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WithdrawnNCT00328887Updated May 3, 2016

Safety Study on the Transfer of the CD40 Ligand Gene (AdcuCD40L) to Patients With Esophageal Carcinoma

A Phase 1 interventional study of CD40 Gene Transfer in Esophageal Neoplasms, sponsored by Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Withdrawn at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2016-05-03.

Sponsored by Weill Medical College of Cornell University · Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was withdrawn
No funding was obtained for this study. No subject were receruited.
Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
0
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
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Study summary

This a pilot clinical study focused on enhancing the patient's anti-tumor immune response in individuals with esophageal cancer by altering the genetic repertoire of the tumors to express CD40L, an activator of dendritic cells. This will be accomplished by endoscopic administration to the tumors of AdcuCD40L, an adenovirus gene transfer vector expressing the coding sequence of the human CD40L cDNA. This study is designed to assess the hypothesis that it is safe to administer the AdcuCD40L vector to individuals with esophageal cancer.

Read the detailed description

Esophageal cancer is a deadly disease, with only slow advances in therapy over several decades, despite a rapid increase in incidence. Esophageal cancer is estimated to be the seventh most common malignancy worldwide, with incidence rates reaching epidemic proportions in select regions in Asia and Africa. In the United States, it is estimated that 12,300 new cases were diagnosed in 2000, however, the incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus is currently rising faster than that of any other human malignant tumor in this country. Despite advances in surgical technique, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and early detection, only 12% of patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer will survive more than five years, a cure rate more dismal than that seen with cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, and even lung. Survival following treatment for esophageal cancer is stage dependent. This study is directed towards augmenting host anti-tumor immunity by using gene transfer to activate dendritic cells (DC; cells of our immune system that play a central role in initiating immune responses) in tumors of patients with esophageal cancer. Based on extensive pre-clinical data, two proposed clinical trial protocols will evaluate the concept that transient modification of the genetic repertoire of esophageal tumors to express CD40 Ligand (CD40L; a potent activator of DC) will induce the accumulation of activated DC within the tumor, and the in vivo interaction of DC with the tumor cells/tumor antigens will induce tumor-specific immunity. To assess this concept, an adenovirus (Ad) vector (AdcuCD40L) will be used to transfer and transiently express the human CD40L cDNA in esophageal carcinoma by direct injection into the tumor. Phase I represents a dose escalation study to determine the maximum tolerated dose of the vector and will include 12 individuals with unresectable, stage III or IV esophageal cancer. Phase II is a randomized, double-blinded assessment of biologic efficacy and will include 24 individuals with resectable, stage I-III disease who will be undergoing potentially curative resection. Together, both protocols are designed to assess two hypotheses. First, that it is safe to administer the AdcuCD40L vector to individuals with esophageal cancer. Second, that intratumoral administration of the AdCUCD40L vector will induce both the accumulation, in the tumor and in regional lymph nodes, of activated DC, and CD8+ T cells (and other inflammatory cells), including T cells exhibiting tumor-specific responses, as well as systemic antitumor immunity.

02

Conditions studied

  • Esophageal Neoplasms

Keywords

  • Esophageal Neoplasms
03

In context

Esophageal Neoplasms

1,631 studies on the registry are indexed under Esophageal Neoplasms; 469 are open to participants now.

Browse Esophageal Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

Weill Medical College of Cornell University is the lead sponsor of 890 studies on the registry; 164 are open to participants now.

Of its 123 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 94 (76%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Must be capable of providing informed consent
  • Males and females, age 18 to 75 years
  • Hematocrit > 30%
  • WBC \< 10,000
  • Normal prothrombin, partial thromboplastin time; platelet count > 100,000
  • Normal liver-related serum parameters
  • Blood urea nitrogen \< 60 mg/dL, creatinine \< 2.5 mg/dl
  • No evidence of active infection of any type, including with adenovirus, hepatitis virus (A, B or C) or human immunodeficiency virus
  • No evidence of central nervous system, major psychiatric, musculoskeletal or immune disorder
  • No allergy to the vehicle used to suspend the virus or contrast materials used in radiographic procedures
  • Fertile or infertile individuals; it will be recommended that fertile individuals utilize barrier birth control measures to prevent pregnancy during and for 1 month following the administration of the vector
  • Biopsy proven esophageal cancer; stage IIIB or IV; no chemotherapy for 4 weeks prior to vector dosing; and no chemotherapy or radiation for 4 weeks after vector dosing. Patients must have viable tumor in the esophagus (or gastroesophageal junction). In addition, patients must be (1) be untreated; or, (2) show endoscopic evidence of persistence of disease after treatment with conventional chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or both
  • Individuals not receiving experimental medications or participating in another experimental protocol for at least 4 weeks prior to entry to the study.
  • The study individual must be able to undergo the procedures in the protocol
  • Willingness to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals who do not meet the inclusion criteria will be unable to participate in the protocol
  • Individuals in whom participation in the study would compromise the normal care and expected progression of their disease
  • Individuals receiving corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive medications; previous splenectomy or radiation to the spleen; autoimmune disease
  • Recent (less than 6 wk) cerebral vascular accident
  • Recent (less than 6 wk) transmural myocardial infarction
  • Evidence of infection defined by elevated white blood cell count, temperature > 38.5oC or infiltrate on chest x-ray
  • Cervical esophageal cancer
  • Gastric cancer (tumor more than 50% in the stomach as determined by endoscopy)
  • Lack of viable esophageal tumor (applies only to pretreated patients)
  • Pathology other than squamous cell or adenocarcinoma
  • Malignant ventricular arrhythmia
  • Pregnancy
  • Immunodeficiency disease, including evidence of HIV infection
  • Current alcohol or drug abuse
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Study design

Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
0 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    CD40 Gene Transfer

    Recruitment will be random from the referral base of the investigators from the popula¬tion of individuals with esophageal cancer defined by the protocol inclu¬sion/exclusion criteria.

    Genetic: CD40 Gene Transfer

Interventions

  • GeneticCD40 Gene Transfer

    gene transfer, intratumoral administration

    Also known as: CD40 Ligand Gene (AdcuCD40L)

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Since this is a dose escalation, phase I design to evaluate toxicity, the analysis for this section will be purely descriptive. Adverse events will be considered on an individual basis.

    Time frame: 8 months

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Study locations

2 sites
  • The Valley Hospital
    Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450, United States
  • Weill Medical College of Cornell University
    New York, New York 10021, United States
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
Not marked actual or estimatedDates not marked actual or estimated

The record gives a start of Nov 2004, a primary completion of Jul 2010 and a completion of Jul 2010. It does not say whether these dates are actual or estimated.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
May 22, 2006
First posted
May 24, 2006
Start
Nov 2004
Primary completionActual
Jul 2010
CompletionActual
Jul 2010
Last update
May 3, 2016
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 3, 2016, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00328887
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
May 24, 2006
Start date
Nov 2004
Primary completion
Jul 2010
Completion
Jul 2010
Last update
May 3, 2016

Study contacts

Ronald G Crystal, MD
principal investigator · Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is withdrawn, as verified in May 2016. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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