Cellular Immune Augmentation in Colon and Rectal Cancer

Summary

While new treatments for metastatic and recurrent colorectal cancer have become available over the past several years, this disease remains incurable with a limited life expectancy from the time of diagnosis. New strategies for treatment of disseminated colorectal cancer are needed. Under this proposal, patients with advanced colorectal cancer will receive Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) to stimulate endogenous dendritic cells and enhance anti-tumor immune mechanisms. This will be combined with standard chemotherapy and patients will be followed for response and overall survival. Detailed correlative laboratory analysis will also be performed to define the extent of dendritic cell and cellular immune system stimulation.

Timeline

Start

2003-04

Primary completion

2007-01

Completion

2007-01

Publications

• Martinez M, Ono N, Planutiene M, Planutis K, Nelson EL, Holcombe RF. Granulocyte-macrophage stimulating factor (GM-CSF) increases circulating dendritic cells but does not abrogate suppression of adaptive cellular immunity in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receiving chemotherapy. Cancer Cell Int. 2012 Jan 23;12(1):2. doi: 10.1186/1475-2867-12-2.

Drugs

Indications