Could your own tumor cells fight cancer? new trial tests immune cell therapy
NCT ID NCT01174121
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 7 times
Summary
This phase 2 trial tests whether specially selected immune cells taken from a patient's own tumor, grown in large numbers in the lab, and given back along with the drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) can shrink tumors in people with metastatic colorectal, pancreatic, ovarian, breast, or neuroendocrine cancers. Participants first undergo surgery to remove a tumor for cell production, then receive chemotherapy to prepare their body, followed by the cell infusion and pembrolizumab. The study aims to see if this combination is safe and effective for cancers that have not responded to standard treatments.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a new treatment option for several hard-to-treat metastatic cancers that have not responded to standard therapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase trial with a small number of participants, so results may not apply to all patients. The treatment involves intensive chemotherapy and hospital stays, and may cause serious side effects.
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
Locations
-
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
RECRUITINGBethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
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