Gene Therapy in HIV-Positive Patients With Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

June 23, 2005 updated by: Ribozyome

High Dose Chemotherapy and Autologous Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation for HIV Lymphomas: A Phase IIA Study of Comparative Marking Using a Ribozyme Gene and a Neutral Gene

The purpose of this study is to see if it is safe and effective to use gene therapy to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in HIV-positive patients.

Stem cell transplantation is a procedure used to treat NHL. Stem cells are very immature cells that develop to create all of the different types of blood cells. In this study, some of your stem cells will be treated with gene therapy, meaning the cells are treated with a virus that does not cause disease. Some cells will receive a virus that contains ribozymes, enzymes that may help fight HIV. Other cells will be treated with a virus that does not contain ribozymes to see how the virus works alone. Some cells will not be treated at all. Doctors would like to see whether giving patients stem cells with ribozymes can treat NHL and stop HIV from growing at the same time.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

In this study, CD34+ cells (stem cells) are transduced with a retroviral vector construct that incorporates multiple ribozymes, a form of RNA with the ability to selectively inhibit gene expression, targeting different sites within the HIV virus. These transduced cells are reinfused into patients as part of a bone marrow transplant procedure for AIDS/lymphoma.

Patients undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation are entered into this study. A "neutral" retrovirus named "LN" and a retrovirus that contains two ribozyme sequences named "L-TR/Tat-neo" are introduced into the patient's PBPC. The L-TR/Tat-neo retrovirus has been shown in tissue culture experiments to inhibit the replication of HIV. The LN retrovirus serves as an internal control to examine selective advantage of the gene therapy. Patients have a bone marrow sample taken. After an additional round of chemotherapy with their referring physician, patients receive daily injections of G-CSF to aid in the collection of stem cells. Daily stem cell collections are performed. It is anticipated that three to four collections will be required, but as many as six may be necessary. To prepare for the transplantation of stem cells, patients are admitted for a 7-day series of intensive chemotherapy. Following this conditioning, the gene-modified and untreated stem cells are infused back into the patient. The collected cells are divided into three pools. One is set aside without modification, one is modified with the LN control vector, and one is modified with the L-TR/Tat-neo construct. The LN and L-TR/Tat-neo samples are pooled and given to the patient by IV infusion over about 15 minutes. The unmodified cells are then infused over 10 to 15 minutes. Patients remain in the hospital until their blood cells return to adequate levels and they are well enough to be released. Following transplantation, all patients are followed at Months 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24. Because of the experimental nature of gene therapy, patients are followed periodically throughout their lifetimes.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment

5

Phase

  • 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

    • California
      • Duarte, California, United States, 91010
        • City of Hope Natl Med Ctr

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 60 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for this study if you:

  • Are 18 to 60 years old.
  • Have been HIV-positive at least since you were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
  • Have an HIV level less than or equal to 25,000 copies/ml and a CD4 count of at least 100 cells/mm3.
  • Are currently about to undergo bone marrow transplantation.
  • Have responded well to cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and previous bone marrow transplantation.
  • Agree to use effective barrier methods of birth control, such as condoms, during the study.
  • Are on anti-HIV therapy (HAART).

Exclusion Criteria

You will not be eligible for this study if you:

  • Have lymphoma affecting your nervous system.
  • Have had any AIDS-related opportunistic infections in the past year.
  • Have heart disease.
  • Are pregnant or breast-feeding.
  • Have severe diarrhea.
  • Have a history of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis.
  • Have dementia or encephalopathy (an infection of the brain).
  • Have a history of another type of cancer (except for skin cancer) before your diagnosis of NHL.
  • Are allergic to etoposide or have had a toxic reaction to prior chemotherapy.

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

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Investigators

  • Study Chair: John Zaia

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 Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 2, 1999

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 30, 2001

First Posted (Estimate)

August 31, 2001

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

June 24, 2005

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 23, 2005

Last Verified

June 1, 2003

More Information

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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