Evaluation of the safety and immunogenicity of intratumoral injection of interferon gamma (IFNg) during vaccination in patients with subcutaneous or cutaneous metastases of melanoma (Mel51; NCT00977145).

TPS3118^ Background: One mechanism to improve immunologic outcomes of vaccine therapy, and other immune therapies, is to optimize T cell trafficking to sites of tumor. CXCR3 is expressed by Th1 and Tc1 T cells and directs them to sites of inflammation by following the chemokine gradient. The ligands for CXCR3 (CXCL9 (MIG), CXCL10 (IP-10) and CXCL11 (I-TAC)) are induced by interferon gamma (IFNg). This protocol tests whether administering peptide vaccine activates circulating tumor antigen-specific CD8+ CXCR3+ T cells, followed by intratumoral IFNg to increase CXCR3 ligands (CXCL9-11) at the tumor site and thus to recruit the CXCR3+T cells. Methods: This pilot clinical trial is enrolling patients (n=14) with subcutaneous or cutaneous metastases of melanoma (stage IIIB-IV), who have adequate accessible tumor in 1-4 lesions to provide 100-300 mm3 tumor on each of the three biopsy days, and with at least one lesion amenable to intratumoral IFNg injection. Patients must also express HLA-A1, A2, A3, or A11. Pat...