Haploidentical Natural Killer Cells to Treat Refractory or Relapsed Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)

Phase 2

Terminated

Conditions: Leukemia, Myelogenous, Acute

Interventions: Biological: Natural Killer Cells
Drug: Fludarabine
Drug: Cyclophosphamide
Drug: Denileukin diftitox
Procedure: Donor lymphapheresis
Drug: IL-2

Registration Number: NCT01106950

Lead Sponsor: Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota

Brief Summary: This is a phase II therapeutic study of related donor HLA-haploidentical NK-cell based therapy after a high dose of fludarabine/cyclophosphamide with denileukin diftitox preparative regimen for the treatment of poor prognosis acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).

Detailed Description: Patients achieving a complete remission and neutrophil recovery (ANC \> 500) for at least 4 weeks will be considered for allogeneic transplant to prolong remission (independent of this study).

All patients, including those who go on to transplant, will be followed to determine disease free survival, treatment related mortality, and time to relapse.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: TERMINATED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 15

Inclusion Criteria

≥ 2 years of age
Meets one of the following disease criteria:
- Primary acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) induction failure: no complete remission (CR) after 2 or more induction attempts
- Relapsed acute myelogenous leukemia (AML): not in CR after 1 or more cycles of standard re-induction therapy. For patients > 60 years of age the 1 cycle of standard chemotherapy is not required if either of the following criteria is met:
  - relapse within 6 months of last chemotherapy
  - blast count < 30% within 10 days of starting protocol therapy
- Secondary AML from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)
- AML relapsed > 2 months after transplant who do not have the option of donor lymphocyte infusions (e.g. recipients of autologous or umbilical cord blood [UCB] transplants) Patients with prior central nervous system (CNS) involvement are eligible provided that it has been treated and CSF is clear for at least 2 weeks or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) stable prior to enrollment. CNS therapy (chemotherapy or radiation) should continue as medically indicated during the study treatment.
Available related HLA-haploidentical donor (3-5 of 6 HLA-A, B and C)
Karnofsky Performance Status > 50% or Lansky Play score > 50
Adequate organ function defined as:
- Creatinine: ≤ 2.0 mg/dL (for pediatric patients - ClCr > 50 ml/min or age adjusted Cr)
- Hepatic: Liver function tests (LFT's) < 5 x upper limit of institutional normal (ULN)
- Pulmonary Function: oxygen saturation ≥ 90% on room air and pulmonary function >50% corrected Diffusion lung capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) Oxygen saturation [>92%] can be used in child where pulmonary function tests (PFT's) cannot be obtained. (Testing required only if symptomatic or prior known impairment.)
- Cardiac Function: Ejection fraction (EF) ≥ 40%, no uncontrolled angina, severe uncontrolled ventricular arrhythmias, or electrocardiographic evidence of acute ischemia or active conduction system abnormalities
Able to be off prednisone or other immunosuppressive medications for at least 3 days prior to natural killer (NK) cell infusion (excluding denileukin diftitox pre-meds)
Women of child bearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test within 14 days prior to study registration and agree to use adequate birth control during study treatment.
Voluntary written consent

Exclusion Criteria

Bi-phenotypic acute leukemia
Transplant < 60 days prior to study enrollment
New or progressive pulmonary infiltrates on screening chest x-ray or chest computated tomography (CT) scan that has not been evaluated with bronchoscopy, if feasible. Infiltrates attributed to infection must be stable/improving (with associated clinical improvement) after 1 week of appropriate therapy (4 weeks for presumed or documented fungal infections). Surgical resection waives any waiting requirements.
Uncontrolled bacterial or viral infections - chronic asymptomatic viral hepatitis is allowed
Pleural effusion large enough to be detectable on chest x-ray
Known hypersensitivity to any of the study agents used
Received investigational drugs within the 14 days before enrollment
Known active CNS involvement

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Treated Patients	Natural Killer Cells	Patients are treated with donor natural killer cells, fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, Denileukin diftitox, Donor lymphapheresis and IL-2.
Treated Patients	Donor lymphapheresis	Patients are treated with donor natural killer cells, fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, Denileukin diftitox, Donor lymphapheresis and IL-2.
Treated Patients	Fludarabine	Patients are treated with donor natural killer cells, fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, Denileukin diftitox, Donor lymphapheresis and IL-2.
Treated Patients	Cyclophosphamide	Patients are treated with donor natural killer cells, fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, Denileukin diftitox, Donor lymphapheresis and IL-2.
Treated Patients	Denileukin diftitox	Patients are treated with donor natural killer cells, fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, Denileukin diftitox, Donor lymphapheresis and IL-2.
Treated Patients	IL-2	Patients are treated with donor natural killer cells, fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, Denileukin diftitox, Donor lymphapheresis and IL-2.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Percent of Patients With Successful Expansion of Natural Killer Cells After Infusion	Day 14	The primary objective of this study was to estimate the incidence of in vivo expansion of natural killer (NK) cells 14 days after infusion of an allogeneic donor product enriched for NK progenitors. Successful in vivo donor NK cell expansion was defined by measuring an absolute circulating donor-derived NK cell count of \>100 cells/ul in the patient's peripheral blood 14 days after infusion.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Percent of Patients With Complete Remission of Disease	At least 4 weeks after last dose (28 days)	Disease response was defined as complete remission (disease response) by morphologic criteria including \<5% blasts in a moderately cellular or cellular marrow. Complete remission was also correlated with NK cell expansion in vivo, IL-15 levels and donor/recipient KIR B genotyping, and Treg depletion.
Percent of Patients With Disease Free Survival	Month 6	Number of patients alive and disease free at 6 months. The length of time after treatment ends that a patient survives without any signs or symptoms of that cancer or any other type of cancer. In a clinical trial, measuring the disease-free survival is one way to see how well a new treatment works.
Percent of Patients With Natural Killer Cell Expansion Versus KIR Genotype Versus Treg Depletion	Day 14	Association between in vivo natural killer (NK) cell expansion and complete response without platelet recovery (CRp) with donor killer immunoglobulin-like (KIR) genotype and Treg depletion. In vivo donor NK cell expansion was correlated with regulatory T-cell (Treg) depletion as detected on flow cytometry.
Percent of Patients With Incidence of Relapse	Month 6	Number of patients who have had a relapse(the return of disease after its apparent recovery/cessation) after obtaining a complete remission of their disease.
Number of Patients With Treatment-Related Death	Day 100	Number of patients who died within the first 100 days of treatment due to toxicity.