Universal Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF)-Producing and CD40L Expressing Bystander Cell Line for Tumor Vaccine in Melanoma

The vaccine will be made by mixing two kinds of cells: 1) some of the patient's own malignant melanoma cells which were removed by surgery and then processed in the Cell Therapy Laboratory, and 2) experimental "bystander" cells. All the cells in the vaccine will be treated with high-dose X-rays to make sure that none of them grow and cause more cancer. The bystander cells, called "GM.CD40L", are human cells that have been genetically changed. The original cells, called K562, had the genes for human GM-CSF and CD40L inserted into them. These changes are designed to help boost the patient's immune system to better fight the cancer in their body.