Glypican 3-specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor Expressed in T Cells for Patients With Pediatric Solid Tumors (GAP)

This study enrolls patients who have GPC3-positive liver cancers currently. Patients may be considered if the cancer has come back, has not gone away after standard treatment or the patient cannot receive standard treatment. This research study uses special immune system cells called GAP T cells, a new experimental treatment.

The purpose of this study is to find the biggest dose of GAP T cells that is safe, to see how long they last in the body, to learn what the side effects are and to see if the GAP T cells will help people with GPC3-positive solid tumors. This study enrolls patients who have GPC3-positive liver cancers currently.The body has different ways of fighting infection and disease. No single way seems perfect for fighting cancers. This research study combines two different ways of fighting cancer: antibodies and T cells. Antibodies are types of proteins that protect the body from infectious diseases and possibly cancer. T cells, also called T lymphocytes, are special infection-fighting blood cells that can kill other cells, including cells infected with viruses and tumor cells. Both antibodies and T cells have been used to treat patients with cancers. They have shown promise, but have not been strong enough to cure most patients.

Investigators have found from previous research that they can put a new gene into T cells that will make them recognize cancer cells and kill them. In preclinical studies, the investigators made several genes called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), from an antibody called GC33 that recognizes glypican-3, a proteoglycan found on solid tumors including pediatric liver cancers (GPC3-CAR). This study will test T cells genetically engineered with a GPC3-CAR (GAP T cells) in patients with GPC3-positive solid tumors.

The GAP T cells are an investigational product not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.