Circadian-Optimized Light Therapy for the Treatment of Patients With Advanced Melanoma Receiving Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Therapy

June 1, 2026 updated by: City of Hope Medical Center

A Single-Center, Prospective Pilot Trial of Circadian-Optimized Light Therapy (COLT) in Patients Undergoing Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) Therapy for Metastatic Melanoma

This phase I trial tests the effect of Circadian-Optimized Light Therapy (COLT) in conjunction with standard of care tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) therapy in treating patients with melanoma that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes or distant parts of the body (advanced). Circadian rhythm is the body's natural 24 hour clock which helps keep the body operating on a healthy wake-sleep cycle. Exposure to morning light has been shown to have a positive impact. Patients with advanced cancers often experience circadian disruption, including exposure to hospital-related light, treatment side effects, and inflammation. TIL are made by collecting and growing specialized T cells (a type of white blood cell) from a patient's tumor and given back to the patient to help stimulate the immune system in different ways to stop tumor cells from growing. However, disruptions in the circadian rhythm may impact the effectiveness of TIL therapy. COLT is a home-based digital intervention that delivers circadian-effective morning light using the Circadian OS iPad application. Daily light exposure may help prevent circadian disruption and improve immune and inflammatory responses. Adding COLT sessions to standard of care therapy with TIL may be safe and tolerable in patients with advanced melanoma.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet 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

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. Evaluate the feasibility of COLT with TIL therapy.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Evaluate the safety of COLT with TIL therapy. II. Evaluate the acceptability of COLT intervention to patients. III. Evaluate the effect of COLT on patient-reported quality of life metrics.

EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES:

I. Evaluate changes that occur in patient circadian clocks with COLT during TIL therapy using actigraphy and circadian clock gene analysis.

II. Evaluate the alterations and time course that occur in tumor immune cell subsets and phenotype with COLT during TIL therapy.

III. Evaluate the toxicities related to TIL therapy (i.e., cytopenia, interleukin 2 [IL-2] toxicity) that occur with COLT during TIL therapy.

OUTLINE:

Starting on day -14, patients receive access to the Circadian OS application and within the first hour of waking up undergo light therapy sessions over 1 hour daily between 8:00 and 10:00 am for up to 28 days after TIL in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also receive standard of care TIL infusion on day 0. Patients may optionally continue COLT for up to 90 days post TIL infusion. Patients also wear wrist actigraphy continuously to monitor sleep-wake cycles, light exposure, and circadian rhythms during TIL therapy. Additionally, patients undergo blood sample collection throughout the study.

After completion of study intervention, patients are followed up at 30 days.

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.
8

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 1

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
    • California
      • Duarte, California, United States, 91010
        • City of Hope Medical Center
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Kelly Mahuron
        • Contact:

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:

  • Documented informed consent of the participant and/or legally authorized representative
  • Age: ≥ 18 years
  • Ability to read and understand English for questionnaires
  • Progression on or after immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy
  • Deemed eligible and consented for standard-of-care TIL therapy (lifileucel/Amtagvi)
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤ 2 (typically required for TIL therapy; confirm with clinical standards of practice [SOP])

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Explicit Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ) cutoffs (< 2:00, > 5:00)
  • Use of melatonin or pharmacologic sleep aids (e.g., zolpidem, trazodone, benzodiazepines) within 14 days prior to enrollment
  • Night shift work within the past 30 days or expected during the intervention
  • Travel across ≥ 2 time zones within the past 14 days
  • Diagnosed or suspected untreated moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea
  • History of mania, hypomania, bipolar disorder, migraine (with or without photophobia), or active seizure disorder
  • Active psychosis, suicidal ideation, or recent psychiatric hospitalization (< 3 months)
  • Ocular conditions exacerbated by bright light exposure
  • Any other condition that would, in the investigator's judgment, contraindicate the patient's participation in the clinical study due to safety concerns with clinical study procedures
  • Prospective participants who, in the opinion of the investigator, may not be able to comply with all study procedures (including compliance issues related to feasibility/logistics)

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: Treatment (COLT, TIL)
Starting on day -14, patients receive access to the Circadian OS application and within the first hour of waking up undergo light therapy sessions over 1 hour daily between 8:00 and 10:00 am for up to 28 days after TIL in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also receive standard of care TIL infusion on day 0. Patients may optionally continue COLT for up to 90 days post TIL infusion. Patients also wear wrist actigraphy continuously to monitor sleep-wake cycles, light exposure, and circadian rhythms during TIL therapy. Additionally, patients undergo blood sample collection throughout the study.
Other: Questionnaire Administration
Ancillary studies
Procedure: Biospecimen Collection
Undergo blood sample collection
Other Names:
  • Biological Sample Collection
  • Biospecimen Collected
  • Specimen Collection
  • Sample Collection
Other: Internet-Based Intervention
Receive access to Circadian OS application
Other: Medical Device Usage and Evaluation
Wear wrist actigraphy
Procedure: Phototherapy
Undergo light therapy sessions
Other Names:
  • Bright Light Therapy
  • light therapy
  • Actinotherapy
Biological: Therapeutic Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes
Given infusion
Other Names:
  • Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes

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
Adherence
Time Frame: From the start of intervention through the end of the intervention period, assessed up to day 90
Will be measured as the proportion of prescribed daily Circadian-Optimized Light Therapy (COLT) sessions attempted by each participant. Session initiation, duration, and completion will be automatically recorded by the Circadian OS application and verified at scheduled study visits. Participants who attempt at least 50% of sessions will be considered adherent. Adherence data will be summarized descriptively, including the median and range of completion rates across participants. Will be reported with a two-sided 95% exact (Clopper-Pearson) confidence interval.
From the start of intervention through the end of the intervention period, assessed up to day 90

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
Incidence, severity, and attribution of COLT-related treatment-emergent adverse events
Time Frame: From the first day of COLT administration through 30 days after completion of intervention
Will be graded by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0.
From the first day of COLT administration through 30 days after completion of intervention
Patient-reported acceptability and usability of COLT
Time Frame: Up to day 90
Will be assessed using the Acceptability of Intervention Measure questionnaire. Responses will be summarized as total and subscale scores with means, standard deviations, medians, and ranges. The proportion of participants meeting a predefined threshold for acceptability or usability on the instrument's scale will also be reported with exact 95 percent confidence intervals.
Up to day 90
Patient scores for quality of life and symptom burden
Time Frame: Up to day 90
Will be assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 15-Palliative Care. Data will be evaluated for functional scale, global health status, and symptoms. Scores will be summarized descriptively and compared across study phases.
Up to day 90
Patient scores for fatigue
Time Frame: Up to day 28
Will be assessed using the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Fatigue questionnaire. Data will be evaluated for functional scale, global health status, and symptoms. Scores will be summarized descriptively and compared across study phases.
Up to day 28
Patient scores for depression
Time Frame: Up to day 90
Will be evaluated using PROMIS Depression questionnaire. Data will be evaluated for functional scale, global health status, and symptoms. Scores will be summarized descriptively and compared across study phases.
Up to day 90

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.
City of Hope 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.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)

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: Kelly Mahuron, City of Hope Medical Center

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 (Estimated)

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.
December 23, 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.
July 5, 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.
July 5, 2027

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).
June 1, 2026

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.
June 1, 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.
June 5, 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.
June 5, 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.
June 1, 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.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • 25102 (Other Identifier: City of Hope Medical Center)
  • P30CA033572 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • NCI-2026-03733 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program))

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

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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