Could your own immune cells fight brain tumors? new trial tests lifileucel
NCT ID NCT05640193
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This early-phase trial is testing a personalized cell therapy called lifileucel in 10 people with melanoma that has spread to the brain and is no longer responding to standard immunotherapy. Doctors remove a piece of the tumor, grow the patient's own immune cells in the lab, and then infuse them back after a short course of chemotherapy. The main goal is to see if this approach is feasible and safe in this specific group of patients.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Lifileucel (a personalized cell therapy made from the patient's own tumor-fighting immune cells)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new treatment option for melanoma that has spread to the brain and stopped responding to standard immunotherapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small pilot trial with only 10 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The therapy involves surgery and strong chemotherapy, which carry serious risks.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
-
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (All Protocol Activities)
New York, New York, 10065, United States
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