Immune Response to Percutaneous Hepatic Perfusion With Melphalan for Ocular Melanoma Metastatic to the Liver

March 9, 2026 updated by: Eric Wehrenberg-Klee, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital

Evaluating Immune Response to Percutaneous Hepatic Perfusion With Melphalan for the Treatment of Ocular Melanoma Metastatic to the Liver

This study seeks to better understand the liver's immune response to receiving chemotherapy agent melphalan through Percutaneous Hepatic Perfusion (PHP) for patients with Uveal Melanoma that has metastasized to the liver.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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

Biopsies and blood samples will be collected before treatment to establish baseline measurements. Patients will then receive a single dose of Melphalan via Percutaneous Hepatic Perfusion (PHP) and return 21-28 days later for a follow-up biopsy and peripheral blood draw. Baseline and post-treatment samples will be compared to evaluate the immune response.

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 (Estimated)

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.
10

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.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
        • Recruiting
        • Massachusetts General Hospital

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patient has histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of uveal melanoma metastatic to the liver and is determined to be a candidate for percutaneous hepatic perfusion with melphalan
  • The subject has read, signed and dated the Informed Consent Form (ICF), having been advised of the risks and benefits of the trial in a language understood by the subject.
  • Age > 18 years at date of informed consent signature having the ability to comply with the protocol.
  • Contrast-enhanced cross-sectional imaging of the abdomen (either CT or MRI) obtained within two months prior to study enrollment
  • Measurable metastatic disease. Subject must have at least one site of metastatic disease ≥ 1 cm in size and amenable to percutaneous image-guided biopsy
  • Life expectancy > 12 weeks.
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status of 0 or 1
  • Laboratory requirements:
  • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) > 1 x 109/L
  • Platelets > 75 x 109/L
  • Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) / Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) < 5 x ULN
  • Total bilirubin <3 mg/dL
  • International normalized ratio (INR) <1.7
  • Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) >30 ml/min

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Lesion to undergo biopsy cannot have undergone prior radiation therapy or other locoregional therapy
  • Continued adverse events from a previously administered chemotherapeutic agents. Grade 1 adverse events and ongoing toxicities such as alopecia are exempt
  • Treatment with systemic corticosteroids exceeding the equivalent of 10 mg/day of prednisone or other systemic immunosuppressive medications (including but not limited to prednisone, dexamethasone, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, methotrexate, and anti-tumor necrosis factor [anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)] agents) within 2 weeks prior to Day 1, or anticipated requirement for systemic immunosuppressive medications exceeding the equivalent of 10 mg/day of prednisone during the trial
  • Patients who receive acute, low-dose, systemic corticosteroid medications (e.g., a one-time dose of dexamethasone for nausea) or for prevention of hypersensitivity reactions to contrast agents may be enrolled in the trial.
  • Anticoagulant or anti-platelet medication that cannot be interrupted prior to biopsy
  • Pregnant or lactating
  • Any other diseases, metabolic dysfunction, physical examination finding, or clinical laboratory finding giving reasonable suspicion of a disease or condition that contraindicated the use of an investigational drug or that could affect the interpretation of the results or render the patient at high risk from treatment complications.
  • Treatment with systemic immunostimulatory agents (including but not limited to interferon(IFN)s, interleukin [IL]-2) within 6 weeks or five half- lives of the drug, whichever was shorter, prior to Day 1.
  • Treatment with immune checkpoint blockade therapies, including anti-CTLA-4, anti-PD-1, and anti-PD-L1 therapeutic antibodies, anti-LAG-3 antibodies, within the past three months. Prior treatment with tebentafusp is allowed with no washout period required.
  • Treatment with any investigational systemic medication within at least one month prior to biopsy. If an investigational agent is an immune checkpoint inhibitor, a three-month washout is required. Prior treatment with Darovasertib and Crizotinib is allowed with no washout period required.
  • Signs or symptoms clinically significant of infection within 2 weeks prior to Day 1.

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: Other
  • 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.
Other: Melphalan through Percutaneous Hepatic Perfusion
Single arm
Drug: Melphalan through Percutaneous Hepatic Perfusion
Melphalan through Percutaneous Hepatic Perfusion will be received as standard of care,

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
Intratumoral CXCL13⁺ CD8⁺ T-cell infiltration following Percutaneous Hepatic Perfusion (PHP)
Time Frame: 3-4 weeks post treatment
Change in the percentage of CXCL13⁺ CD8⁺ T cells in tumor biopsies between Day 0 (pre-treatment) and Day 28-42 (approximately 3-4 weeks post-treatment), as measured by single-cell RNA sequencing.
3-4 weeks post treatment

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
Antigen-presenting cell (APC) populations and their activation state in the tumor microenvironment.
Time Frame: 28-42 day tumor biopsies
Comparison of proportions and activation markers of dendritic cells and other APC subsets in pre-treatment (Day 0) and post-treatment (Day 28-42) tumor biopsies.
28-42 day tumor biopsies
T-cell infiltration in tumor and adjacent hepatic parenchyma.
Time Frame: 28-42 days post treatment
Change in FOXP3⁺ regulatory T-cell infiltration between pre-treatment (Day 0) and post-treatment (Day 28-42) tumor and parenchymal biopsies.
28-42 days post treatment
Single-cell RNA sequencing derived frequency of macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs)
Time Frame: 28-42 days post treatment
Change in the frequency of macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) between pre-treatment (Day 0) and post-treatment (Day 28-42) samples as assessed by single-cell RNA sequencing.
28-42 days post treatment
Single-cell RNA sequencing derived phenotype of macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs)
Time Frame: 28-42 days post treatment
Change in the phenotype of macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) between pre-treatment (Day 0) and post-treatment (Day 28-42) samples.
28-42 days post treatment
Immune cell populations with molecular and biochemical features of tissue and peripheral blood.
Time Frame: 28-42 days post treatment.
Correlation between tissue-based immune cell changes and peripheral biomarkers (e.g. cytokine expression (ng/ml), ctDNA (mtm/ml)) assessed at Day 0 and Day 28-42, and with hepatic radiologic response assessed on CT/MRI as per clinical standard of care .
28-42 days post treatment.

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.
Massachusetts General Hospital

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: Eric Wehrenberg-Klee, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital

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 (Actual)

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.
January 27, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
September 1, 2028

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).
December 16, 2025

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.
January 21, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

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.
January 23, 2026

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.
March 11, 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.
March 9, 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.
March 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.
  • 25-679

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

The Dana-Farber / Harvard Cancer Center encourages and supports the responsible and ethical sharing of data from clinical trials. De-identified participant data from the final research dataset used in the published manuscript may only be shared under the terms of a Data Use Agreement. Requests may be directed to: alawless@mgb.org . The protocol and statistical analysis plan will be made available on Clinicaltrials.gov only as required by federal regulation or as a condition of awards and agreements supporting the research.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Data can be shared no earlier than 1 year following the date of publication.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Contact the Belfer Office for Dana-Farber Innovations (BODFI) at innovation@dfci.harvard.edu

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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