Pineoblastoma

This is an open-label phase 1 safety and feasibility study that will employ multi-tumor antigen specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (TSA-T) directed against proteogenomically determined personalized tumor-specific antigens (TSA) derived from a patient's primary brain tumor tissues. Young patients with embryonal central nervous system (CNS) malignancies typically are unable to receive irradiation due to significant adverse effects and are treated with intensive chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell rescue; however, despite intensive therapy, many of these patients relapse. In this study, individualized TSA-T cells will be generated against proteogenomically determined tumor-specific antigens after standard of care treatment in children less than 5 years of age with embryonal brain tumors. Correlative biological studies will measure clinical anti-tumor, immunological and biomarker effects.

Recent advances in technology have allowed for the detection of cell-free DNA (cfDNA). cfDNA is tumor DNA that can be found in the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord (called cerebrospinal fluid or CSF) and in the blood of patients with brain tumors. The detection of cfDNA in blood and CSF is known as a "liquid biopsy" and is non-invasive, meaning it does not require a surgery or biopsy of tumor tissue. Multiple studies in other cancer types have shown that cfDNA can be used for diagnosis, to monitor disease response to treatment, and to understand the genetic changes that occur in brain tumors over time. Study doctors hope that by studying these tests in pediatric brain tumor patients, they will be able to use liquid biopsy in place of tests that have more risks for patients, like surgery.
There is no treatment provided on this study. Patients who have CSF samples taken as part of regular care will be asked to provide extra samples for this study. The study doctor will collect a minimum of one extra tube of CSF (about 1 teaspoon or 5 mL) for this study. If the patients doctor thinks it is safe, up to 2 tubes of CSF (about 4 teaspoons or up to 20 mL) may be collected. CSF will be collected through the indwelling catheter device or through a needle inserted into the lower part of the patient's spine (known as a spinal tap or lumbar puncture).
A required blood sample (about ½ a teaspoon or 2 3 mL) will be collected once at the start of the study. This sample will be used to help determine changes found in the CSF. Blood will be collected from the patient's central line or arm as a part of regular care.
An optional tumor tissue if obtained within 8 weeks of CSF collection will be collected if available. Similarities between changes in the DNA of the tissue that has caused the tumor to form and grow with the cfDNA from CSF will be compared. This will help understand if CSF can be used instead of tumor tissue for diagnosis. Up to 300 people will take part in this study.
This study will use genetic tests that may identify changes in the genes in the CSF. The report of the somatic mutations (the mutations that are found in the tumor only) will become part of the medical record. The results of the cfDNA sequencing will be shared with the patient. The study doctor will discuss what the results mean for the patient and patient's diagnosis and treatment. Looking for inheritable mutations in normal cells (blood) is not the purpose of this study. Genetic tests of normal blood can reveal information about the patient and also about the their relatives. The doctor will discuss what the tests results may mean for the patient and the their family. Patient may be monitored on this study for up to 5 years.

This is a Phase 1 study of central nervous system (CNS) locoregional adoptive therapy with autologous CD4+ and CD8+ T cells lentivirally transduced to express a B7H3-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and EGFRt. CAR T cells are delivered via an indwelling catheter into the tumor resection cavity or ventricular system in children and young adults with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), diffuse midline glioma (DMG), and recurrent or refractory CNS tumors.
A child or young adult meeting all eligibility criteria, including having a CNS catheter placed into the tumor resection cavity or into their ventricular system, and meeting none of the exclusion criteria, will have their T cells collected. The T cells will then be bioengineered into a second-generation CAR T cell that targets B7H3-expressing tumor cells. Patients will be assigned to one of 3 treatment arms based on location or type of their tumor. Patients with supratentorial tumors will be assigned to Arm A, and will receive their treatment into the tumor cavity. Patients with either infratentorial or metastatic/leptomeningeal tumors will be assigned to Arm B, and will have their treatment delivered into the ventricular system. The first 3 patients enrolled onto the study must be at least 15 years of age and assigned to Arm A or Arm B. Patients with DIPG will be assigned to Arm C and have their treatment delivered into the ventricular system. The patient's newly engineered T cells will be administered via the indwelling catheter for two courses. In the first course patients in Arms A and B will receive a weekly dose of CAR T cells for three weeks, followed by a week off, an examination period, and then another course of weekly doses for three weeks. Patients in Arm C will receive a dose of CAR T cells every other week for 3 weeks, followed by a week off, an examination period, and then dosing every other week for 3 weeks. Following the two courses, patients in all Arms will undergo a series of studies including MRI to evaluate the effect of the CAR T cells and may have the opportunity to continue receiving additional courses of CAR T cells if the patient has not had adverse effects and if more of their T cells are available.
The hypothesis is that an adequate amount of B7H3-specific CAR T cells can be manufactured to complete two courses of treatment with 3 or 2 doses given on a weekly schedule followed by one week off in each course. The other hypothesis is that B7H3-specific CAR T cells can safely be administered through an indwelling CNS catheter or delivered directly into the brain via indwelling catheter to allow the T cells to directly interact with the tumor cells for each patient enrolled on the study. Secondary aims of the study will include evaluating CAR T cell distribution with the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the extent to which CAR T cells egress or traffic into the peripheral circulation or blood stream, and, if tissues samples from multiple timepoints are available, also evaluate disease response to B7-H3 CAR T cell locoregional therapy.