ClinicalTrials.gg
Active, not recruitingNCT03935893Updated Jun 1, 2026

Adoptive Transfer of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes for Advanced Solid Cancers

A Phase 2 interventional study of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) and Fludarabine + Cyclophosphamide combination in Gastric Cancer, Colorectal Cancer and Pancreatic Cancer, sponsored by Udai Kammula. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-01.

Sponsored by Udai Kammula · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
20
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This is a Phase 2 study to evaluate the efficacy of a non-myeloablative lymphodepleting preparative regimen followed by infusion of autologous TIL and high-dose aldesleukin in patients with locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic cancer associated with one of the following cancer types: 1.) gastric/esophagogastric, 2.) colorectal, 3.) pancreatic, 4.) sarcoma, 5.) mesothelioma, 6.) neuroendocrine, 7.) squamous cell cancer, 8.) Merkle cell, 9.) mismatch repair deficient and/or microsatellite unstable cancers, and 10.) patients who have exhausted conventional systemic therapy options by using the objective response rate (ORR).

Read the detailed description

This Phase 2 study will be conducted in conjunction with companion protocol (Cell Harvest and Preparation to Support Adoptive Cell Therapy Clinical Protocols and Pre-Clinical Studies) as described below:

Cell Preparation:

Patients with evaluable locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic gastric/esophagogastric, colorectal, pancreatic, sarcoma, mesothelioma, neuroendocrine, cutaneous/anal squamous cell, Merkel cell, cancers refractory to systemic therapy, and those with deficient mismatch repair and/or microsatellite instability cancers who have lesions that can be resected or biopsied with minimum morbidity will undergo resection or biopsy of tumor. TIL will be obtained while enrolled on the companion protocol HCC 17-220 (Cell Harvest and Preparation to Support Adoptive Cell Therapy Clinical Protocols and Pre-Clinical Studies). Separate tumor procurements may be performed under HCC 17-220 protocol to obtain TIL if initial tumor procurements could not successfully generate TIL. The TIL will be grown and expanded for this trial according to standard operating procedures submitted in the IND. The TIL will be assessed for potency by interferon-gamma release.

Treatment Phase:

Once cells exceed the potency requirement and are projected to exceed the minimum number specified in the COA, the patient will be registered on this study and receive the lymphocyte depleting preparative regimen consisting of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, followed by infusion of up to 2x10\^11 lymphocytes (minimum of 1x10\^9 cells) and administration of high-dose intravenous aldesleukin. It is anticipated that TIL that meet the COA will not be achievable in approximately 20% of patients who undergo resection. These patients may undergo a second resection to grow TIL, if another suitable lesion exists. Approximately 6 weeks (+/- 2 weeks) after TIL administration, patients will undergo a complete tumor evaluation and evaluation of toxicity and immunologic parameters. Patients will receive one course of treatment. The start date of the course will be the start date of the chemotherapy; the end date will be the day of the first post-treatment evaluation. Patients may undergo a second treatment. Patients will receive no other experimental agents while on this protocol.

02

Conditions studied

  • Gastric Cancer
  • Colorectal Cancer
  • Pancreatic Cancer
  • Sarcoma
  • Mesothelioma
  • Neuroendocrine Tumors
  • Squamous Cell Cancer
  • Merkel Cell Carcinoma
  • Mismatch Repair Deficiency
  • Microsatellite Instability
03

In context

Stomach Neoplasms

3,399 studies on the registry are indexed under Stomach Neoplasms; 992 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 20 is below the median of 66 across 2,499 interventional studies indexed under Stomach Neoplasms.

Browse Stomach Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

Udai Kammula is the lead sponsor of 3 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

Measurable locally advanced, recurrent, or cancer associated with one of the following cancer types: 1.) gastric/esophagogastric, 2.) colorectal, 3.) pancreatic, 4.) sarcoma, 5.) mesothelioma, 6.) neuroendocrine, 7.) squamous cell cancer, 8.) Merkle cell, 9.) mismatch repair deficient and/or microsatellite unstable cancers, and 10.) patients who have exhausted conventional systemic therapy options

Patients with locally advanced disease should be unresectable by conventional surgical approaches.

Patients with distant metastatic spread must have previously received approved systemic therapies if they are eligible to receive these treatments.

Patients must be co-enrolled on the companion protocol HCC 17-220 (Cell Harvest and Preparation to Support Adoptive Cell Therapy Clinical Protocols and Pre-Clinical Studies) and have available TIL cultures for therapy.

Patients with 3 or fewer that are less than 1 cm in diameter and asymptomatic are eligible. Lesions that have been treated with stereotactic radiosurgery must be clinically stable for 1 month after treatment for the patient to be eligible. Patients with surgically resected brain metastases are eligible.

Greater than or equal to 18 years of age and less than or equal to age 75

Able to understand and sign the Document

Clinical performance status of 0 or 1

of greater than three months

Patients of both genders who are of must be willing to practice from the time of enrollment on this study and for up to four months after receiving the treatment.

Serology:

  • Seronegative for antibody. (The experimental treatment being evaluated in this protocol depends on an intact immune system. Patients who are HIV seropositive can have decreased immune-competence and thus be less responsive to the experimental treatment and more susceptible to its toxicities.)
  • Seronegative for antigen
  • Seronegative for antibody. If hepatitis C antibody test is positive, then patient must be tested for the presence of antigen by RT-PCR and be HCV RNA negative.

Women of child-bearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test because of the potentially dangerous effects of the treatment on the fetus.

Hematology

  • greater than 1000/mm3 without the support of filgrastim
  • WBC ≥ 3000/mm3
  • count ≥ 100,000/mm3
  • > 8.0 g/dl

Chemistry

  • Serum /AST ≤ to 3.5 times the Serum creatinine ≤ to 1.6 mg/dl
  • Total ≤ to 2.0 mg/dl, except in patients with Gilbert's Syndrome who must have a total bilirubin less than 3.0 mg/dl.

More than four weeks must have elapsed since any prior systemic therapy at the time the patient receives the preparative regimen, and patients' toxicities must have recovered to a clinically manageable level (except for toxicities such as alopecia or vitiligo). (Note: Patients may have undergone minor surgical procedures within the past 3 weeks, as long as all toxicities have recovered to grade 1 or less)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

Women of who are pregnant or breastfeeding because of the potentially dangerous effects of the treatment on the fetus or infant.

Any form of primary immunodeficiency (such as Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease).

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

Active systemic infections (e.g.: requiring anti-infective treatment),

coagulation disorder

Active major medical illnesses deemed clinically significant by the treating physician

History of clinically significant major organ disease

Patients with a history of hypothyroidism are eligible

Concurrent systemic therapy.

History of severe immediate reaction to any of the agents used in this study.

History of active coronary or ischemic symptoms.

Documented of less than or equal to 45%; note: testing is required in patients with:

  • Age > 65 years' old
  • Clinically significant atrial and or ventricular arrhythmias including but not limited to: atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, second- or third-degree heart block or have a history of ischemic heart disease, chest pain.

Documented less than or equal to 60% predicted tested in patients with:

  • A prolonged history of cigarette smoking (20 pk/year of smoking within the past 2 years).
  • Symptoms of respiratory dysfunction

Patients who are receiving any other agents.

Terms in these criteria, in plain language(24)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Metastases

Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.

Line of therapy

A line of therapy is one course of treatment, which may combine several drugs. First-line is the first course given; second-line follows when that stops working or is not tolerated.

“Two prior lines” means two courses that count separately under the study’s rules — not simply two drugs. Ask the study team if you are unsure how yours are counted.

Brain metastases

Cancer deposits in the brain from a cancer that started elsewhere in the body (CNS metastases include the spinal cord).

Studies differ: some leave out any brain metastases, some accept ones treated and stable for some weeks. Check what this study allows.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

ECOG performance status

A scale of how much an illness limits everyday activity. For people being assessed to join a study, scores run from 0 (fully active) to 4; lower is more active.

0
Fully active, no restrictions.
1
Limited in strenuous activity, but walking and able to do light work, such as housework or office work.
2
Walking and able to look after yourself, but unable to work; up and about more than half of waking hours.
3
Able to look after yourself only in part; in bed or a chair more than half of waking hours.
4
Unable to look after yourself at all; in bed or a chair all day.

Studies most often ask for 0–1 or 0–2. Your doctor gives the score; the WHO scale uses the same steps. The full scale also has 5, which records death.

Life expectancy

The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.

Childbearing potential

Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).

Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

Hepatitis B tests

Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.

Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.

Hepatitis C tests

Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.

After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.

Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)

The number of neutrophils, white blood cells that help fight infection, in a given amount of blood. Too few raises the risk of infection.

It is a count, not a percentage of the white cells. Limits are written in units that mean the same: ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L is ≥ 1,500 per mm³ (µL). Each lab has its own reference range.

Platelets

Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.

Hemoglobin (Hb)

The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

ULN (upper limit of normal)

The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.

“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.

Bilirubin

A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.

Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.

Clinically significant

Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.

Autoimmune disease

A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.

Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.

Corticosteroids (steroids)

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.

Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction)

The share of blood the heart’s main pumping chamber (the left ventricle) pushes out with each beat, measured by an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) or a MUGA scan. About 50–70% is normal.

FEV1

From a breathing test (spirometry): how much air you can blow out in the first second. Often given as a percentage of what is expected for your age, height and sex.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
20 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL)

    Patients with locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic gastric/esophagogastric, colorectal, pancreatic, sarcoma, mesothelioma, neuroendocrine, cutaneous/anal squamous cell, Merkel cell, cancers refractory to systemic therapy, and those with deficient mismatch repair and/or microsatellite instability cancers will receive the lymphocyte depleting preparative regimen consisting of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, followed by infusion of up to 2x10\^11 lymphocytes infused through a central vein catheter and administered at a dose of 600,000 IU/kg (based on total body weight) as an intravenous bolus over a 15-minute period approximately every 8 hours beginning within 24 hours of cell infusion and continuing for up to a maximum of 6 doses.

    Biological: Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) · Drug: Fludarabine + Cyclophosphamide combination

Interventions

  • TIL are to be infused intravenously through a central vein catheter over 20-30 minutes followed by Aldesleukin, administered at a dose of 600,000 IU/kg (based on total body weight) as an intravenous bolus over a 15-minute period approximately every 8 hours beginning within 24 hours of cell infusion and continuing for up to a maximum of 6 doses.

  • DrugFludarabine + Cyclophosphamide combination

    Drug pages: Fludarabine · Cyclophosphamide

    Preparative lymphocyte depleting (immunosuppressive) combination regimen consisting of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide administered prior to TIL infusion.

    Also known as: Fludara; Cytoxan

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Objective Response Rate (ORR)

    Number of patients with Complete Response (CR) + Number of patients with Partial Response (PR) / total number of patients (# with CR + # with PR + # with SD + # with PD), per RECIST v1.1: CR: Disappearance of all target lesions. Any pathological lymph nodes (whether target or non-target) must have reduction in short axis to \<10 mm. PR: ≥ 30% decrease in the sum of the diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum of diameters. Stable Disease (SD): Neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for PD, taking as reference the smallest sum of diameters while on study. Progressive Disease (PD): ≥ 20% increase in the sum of the diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study (includes the baseline sum if that is the smallest on study). In addition to the relative increase of 20%, the sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of at least 5 mm. The appearance ≥1 new lesion(s) is considered progression.

    Time frame: 24 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Complete Response Rate (CRR)

    Proportion of patients with complete response per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST v1.1): Number of patients with Complete Response (CR) / total number of patients (# with CR + # with PR + # with SD + # with PD). CR: disappearance of all target lesions. Any pathological lymph nodes (target or non-target) with reduction in short axis to \<10 mm. Stable Disease (SD): Neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for PD, taking as reference the smallest sum of diameters while on study. Progressive Disease (PD): ≥ 20% increase in the sum of the diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study (this includes the baseline sum if that is the smallest on study). In addition to the relative increase of 20%, the sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of at least 5 mm. The appearance ≥1 new lesion(s) is considered progression.

    Time frame: 24 months

  2. Duration of response (DOR)

    Time between the initial response to treatment per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) guideline (version 1.1) and subsequent disease progression among patients achieving Complete Response (CR) or Partial Response (PR). Per RECIST v1.1, Complete Response (CR): disappearance of all target lesions. Any pathological lymph nodes (whether target or non-target) must have reduction in short axis to \<10 mm. Partial Response (PR): At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum diameters.

    Time frame: 24 months

  3. Disease control rate (DCR)

    Number of patients with Complete Response (CR) + Number of patients with Partial Response (PR) + Number of patients with Stable Disease (SD) / total number of patients (# with CR + # with PR + # with SD + # with PD), per RECIST v1.1. (CR):disappearance of all target lesions.Any pathological lymph nodes (target or non-target) with reduction in short axis to \<10 mm. Partial Response (PR): ≥30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum diameters. Stable Disease (SD):Neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for PD, taking as reference the smallest sum diameters while on study. Progressive Disease (PD):≥20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study (this includes the baseline sum if that is the smallest on study). The sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of ≥5 mm. The appearance ≥1 new lesion(s) is considered progression.

    Time frame: 24 months

  4. Progression-free survival (PFS)

    The length of time after TIL infusion treatment that a patient lives with disease that does not progress per RECIST v1.1. Per RECIST, Progressive Disease (PD): ≥20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study (this includes the baseline sum if that is the smallest on study). The sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of ≥5 mm. The appearance ≥1 new lesion(s) is considered progression.

    Time frame: 24 months

  5. Overall survival (OS)

    The length of time from the start of treatment that patients are still alive.

    Time frame: 24 months

07

Study locations

1 site
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Started Dec 2019 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jun 2037, 210 months after the start.

Of 293 non-industry phase 2 interventional studies under Stomach Neoplasms, half reached primary completion within 57 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 32 and three quarters within 76. This study's planned 210 months is above that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 358 studies reached it within 50 months; a quarter within 31 and three quarters within 75.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Apr 26, 2019
First posted
May 2, 2019
StartActual
Dec 3, 2019
Primary completionEst.
Jun 30, 2037
CompletionEst.
Jun 30, 2038
Last update
Jun 1, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jun 1, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03935893
Lead sponsor
Udai Kammula
Responsible party
Udai Kammula (Director, Solid Tumor Cell Therapy Program, University of Pittsburgh) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
May 2, 2019
Start date
Dec 3, 2019
Primary completion
Jun 30, 2037 (estimated)
Completion
Jun 30, 2038 (estimated)
Last update
Jun 1, 2026

Study contacts

Udai S Kammula, MD
principal investigator · UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

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Discussion

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Studies of the drug tested here: Therapeutic Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes

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