Gene-Modified White Blood Cells Followed By Interleukin-2 and Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Diagnosis of melanoma
• * Metastatic disease
• Measurable disease
• Refractory to standard therapy, including high-dose interleukin-2 therapy
• HLA-A\*0201 positive
• Progressive disease during prior immunization to melanoma antigens OR prior treatment with anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 monoclonal antibody (MDX-010) cellular therapy with or without myeloablation allowed provided toxicity resolved to ≤ grade 2 (except vitiligo) AND patient does not require systemic steroids
• No brain metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-1
• Life expectancy
• More than 3 months
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin \> 8.0 g/dL
• Lymphocyte count \> 500/mm\^3
• WBC \> 3,000/mm\^3
• No coagulation disorders
• Hepatic
• AST and ALT \< 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dL (3.0 mg/dL in patients with Gilbert's syndrome)
• Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
• Hepatitis C antibody negative (unless antigen negative)
• Renal
• Creatinine ≤ 1.6 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular
• LVEF ≥ 45% by cardiac stress test
• * No LVEF \< 45% in patients ≥ 50 years of age
• No myocardial infarction
• No cardiac arrhythmias
• No symptomatic cardiac ischemia
• No prior EKG abnormalities
• No other major cardiovascular illness
• Pulmonary
• FEV\_1 ≥ 60% of predicted AND no obstructive or restrictive pulmonary disease
• No symptoms of respiratory dysfunction
• No other major respiratory illness
• Immunologic
• HIV negative
• Epstein-Barr virus positive
• No active systemic infections (including opportunistic infections)
• No form of primary (e.g., autoimmune colitis or Crohn's disease) or secondary immunodeficiency (due to chemotherapy or radiotherapy)
• No prior severe immediate hypersensitivity reaction to any of the study agents including eggs
• No other major illness of the immune system
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 month after study participation
• Willing to complete a durable power of attorney (DPA)
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 6 weeks since prior MDX-010
• Chemotherapy
• Not specified
• Endocrine therapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent systemic steroid therapy
• Radiotherapy
• Not specified
• Surgery
• Not specified
• Other
• More than 4 weeks since other prior systemic therapy and recovered