Dendritic Cell (DC)/Myeloma Fusions in Combination With Nivolumab in Patients With Relapsed Multiple Myeloma
Description
This research study is a Phase II clinical trial. Phase II clinical trials test the safety and effectiveness of an investigational drug to learn whether the drug works in treating a specific disease. "Investigational" means that the drug is being studied.
The FDA (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) has not approved the DC/MM vaccine as a treatment for any disease.
The FDA has not approved nivolumab for multiple myeloma. A similar immunotherapy drug used in combination with IMiDs (drugs that regulate or modify the immune system) was associated with higher risk of death in another research trial in patients with multiple myeloma; however, nivolumab has been approved for use in several other types of cancers.
The FDA has not approved the combination of nivolumab with the DC/MM vaccine as a treatment for any disease.
In this research study, the investigators wish to determine whether nivolumab administered in combination with the DC/MM vaccine will help promote an immune response against multiple myeloma cells.
An immune response is any reaction by the immune system. It helps the body distinguish itself from substances foreign to it, such as infections and dangerous substances. Cancer cells have unique markers that distinguish them from normal cells, which can potentially serve as targets for the immune system.
The DC/MM vaccine is an investigational agent that tries to help the immune system recognize and fight against cancer cells, utilizing those unique markers. Unlike a standard vaccine that is used to prevent infections, cancer vaccines are being studied to see if they can fight cancers that are already in the body. Laboratory studies suggest that when dendritic cells (a type of immune cell that helps to tell your immune system what is good and what is bad) and tumor cells are brought together, the dendritic cells can stimulate immune responses against the tumor.
Nivolumab is a monoclonal antibody. Antibodies are part of your immune system; they are a type of protein that protects the body against foreign invaders, called antigens, by grabbing hold of antigens to stop them from invading your system. Monoclonal indicated that this antibody was made in a lab. Nivolumab has been shown to react against cancer cells, including MM cells. The investigators hope that the addition of nivolumab with the DC/MM vaccine will help the body fight MM
