as Crohn s disease, ulcerative colitis,rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune hepatitis or pancreatitis, and systemic lupuserythematosus. Hypothyroidism, vitiligo and other minor autoimmune disorders are notexclusionary.

  5. Patients on immunosuppressive drugs including corticosteroids. With the exceptionof: intranasal, inhaled, topical steroids, or local steroid injection (e.g.,intra-articular injection)

-Systemic corticosteroids at physiologic doses 10 mg/day of prednisone orequivalent; or,

-Steroids as premedication for hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., CT scanpremedication)

  1. History of severe immediate hypersensitivity reaction to cyclophosphamide,fludarabine or aldesleukin.

  2. Patients with a history of coronary revascularization or ischemic symptoms unlesspatient has a normal cardiac stress test.

  3. Documented LVEF of less than or equal to 45% tested. The following patients willundergo cardiac evaluations

  4. Clinically significant atrial and/or ventricular arrhythmias including but notlimited to: atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, second or thirddegree heart block or

  5. Age greater than or equal to 50 years old

  6. Any other condition, which would, in the opinion of the Principal Investigator,indicate that the subject is a poor candidate for the clinical trial or wouldjeopardize the subject or the integrity of the data obtained.

  7. Subjects with baseline screening pulse oxygen level of < 95% on room air will not beeligible. If the underlying cause of hypoxia improves, then they may be reevaluated

Study Design

Total Participants: 180
Treatment Group(s): 4
Primary Treatment: Fludarabine
Phase: 1/2
Study Start date:
January 27, 2017
Estimated Completion Date:
January 01, 2026

Study Description

Background:

  • Metastatic or refractory/recurrent human papillomavirus (HPV)-16+ cancers (cervical, vulvar, vaginal, penile, anal, and oropharyngeal cancers) are incurable and poorly palliated by standard therapies.

  • HPV-16+ cancers constitutively express the HPV-16 E7 oncoprotein, which is absent from healthy human tissues.

  • Administration of T cell receptor (TCR) gene engineered T cells can induce objective tumor responses in certain malignancies including HPV-16+ cancers.

  • T cells genetically engineered with a TCR targeting HPV-16 E7 (E7 TCR) display specific reactivity against HLA-A2+, HPV-16+ target cells.

Objectives:

Phase I Primary Objective

  • To determine a safe dose for E7 TCR cells plus aldesleukin for the treatment of metastatic HPV-16+ cancers.

Phase II Primary Objective

-To determine safety and efficacy of E7 TCR cells plus aldesleukin for the treatment of metastatic HPV-16+ cancers.

Eligibility:

  • Patients greater than or equal to 18 years old with metastatic or refractory/recurrent HPV-16+ cancer.

  • Prior first line systemic therapy is required unless the patient declines standard treatment.

  • Patients must be HLA-A*02:01-positive.

Design:

  • This is a phase I/II clinical trial that will test the safety and efficacy of E7 TCR cells.

  • All patients will receive a non-myeloablative lymphocyte-depleting preparative regimen of cyclophosphamide and fludarabine followed by a single infusion of E7 TCR cells. Cell infusion will be followed by high-dose aldesleukin.

  • Re-enrollment will be allowed for a small number of subjects.

Connect with a study center

  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

    Bethesda, Maryland 20892
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

    New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
    United States

    Completed

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