I New types of therapy which utilize the immune system to help fight the cancer may be able to 
get rid of tumor cells that may have remained after conventional treatment with chemotherapy, 
bone marrow transplant and or radiation, or may also be useful in treating tumor which has 
remained following standard therapy. I understand that I (my child/ward) will be treated with a 
new tumor cell preparation that is administered by injection under the skin. The tumor cell that 
we will use is made by taking neuroblastoma cells from me (my child/ward) or from another 
child with neuroblastoma by biopsy of a tumor mass, or bone marrow aspiration/ In the 
laboratory the tumor cells are altered by putting in new genetic material (DNA) which is 
expressed in the tumor cell. The tumor cells now make a protein called gamma interferon 
•c which is thought to activate the immune system. It is hoped that gamma interferon produced 
I by the tumor cells might "turn on" the immune system, so that it may potentially fight against 
tumor cells left in the body. The DNA that makes gamma interferon is put into tumor cells by 
I infecting them with a weakened mouse virus called a retroviral vector which carries this DNA. 
This virus has been altered in the laboratories so it should not grow further or cause a viral 
infection in other cells after being inserted into the tumor cells. Tumor cells which carry the 
new DNA will be irradiated with x-rays before being injected into the skin so that they will no 
longer be able to grow. It is hoped that after injection they might act to increase the body's 
immune reactivity to the tumor resulting in the killing of tumor cells remaining in my (my 
[ child/ward's) body. 
The purpose of this study is to; 
1 . Determine the maximal tolerated dose and side effects of the genetically engineered tumor 
ceU treatment. 
2. To provide information which is helpful in the development of new and similar treatment 
programs in the future. 
To determine the maximal tolerated tumor cell dose, the treatment will start at a low dose 
thought to be tolerable. If tolerated, the dose will then be increased for the next group until 
significant side effects are seen or until the maximal dose envisioned in this study is being 
administered. Each patient will however, receive a preset dose of cells. 
Procedures 
The genetically engineered tumor cell treatment is made in the laboratory under sterile 
conditions from neuroblastoma cells found in the blood, bone marrow or biopsy of a tumor 
from me (my child/ward) or another child with neuroblastoma, if my (my child/ward) own 
Recombinant DNA Research, Volume 19 
[109] 
