Vaccine Therapy With or Without Interleukin-2 in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from white blood cells treated with antigens may make the body build an immune response to kill melanoma cells. Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill tumor cells. Combining vaccine therapy with interleukin-2 may kill more melanoma cells. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and how well giving vaccine therapy and interleukin-2 works compared to vaccine therapy alone in treating patients with metastatic melanoma that has not responded to previous therapy.

OBJECTIVES: * Evaluate the toxicity, immunologic reactivity, and possible therapeutic efficacy of immunization with dendritic cells presenting the MART-1 and gp100 melanoma antigens with or without interleukin-2 in patients with metastatic melanoma. OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study of dendritic cells pulsed with MART-1 and gp100 antigens. Patients receive vaccinations with dendritic cells pulsed with MART-1 and gp100 antigens, either intralymphatically every 4 weeks for 2 doses, or IV every 3 weeks for 4 doses. Some patients also receive interleukin-2 subcutaneously or IV, over 3-5 days, beginning 24 hours after immunization. Cohorts of 2-9 patients receive escalating doses of pulsed dendritic cells IV until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. Subsequent cohorts receive cells with or without interleukin-2. One cohort may expand to 15 patients to determine the accuracy of immunologic response to the vaccine. One cohort of 11 patients receives cells intralymphatically without interleukin-2 every 3-4 weeks for 2 courses. Patients with stable disease or who achieve minor, mixed, or partial response may be retreated. Patients with stable or responding disease undergo a second course of vaccination. Patients who completed treatment with vaccine alone and have stable disease, progressive disease, disease progression after a response, or a partial response with no further improvement may receive 2 additional courses. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 10-42 patients will be accrued for this study.