Solid Neoplasm clinical trials at UC Davis

This phase 1/2 trial tests the safety and effectiveness of a cancer vaccine called Labvax 3(22)-23 and GM-CSF alone or in combination with pembrolizumab in treating adenocarcinoma that has spread to other places in the body (advanced stage). Labvax 3(22)-23 is designed to target a specific antigen (labyrinthin), which is a protein found on the surface of adenocarcinoma tumor cells. Labyrinthin is a protein that is not expressed on normal cells in the skin, lungs, salivary glands, pancreas, nor other tissues. In adenocarcinoma, the tumor cells produce too much labyrinthin causing them to express this protein on the surface of the tumor cells. One way to control the growth of these tumor cells is to teach the immune system to generate an immune response against the labyrinthin protein by vaccination against labyrinthin. GM-CSF, or sargramostim, is a protein that acts as a white blood cell growth factor. It has also been shown to stimulate immune system. Thus, administration of GM-CSF may help to boost the immune system response when given together with the vaccine. This study may improve the general knowledge about Labvax 3(22)-23 and how the body may generate an immune response to kill adenocarcinoma tumor cells. In the second phase of the study, participants will also receive pembrolizumab, which may improve anti-cancer activity when given with Labvax 3(22)-23 and GM-CSF.

This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of novobiocin in treating cancer patients with alterations in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair genes. Novobiocin is an antibiotic that blocks the activity of a protein called DNA polymerase theta, which helps repair DNA that has become damaged as cells grow and divide. Cancer cells that cannot repair their damaged DNA die. This medication may help shrink or stabilize cancer with a mutation in DNA repair genes.

The dose escalation phase of this trial identifies the safety, side effects and best dose of ceralasertib (AZD6738) when given in combination with trastuzumab deruxtecan (DS-8201a) in treating patients with solid tumors that have a change (mutation) in the HER2 gene or protein and have spread to other places in the body (advanced). The dose expansion phase (phase Ib) of this trial compares how colorectal and gastroesophageal cancers with HER2 mutation respond to treatment with a combination of ceralasertib and trastuzumab deruxtecan versus trastuzumab deruxtecan alone. Ceralasertib may stop the growth of tumor cells and may kill them by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Trastuzumab deruxtecan is a monoclonal antibody, called trastuzumab, linked to a chemotherapy drug, called deruxtecan. Trastuzumab attaches to HER2 positive cancer cells in a targeted way and delivers deruxtecan to kill them. Ceralasertib and trastuzumab deruxtecan may be safe, tolerable and effective in treating patients with advanced solid tumors expressing the HER2 protein or gene.

This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of neratinib in combination with trastuzumab deruxtecan in treating patients with solid tumors that have spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic) or that cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable), and have changes in a gene called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Neratinib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It works by blocking the action of an abnormal protein that signals tumor cells to multiply. This helps slow or stop the spread of tumor cells. Trastuzumab deruxtecan is in a class of medications called antibody-drug conjugates. It is composed of a monoclonal antibody, called trastuzumab, linked to a chemotherapy drug, called deruxtecan. Trastuzumab attaches to HER2 positive tumor cells in a targeted way and delivers deruxtecan to kill them. Adding neratinib to trastuzumab deruxtecan may be able to shrink cancer with a change in the HER2 gene.

This phase I clinical trial tests the immune effects of fermented wheat germ in patients with advanced solid tumor cancers who are being treated with standard of care checkpoint inhibitors. Fermented wheat germ is a nutritional supplement that some claim is a "dietary food for special medical purposes for cancer patients" to support them in treatment. There have also been claims that fermented wheat germ is "clinically proven" and "recognized by medical experts" to "enhance oncological treatment" and boost immune response to cancer; however, there are currently no documented therapeutic effects of fermented wheat germ as a nutritional supplement. Checkpoint inhibitors, given as part of standard of care for advanced solid tumors, are a type of immunotherapy that may help the body's immune system attack the cancer and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. The information gained from this trial may allow researchers to determine if there is any value of giving fermented wheat germ with standard of care checkpoint inhibitors for patients with advanced solid tumor malignancies.

This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects and best dose of TR-002 for the treatment of solid tumors that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced), that cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable), that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic) and unresectable or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma that does not respond to treatment (refractory). Chemotherapy drugs, such as TR-002, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. TR-002 may be safe and tolerable in treating patients with advanced, unresectable or metastatic solid tumors and unresectable or metastatic, refractory pancreatic adenocarcinoma.