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RecruitingNCT02772367Updated Jun 3, 2026

Generation of Heart Muscle Cells From Blood or Skin Cells of Breast Cancer Patients

An observational study in Breast Cancer, sponsored by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-03.

Sponsored by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · Observational

From the registry’s dates

  • Started May 2016; still recruiting 10 years 6 months later.
Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
120
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether cells from a biopsy taken from the patient skin can be transformed into cardiomyocytes the changes in cardiomyocyte (heart muscle cells) when grown in a special culture medium outside of the body. The structure and function of these cells will then be studied to determine why some patients with breast cancer who are treated with chemotherapy including anthracycline (e.g. Doxorubicin) and anti-HER2 therapy (e.g. Herceptin) develop decreased heart function.

02

Conditions studied

  • Breast Cancer

Keywords

  • cardiotoxicity
  • 16-025
03

In context

Breast Neoplasms

14,825 studies on the registry are indexed under Breast Neoplasms; 3,319 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 120 is below the median of 184 across 3,235 observational studies indexed under Breast Neoplasms.

Browse Breast Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is the lead sponsor of 1,964 studies on the registry; 327 are open to participants now.

Of its 135 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 71 (53%) have results posted.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Potential research subjects will be identified by a member of the patient's treatment team, the protocol investigator, or research team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC).

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

  • Female
  • Age greater than 18 years
  • Willing to participate in protocol procedures with signed
  • Assessment of LVEE via echocardiogram, cardiac MRI, or

Subjects in the cardiotoxicity group (TOX) must meet the following criteria:

  • History of positive breast cancer (stage I-IV)
  • Prior/current treatment with anthracycline based chemotherapy followed by anti-HER2 directed therapy or anti-HER2 directed therapy alone
  • Assessment of LVEF at baseline prior to initiation of anthracycline or anti-HER2 therapy and during anti-HER2 therapy via echocardiogram, cardiac MRI, or MUGA
  • Prior confirmed diagnosis of cardiotoxicity associated with anti-HER2 based therapy, defined as a decrease in LVEF > 10% from baseline to \< 53% with symptoms of heart failure ( class II-IV).

Subjects in the no cardiotoxicity group (NO-TOX) must meet the following criteria:

  • History of HER2 positive breast cancer (stage I-IV)
  • Completion of planned anthracycline and anti-HER2 therapy, or anti-HER2 therapy alone
  • No symptoms of heart failure (NYHA class II-IV) during and at the end of anthracycline and anti-HER2 therapy
  • Assessment of LVEF at baseline prior to innitiation of anthracycline or anti-HER2 therapy and during anti-HER2 therapy via echocardiogram, cardiac MRI, or MUGA
  • Normal LVEF >53% at each assessment during and at the end of trastuzumab therapy.
  • Maximum absolute decrease in LVEF \<5% from baseline during and at the end of trastuzumab therapy.
  • LVEF assessment performed at baseline and at least two time points during trastuzumab therapy.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Unwilling or unable to give skin
  • to punch biopsy including but not limited to bleeding diathesis, as determined by the investigator.
  • Known pre-existing CV disease prior to initiation of breast cancer therapy as determined by the investigator, including

    • Obstructive coronary artery disease (stenosis >70%)
    • Arrhythmia - paroxysmal or persistent atrial arrhythmias, sustained ventricular tachycardia (>30 seconds), ventricular fibrillation, or cardiac arrest
    • Cardiomyopathy (EF \<53%)
    • Heart failure ( class II-IV)
    • Valvular heart disease with equal to or greater than moderate stenosis or regurgitation
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(6)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction)

The share of blood the heart’s main pumping chamber (the left ventricle) pushes out with each beat, measured by an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) or a MUGA scan. About 50–70% is normal.

HER2

HER2 is a protein, made from the ERBB2 gene, that drives the growth of some cancers. A study may look for a level of the protein, extra copies of the gene, or a particular change in it.

In breast cancer, protein tests are read as HER2-positive, HER2-low or HER2-negative; other cancers use their own rules. Check which test result the study requires.

NYHA class (heart failure)

The New York Heart Association’s four classes of how much heart failure limits physical activity.

I
No limits: ordinary activity causes no undue tiredness or breathlessness.
II
Slight limits: comfortable at rest, ordinary activity causes symptoms.
III
Marked limits: comfortable at rest, less than ordinary activity causes symptoms.
IV
Symptoms even at rest; any activity makes them worse.

Studies set their own limit — many outside heart failure leave out class III–IV, while heart failure studies may ask for a particular class. Check the class this study names.

Biopsy and archival tissue

A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.

Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
120 participants (estimated)
Patient registry
No
Biospecimen retention
Samples without dna

Groups and cohorts

  • Breast Cancer Patients

    In study participants undergoing breast reconstruction surgery prior to breast radiation therapy, we will obtain skin tissue at the time of reconstruction surgery from the surgical specimen.

    Procedure: skin punch biopsy

Interventions

  • Procedureskin punch biopsy

This study also gives Trastuzumab. No intervention listed here names it: that was found by reading the record.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. derive iPSs from skin fibroblasts

    described by Yamanaka et al with modification using the Millipore STEMCCA excisable polycystronic lentivirus reprogramming kit.2

    Time frame: 1 day

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
    New York, New York 10065, United States
    Recruiting
    • Angel Chan, MD, PhD · Contact212-639-7217
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References and documents

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Started May 2016 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for May 2027, 132 months after the start.

Of 1,191 non-industry observational studies under Breast Neoplasms, half reached primary completion within 58 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 25 and three quarters within 139. This study's planned 132 months is above that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 1,380 studies reached it within 55 months; a quarter within 25 and three quarters within 126.

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

Registered
May 11, 2016
First posted
May 13, 2016
StartActual
May 11, 2016
Primary completionEst.
May 2027
CompletionEst.
May 2027
Last update
Jun 3, 2026
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 Jun 3, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02772367
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
May 13, 2016
Start date
May 11, 2016
Primary completion
May 2027 (estimated)
Completion
May 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Jun 3, 2026

Study contacts

Angel Chan, MD, PhD
Contact
chana5@mskcc.org
212-639-7217
Richard Steingart, MD
Contact
212-639-8488
Angel Chan, MD, PhD
principal investigator · Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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