Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic renal cell carcinoma or
colorectal carcinoma, meeting 1 of the following criteria:

- Obtained no benefit from prior standard or salvage therapy

- Ineligible for standard therapy because of concurrent illness

- Declined standard therapy

- At least 1 site of measurable disease that can be measured in at least 1 dimension

- At least 20 mm with conventional techniques OR at least 10 mm with spiral CT
scan

- No untreated or unstable, treated brain metastasis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 18 and over

Performance status:

- ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

- More than 3 months

Hematopoietic:

- WBC at least 4,000/mm^3

- Granulocyte count at least 2,000/mm^3

- Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

- Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL

- No coagulation disorders

Hepatic:

- Bilirubin no greater than 2.5 mg/dL*

- ALT/AST less than 3 times upper limit of normal*

- PT no greater than 1.5 times control (unless therapeutically anticoagulated)

- PTT less than 1.5 times control (unless therapeutically anticoagulated) NOTE:
*Patients whose cancer has led to values that do not fall within the above ranges may
be eligible at the discretion of the investigators

Renal:

- Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL* NOTE: *Patients whose cancer has led to values
that do not fall within the above range may be eligible at the discretion of the
investigators

Cardiovascular:

- No symptomatic congestive heart failure

- No unstable angina pectoris

- No cardiac arrhythmia

- No thrombophlebitis

Pulmonary:

- FEV_1 and FVC at least 65% predicted

- No uncontrolled pulmonary embolism

Other:

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except resected basal cell skin cancer or
carcinoma in situ of the cervix

- No prior allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic
composition to interleukin-12-primed activated T cells or other study agents

- No active autoimmune disease

- No uncontrolled thyroid abnormalities

- No ongoing or active infection

- No other uncontrolled concurrent illness

- No psychiatric illness or social situations that would preclude study compliance

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for up to 2 years after
study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy

Chemotherapy:

- More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)
and recovered

Endocrine therapy:

- At least 4 weeks since prior steroid therapy or steroid-containing compounds

- At least 2 weeks since prior topical or inhaled steroids

Radiotherapy:

- More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered

Surgery:

- More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery

Other:

- No other concurrent investigational agents

- No other concurrent commercial anticancer agents

- No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients