Blockade of PD-1 in Conjunction With the Dendritic Cell/AML Vaccine Following Chemotherapy Induced Remission

July 12, 2026 updated by: Jacalyn Rosenblatt, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) arises from leukemia stem cells that are difficult to eradicate and serve as a reservoir for disease relapse following chemotherapy. A promising area of investigation is the development of immunotherapeutic approaches that stimulate the immune system to recognize leukemia stem cells as foreign and eliminate them. The purpose of this research study is to determine the safety of the Dendritic Cell AML Fusion Vaccine (DC AML vaccine) after participants have achieved a remission with chemotherapy. In this clinical trial, patients are treated with a tumor vaccine alone following standard of care chemotherapy. The DC AML vaccine is an investigational agent that tries to help the immune system to recognize and fight against cancer cells. It is hoped that DC AML vaccine will prevent or delay the disease from coming back.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

  • On this study participants will receive the DC AML vaccine and GM-CSF 4-8 weeks after completion of chemotherapy for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). GM-CSF is a drug that stimulates white blood cells and is given with the DC AML Vaccine in an effort to enhance the effect of the vaccine. Participants will receive 2-3 doses of the vaccine at 4 week intervals.
  • All participants will undergo the following procedures: Isolation of tumor cells by either bone marrow biopsy or blood draw; Initial chemotherapy for AML with standard therapy; Leukopheresis (collection of white blood cells from the blood).
  • All participants will also have blood tests, a physical exam, and an electrocardiogram prior to each dose of vaccine.
  • Four weeks following the final vaccination, participants will undergo a skin test called "delayed-type hypersensitivity" (DTH). This is an injection of the tumor cells under the skin to measure how the immune system responds. The tumor cells are broken up and irradiated to prevent their growth.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
63

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215
        • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Screening:

  • Patients with AML at initial diagnosis or at first relapse
  • 18 years of age or older
  • ECOG Performance Status 0-2
  • Life expectancy of greater than 9 weeks
  • Laboratory values within limits outlined in the protocol
  • Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation

Prior to Cell Collections for Dendritic Cell Generation:

  • Patients must have obtained complete remission with chemotherapy defined by the absence of circulating blasts, and less then 5% blasts on bone marrow examination following hematopoietic recovery
  • Resolution of all chemotherapy related Grade III-IV toxicity as per CTC criteria 4.0
  • Laboratory values as outlined in the protocol
  • For patients with evidence of minimal residual disease prior to vaccination, assessment of minimal residual disease status by cytogenetics or FISH will be followed post vaccination

Prior to Post-Chemotherapy Immunotherapy:

  • Resolution of all chemotherapy related grade III-IV toxicity
  • Laboratory values as outlined in the protocol
  • At least 2 doses of fusion vaccine produced

Exclusion Criteria:

Screening:

  • Active or history of autoimmune disorders/conditions including Type 1 diabetes. Type II diabetes, vitiligo or stable hyperthyroidism will not be considered exclusion criteria
  • HIV positive
  • Significant cardiac disease characterized by symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia
  • Pregnant women
  • Individuals with a history of a different malignancy are ineligible except for circumstances outlined in the protocol document

Prior to Cell Collection for Dendritic Cell Generation:

  • Serious intercurrent illness such as infection requiring IV antibiotics, or significant cardiac disease characterized by significant arrhythmia, ischemic coronary disease or congestive heart failure
  • Patients who choose to proceed with allogeneic or autologous transplant at the time of remission will not be vaccinated and will come off study

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Group 1
DC AML Fusion Vaccine
Biological: DC AML Vaccine
Group 1: 2-3 doses of the vaccine at 4 week intervals

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Participants With Adverse Events Associated With DC/AML Tumor Vaccine
Time Frame: 6 months after the last vaccine, up to 9 months
Participants were assessed for adverse events associated with treating AML patients with DC/AML fusion cells in the post-chemotherapy setting. Adverse event monitoring occurred monthly through 6 months following the last vaccine (up to 9 months) or until time of disease progression (whichever occurred first.)
6 months after the last vaccine, up to 9 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Immune Expansion After Vaccination
Time Frame: 6 months after last vaccine, up to 9 months
To explore immunological response by measuring fold increase in AML-specific t-cells in patients who have achieved a chemotherapy-induced remission. Leukemia-specific t-cell expansion was measured in the blood and bone marrow by comparing samples taken prior to vaccination to samples taken at 1, 3 and 6 months following vaccination. Change from baseline to 6 months post last vaccination is reported below.
6 months after last vaccine, up to 9 months
Number of Patients Who Had Expansion of Leukemia-Specific CD4 and CD8 T-cells After Vaccination
Time Frame: 6 months after last vaccine, up to 9 months
To correlate levels of circulating activated and regulatory T cells (CD4 and CD8 t-cells) with immunologic response following vaccination
6 months after last vaccine, up to 9 months
Disease Response
Time Frame: 2 years
To define anti-tumor effects by determining time to disease progression. Participants were monitored for progression and survival every 3 months through 2 years.
2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Medivation, Inc.
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Jacalyn Rosenblatt, MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 1, 2010

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 29, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 30, 2010

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 31, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 12, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 09-412

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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