Recruiting
Phase 1

IL13Ralpha2 CAR T Cells

Sponsor:

Anusha Kalbasi

Code:

NCT04119024

Conditions

Metastatic Malignant Solid Neoplasm

Metastatic Melanoma

Pathologic Stage IIIC Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8

Pathologic Stage IV Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8

Recurrent Malignant Solid Neoplasm

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Biopsy

Biospecimen Collection

Computed Tomography

Cyclophosphamide

Fludarabine Phosphate

Study Details

Brief summary:

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of modified immune cells (IL13Ralpha2 CAR T cells) after a chemotherapy conditioning regimen for the treatment of patients with stage IIIC or IV melanoma or solid tumors that have spread to other places in the body (metastatic). The study agent is called IL13Ralpha2 CAR T cells. T cells are a special type of white blood cell (immune cells) that have the ability to kill tumor cells. The T cells are obtained from the patient's own blood, grown in a laboratory, and modified by adding the IL13Ralpha2 CAR gene. The IL13Ralpha2 CAR gene is inserted into T cells with a virus called a lentivirus. The lentivirus allows cells to make the IL13Ralpha2 CAR protein. This CAR has been designed to bind to a protein on the surface of tumor cells called IL13Ralpha2. This study is being done to determine the dose at which the gene-modified immune cells are safe, how long the cells stay in the body, and if the cells are able to attack the cancer.

Conditions

Metastatic Malignant Solid Neoplasm

Metastatic Melanoma

Pathologic Stage IIIC Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8

Pathologic Stage IV Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8

Recurrent Malignant Solid Neoplasm

Study ID

NCT04119024

Start date

Oct 7, 2025

Status verified date

Mar, 2026

Completion date

Oct, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Oct, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Histologically confirmed malignancy that is considered surgically incurable with either:

  • Stage IIIC melanoma including locally relapsed, satellite, in-transit lesions or bulky draining node metastasis
  • Stage IV melanoma including patients with known brain metastases
  • Other metastatic, non-central nervous system (CNS) solid tumor relapsed or refractory after all standard-of-care systemic therapies for which the patient is eligible
  • Confirmed IL13Ralpha2 tumor expression by immunohistochemistry (immunohistochemical assay \[IHA\] H-Score >= 50 in at least 10% of the total tumor specimen and in at least two high-power fields)
  • Age greater than or equal to 18 years old and less than 75 years old
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 or 1
  • A minimum of one measurable lesion defined as:

  • Meeting the criteria for measurable disease according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), OR
  • Skin lesion(s) selected as non-completely biopsied target lesion(s) that can be accurately measured and recorded by color photography with a ruler to document the size of the target lesion(s)
  • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >= 1 x 10\^9 cells/L (determined within 30-60 days prior to enrollment; re-evaluated within 14 days of beginning conditioning chemotherapy)
  • Platelets >= 75 x 10\^9/L (determined within 30-60 days prior to enrollment; re-evaluated within 14 days of beginning conditioning chemotherapy)
  • Hemoglobin >= 9.5 g/dL (determined within 30-60 days prior to enrollment; re-evaluated within 14 days of beginning conditioning chemotherapy)
  • Aspartate and alanine aminotransferases (AST, ALT) =< 2.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) (determined within 30-60 days prior to enrollment; re-evaluated within 14 days of beginning conditioning chemotherapy)
  • Total bilirubin =< 2 x ULN (except patients with documented Gilbert's syndrome) (determined within 30-60 days prior to enrollment; re-evaluated within 14 days of beginning conditioning chemotherapy)
  • Creatinine < 2 mg/dL (or a glomerular filtration rate > 45) (determined within 30-60 days prior to enrollment; re-evaluated within 14 days of beginning conditioning chemotherapy)
  • Patients with melanoma must have progressed following >= 1 line of systemic therapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitor and a BRAF inhibitor in combination with MEK inhibitor for patients with BRAF V600-activating mutation and is not considered to have an alternate treatment option with curative intent
  • Must be willing and able to accept at least one leukapheresis procedure (This does not apply for patients receiving a second infusion of IL13R a2 CAR T cells as they will not undergo leukapheresis)
  • Must be willing and able to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Inability to purify >= 1 x 10\^7 T cells from leukapheresis product (this does not apply to patients receiving a second infusion of IL13Ra2 CAR T cells as they will not undergo leukapheresis)
  • Previously known hypersensitivity to any of the agents used in this study; known sensitivity to cyclophosphamide or fludarabine
  • Received systemic treatment for cancer, including immunotherapy, within 14 days prior to initiation of conditioning chemotherapy administration within this protocol
  • Clinically active brain metastases. Radiological documentation of absence of active brain metastases at screening is required for all patients. Prior evidence of brain metastasis successfully treated with surgery or radiation therapy will not be exclusion for participation as long as they are deemed under control at the time of study enrollment
  • Potential requirement for systemic corticosteroids or concurrent immunosuppressive drugs based on prior history or received systemic steroids within the last 2 weeks prior to enrollment; not including patients with primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency who require physiologic replacement with steroids, or patients on inhaled or topical steroids at standard doses
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositivity or other congenital or acquired immune deficiency state, which would increase the risk of opportunistic infections and other complications during chemotherapy-induced lymphodepletion. If there is a positive result in the infectious disease testing that was not previously known, the patient will be referred to their primary physician and/or infectious disease specialist
  • Hepatitis B or C seropositivity with evidence of ongoing liver damage, which would increase the likelihood of hepatic toxicities from the chemotherapy conditioning regimen and supportive treatments. If there is a positive result in the infectious disease testing that was not previously known, the patient will be referred to their primary physician and/or infectious disease specialist
  • Dementia or significantly altered mental status that would prohibit the understanding or rendering of informed consent and compliance with the requirements of this protocol
  • A Tiffeneau-Pinelli index < 70% of the predicted value. Subjects will be excluded if pulmonary function tests indicate they have insufficient pulmonary capability
  • Patients will be excluded if they have a history of clinically significant electrocardiography (ECG) abnormalities, symptoms of cardiac ischemia or arrhythmias and have a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 45% on a cardiac stress test (stress thallium, stress multigated acquisition scan (MUGA), dobutamine echocardiogram, or other stress test)
  • Patients with ECG results of any conduction delays (PR interval > 200 ms, corrected QT (QTC) > 480 ms), sinus bradycardia (resting heart rate < 50 beats per minute), sinus tachycardia (HR > 120 beats per minute) will be evaluated by a cardiologist prior to starting the trial. Patients with any arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter, excessive ectopy (defined as > 20 ventricular premature complex \[PVC\]s per minute), ventricular tachycardia, 3rd degree heart block will be excluded from the study unless cleared by a cardiologist
  • Pregnancy or breast-feeding. Female patients must be surgically sterile or be postmenopausal for two years, or must agree to use effective contraception during the period of treatment and for 6 months afterwards. All female patients with reproductive potential must have a negative pregnancy test (serum/urine) at screening and again within 14 days from starting the conditioning chemotherapy. The definition of effective contraception will be based on the judgment of the study investigators. Patients who are breastfeeding are not allowed on this study
  • A concomitant active malignancy that would be considered to interfere with the assessment of the primary or secondary endpoints of the study

Study Design

Enrollment

18 participants

Anticipated

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Treatment (chemotherapy, IL13Ralpha2)

Patients may receive cyclophosphamide IV over 60 minutes on days -5 to -3 and fludarabine phosphate IV over 15-30 minutes on days -5 to -2. Patients then receive IL13Ralpha2 CAR T cells IV on day 0. Patients also undergo biopsy at baseline and on study, CT, or PET and CT scan at screening and on study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) throughout the trial, and collection of blood samples throughout the trial. Patients with disease progression may receive a second cycle with an infusion of IL13Ralpha2 CAR T cells.

Interventions

Biopsy

Undergo biopsy

Biospecimen Collection

Undergo collection of blood samples

Computed Tomography

Undergo CT scan

Cyclophosphamide

Given IV

Fludarabine Phosphate

Given IV

Fludeoxyglucose F-18

Undergo FDG-PET/CT scan

IL13Ralpha2-specific Hinge-optimized 4-1BB-co-stimulatory CAR/Truncated CD19-expressing Autologous TN/MEM Cells

Given IV

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Undergo MRI

Positron Emission Tomography

Undergo PET scan

Primary outcome measure

  • Incidence of adverse events [ Time Frame: Up to 90 days from the day of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-transgenic cell infusion ]
  • Dose-limiting toxicity [ Time Frame: Up to 28 days from the day of CAR-transgenic cell infusion ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Lucie M Cutler

luciecut@stanford.eduluciecut@stanford.edu

Locations

City of Hope

Recruiting

Duarte, California, United States, 91010

Contacts

Claudia Aceves

caceves@coh.org

Principal Investigator:

Yan Xing, MD, Phd

UCLA / Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

Recruiting

Los Angeles, California, United States, 90095

Contacts

Christy Sidhu

310-206-5087CSidhu@mednet.ucla.edu

Principal Investigator:

Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD

Stanford Cancer Institute

Recruiting

Stanford, California, United States, 93405

Contacts

Lucie Cutler

luciecut@stanford.edu

Principal Investigator:

Allison Betof Warner, MD, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

Anusha Kalbasi

Last update posted

Mar 17, 2026

Last verified

Mar, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Anusha Kalbasi on 2026-03-17.