A Phase 1 interventional study of HER2-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell in Central Nervous System Tumor, Pediatric, Glioma and Ependymoma, sponsored by Seattle Children's Hospital. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 1 Year to 26 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-12-17.
Sponsored by Seattle Children's Hospital · Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment
This is a Phase 1 study of central nervous system (CNS) locoregional adoptive therapy with autologous CD4 and CD8 T cells lentivirally transduced to express a HER2-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and EGFRt, delivered by an indwelling catheter in the tumor resection cavity or ventricular system in children and young adults with recurrent or refractory HER2-positive CNS tumors. A child or young adult with a refractory or recurrent CNS tumor will have their tumor tested for HER2 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) at their home institution or at Seattle Children's Hospital. If the tumor is HER2 positive and the patient meets all other eligibility criteria, including having a CNS catheter placed into the tumor resection cavity or into their ventricular system, and meets none of the exclusion criteria, then they can be apheresed, meaning T cells will be collected. The T cells will then be bioengineered into a second-generation CAR T cell that targets HER2-expressing tumor cells. The patient's newly engineered T cells will then be administered via the indwelling CNS catheter for two courses. In the first course they will receive a weekly dose of CAR T cells for three weeks, followed by a week off, an examination period, and then another course of weekly doses for three weeks. Following the two courses, patient's will undergo a series of studies including MRI to evaluate the effect of the CAR T cells and may have the opportunity to continue receiving additional courses of CAR T cells if the patient has not had adverse effects and if more of their T cells are available.
The hypothesis is that an adequate amount of HER2-specific CAR T cells can be manufactured to complete two courses of treatment with three doses given on a weekly schedule followed by one week off in each course. The other hypothesis is that HER-specific CAR T cells safely can be administered through an indwelling CNS catheter to allow the T cells to directly interact with the tumor cells for each patient enrolled on the study safely can be delivered directly into the brain via indwelling catheter. Secondary aims of the study will include to evaluate CAR T cell distribution with the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the extent to which CAR T cells egress or traffic into the peripheral circulation or blood stream, and, if tissues samples from multiple time points are available, also evaluate the degree of HER2 expression at diagnosis versus at recurrence.
66 studies on the registry are indexed under Pinealoma; 11 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 10 is below the median of 26 across 43 interventional studies indexed under Pinealoma.
Browse Pinealoma studies →Seattle Children's Hospital is the lead sponsor of 215 studies on the registry; 44 are open to participants now.
Compared within Pinealoma, this study's primary condition as ClinicalTrials.gg classifies it; the registry's first condition term is Central Nervous System Neoplasms. The counts are of registry records indexed under each term, refreshed daily. How we classify →
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.
If patient does not have previously obtained apheresis product, patient must have recovered from acute toxic effects of all prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy and discontinue the following prior to enrollment:
Exclusion Criteria:
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.
The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).
Your pathology report is the document that shows this.
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.
Relapsed: the illness came back after treatment had worked. Refractory: it did not respond to treatment, or stopped responding while still on it.
The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.
A 0–100 scale of how well someone can carry out everyday activities. 100 is no complaints and no signs of illness; 70 is able to look after yourself but not to work or keep up normal activity; 50 is needing considerable help and frequent medical care.
Studies often ask for 60 or 70 and above. Your doctor gives the score.
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Histologically or cytologically confirmed
The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).
Your pathology report is the document that shows this.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Relapsed and refractory
Relapsed: the illness came back after treatment had worked. Refractory: it did not respond to treatment, or stopped responding while still on it.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Life expectancy
The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Karnofsky performance status (KPS)
A 0–100 scale of how well someone can carry out everyday activities. 100 is no complaints and no signs of illness; 70 is able to look after yourself but not to work or keep up normal activity; 50 is needing considerable help and frequent medical care.
Studies often ask for 60 or 70 and above. Your doctor gives the score.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Corticosteroids (steroids)
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraception
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Cancer (malignancy)
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
patients with supratentorial tumors for which CAR T cells will be delivered into the tumor resection cavity Intervention: HER2-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell
Biological: HER2-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell
patients with either infratentorial tumors or leptomeningeal tumors for which the CAR T cells will be delivered into the fourth ventricle or lateral ventricle, respectively Intervention: HER2-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell
Biological: HER2-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell
Autologous CD4 and CD8 T cells lentivirally transduced to express a HER2 specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and EGFRt given via indwelling central nervous system (CNS) catheter
Establish the safety, defined by the adverse events, of HER2-specific CAR T cell infusions delivered by a central nervous system (CNS) catheter into the tumor resection cavity or ventricular system
The type, frequency, severity, and duration of adverse events as a result of HER2-specific CAR T cell infusion will be summarized
Time frame: up to 6 months
Establish the feasibility, defined by the ability to produce and administer CAR T cell product, of HER2-specific CAR T cell product infusions delivered by a central nervous system (CNS) catheter into the tumor resection cavity or ventricular system
The proportion of products successfully manufactured and infused will be measured
Time frame: 28 days
Assess the distribution of CNS-delivered HER2-specific CAR T cells within the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood
The trafficking of HER2-specific CAR T cell product through the CSF by measuring remaining CAR T cells from a prior infusion at the time of each infusion and the trafficking of HER2-specific CAR T cells from the CSF into the peripheral blood will be evaluated
Time frame: up to 6 months
Assessment of whether HER2 expression changes in relapsed CNS tumors that were HER2 positive prior to treatment with CAR T cells
The changes in HER2 expression at diagnosis and recurrence of central nervous system (CNS) tumors, if samples from multiple time points is available, will be investigated by evaluating pathology specimens from previous surgeries
Time frame: 28 days
Assessment of disease response of HER2-expressing refractory or recurrent central nervous system (CNS) tumors to HER2 specific CAR T cell therapy delivered directly into the CNS
The response of recurrent or refractory central HER2-expressing CNS tumors to HER2-specific CAR T cell therapy delivered directly into the CNS will be determined by evaluating CSF for tumor cells and by CNS imaging with MRIs
Time frame: up to 6 months
Analysis of CSF for biomarkers of anti-tumor CAR T cell functional activity
The presence of biomarkers of CAR T cell functional activity, such as cytokines, will be quantified via protein expression analysis in CSF. These findings will be correlated with safety determined by occurrence of adverse events, and response determined by disease evaluations via CSF cytology and MRI imaging of the CNS.
Time frame: up to 6 months
Plan to share: No
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Dec 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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