Immunotherapy after ASCT for MM Using hTERT Vaccination + Vaccine-primed T cells

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): High-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) provides myeloma patients with the best opportunity for complete remission and long-term survival. However, relapses are common and the likelihood of cure is probably no better than 10%. Adoptive transfer of in-vivo vaccine-primed and ex-vivo costimulated autologous T-cells early after autotransplantation for myeloma followed by booster immunizations augments T-cell recovery and restoration of vaccine-specific T-cell and B-cell responses. The hypothesis behind the current project is that combination immunotherapy using a putative tumor vaccine and infusions of vaccine-primed and ex-vivo costimulated T-cells may generate anti-tumor immune responses in the post-transplant setting. The tumor vaccine for this study will be a multi-peptide vaccine containing HLA-A2 restricted epitopes from hTERT (catalytic subunit of human telomerase) and survivin (anti-apoptotic protein) - which are widely expressed in myeloma cells. The long-term objective is to develop a strategy for inducing clinically meaningful anti-myeloma immune responses in the post-autotransplant setting which can delay or prevent relapses. Specific Aims AIM 1: To conduct a trial in which HLA A2+ patients who are autografted for myeloma receive a multi-peptide vaccine containing HLA A2 - restricted peptides from hTERT and survivin plus vaccine-primed and ex-vivo costimulated T-cells and to evaluate the safety of this combined approach in comparison to an HLA A2 negative cohort of patients who receive costimulated T- cells and a pneumococcal conjugate (PCV) control vaccine (PCV) only. AIM 2: To assay for development of cellular immune responses to the hTERT multi-peptide vaccine in the cohort of HLA A2+ patients who receive the combination of the multi-peptide vaccine and the vaccine-primed and costimulated T-cells.