ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT03896568Updated Sep 25, 2026

MSC-DNX-2401 in Treating Patients With Recurrent High-Grade Glioma

A Phase 1 interventional study of Oncolytic Adenovirus Ad5-DNX-2401 and Therapeutic Conventional Surgery in IDH1 wt Allele, Recurrent Anaplastic Astrocytoma and Recurrent Glioblastoma, sponsored by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-25.

Primary conditionGlioblastomaRegistry: AstrocytomaReclassifiedWhy we changed it
Registry
Astrocytoma — the first condition term the registry derived for this study.
ClinicalTrials.gg
Glioblastoma
Why
  1. The study's listed conditions name Glioblastoma, a narrower term within Astrocytoma.
Confidence
High: the new condition is named in the study's own listed conditions. Of 351 hand-checked studies reclassified this way, 68% were exactly right and 84% in the right disease family; the registry's first term was right for 5% (measured 2026-10-21). How we classify →
Wrong?
Tell us the study's main condition →

Sponsored by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center · Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Feb 2019; still recruiting 7 years 8 months later.
Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
36
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This phase I trial studies best dose and side effects of oncolytic adenovirus DNX-2401 in treating patients with high-grade glioma that has come back (recurrent). Oncolytic adenovirus DNX-2401 is made from the common cold virus that has been changed in the laboratory to make it less likely to cause an infection (such as a cold). The virus is also changed to target brain cancer cells and attack them.

Read the detailed description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine the maximal tolerated dose (MTD) of allogeneic bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (BM-hMSCs) loaded with the oncolytic adenovirus DNX-2401 (BM-hMSCs-DNX2401) administered by intra-arterial injection (i.e., transfemoral endovascular intracranial injection) in patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM), IDH-mutant astrocytoma grade 4, gliosarcoma, or wild-type IDH-1 anaplastic astrocytoma.

II. To determine the local and systemic toxicity of allogeneic BM-hMSCs-DNX2401 administered by intra-arterial injection (i.e., transfemoral endovascular intracranial injection) in patients with recurrent GBM, gliosarcoma or wild-type IDH-1 anaplastic astrocytoma.

III. To determine at the molecular and cellular level the capacity of allogeneic BM-hMSCs-DNX2401 administered intra-arterially to home to and deliver DNX-2401 to recurrent GBM, gliosarcoma or wild-type IDH-1 anaplastic astrocytoma by analyzing post-treatment surgical brain tumor specimens for the expression and distribution of adenoviral proteins.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To assess shedding of adenovirus into the blood, sputum, and nasopharynx after intra-arterial administration of BM-hMSCs-DNX2401 in patients with recurrent GBM, gliosarcoma or wild-type IDH-1 anaplastic astrocytoma.

II. To assess the development of anti-adenovirus antibodies after intra-arterial administration of BM-hMSCs-DNX2401 in patients with recurrent GBM, gliosarcoma or wild-type IDH-1 anaplastic astrocytoma.

III. To evaluate immune-mediated cytokine responses after intra-arterial administration of BM-hMSCs-DNX2401 in patients with recurrent GBM, gliosarcoma or wild-type IDH-1 anaplastic astrocytoma.

IV. To assess anti-tumoral activity and to determine progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) after intra-arterial administration of BM-hMSCs-DNX2401 in patients with recurrent GBM, gliosarcoma or wild-type IDH-1 anaplastic astrocytoma.

OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study.

PART I: Patients receive one or two infusions of BM-hMSCs-DNX-2401 intra-arterially (IA) over 20-30 minutes on day 0. Dose level 1-5 will receive 1 infusion. Dose level 6 will receive 2 infusions.

PART II: Patients receive one or two infusions BM-hMSCs-DNX-2401 IA, depending on the highest dose that was tolerated in Part 1. After 2 weeks, patients undergo surgery where the tumor is removed, then receive intramural injection of BM-hMSCs-DNX-2401 into the resection cavity.

After completion of study treatment, patients in both part I and II are followed up on days 1, 4, 7, and 14 of month 1,every 6 weeks for 6 months (4 visits), then every 8 weeks for 1 year (6 visits), then every 4 months for 1 year (3 visits), then every 6 months until the tumor grows back. Patients treated at Dose level 6 in Part 1 and Part 2 are also followed up on Day 12, then on Day 1, 4, and 7 after second infusion, then on Day 1, 7, and 14 post-craniotomy for Part 2, Dose Level 6, then ,every 6 weeks for 6 months (4 visits), then every 8 weeks for 1 year (6 visits), then every 4 months for 1 year (3 visits), then every 6 months until the tumor grows back.

02

Conditions studied

  • IDH1 wt Allele
  • Recurrent Anaplastic Astrocytoma
  • Recurrent Glioblastoma
  • Recurrent Gliosarcoma
  • Recurrent Malignant Glioma

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03

In context

Glioblastoma Reclassified

2,132 studies on the registry are indexed under Glioblastoma; 464 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 36 is close to the median of 36 across 1,753 interventional studies indexed under Glioblastoma.

Browse Glioblastoma studies →

Lead sponsor

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is the lead sponsor of 3,047 studies on the registry; 578 are open to participants now.

Of its 612 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 409 (67%) have results posted.

Compared within Glioblastoma, this study's primary condition as ClinicalTrials.gg classifies it; the registry's first condition term is Astrocytoma. The counts are of registry records indexed under each term, refreshed daily. How we classify →

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
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

Subjects must meet the following inclusion criteria to be eligible and enroll:

  1. Subjects must be willing and able to provide , undergo and comply with all study assessments, and adhere to the protocol schedule.
  2. Patients with recurrent malignant GBM or gliosarcoma will be eligible. Patients with recurrent anaplastic astrocytoma with wild-type IDH-1 gene will also be eligible if there is a significant enhancing mass on MRI (≥1.0 cm in diameter with upper limit of 5 cm maximal diameter) because their prognosis/behavior is similar to GBM. Subjects with an initial diagnosis of an IDH-mutant grade 2 or 3 astrocytoma are also eligible at recurrence if a at recurrence is determined to be IDH-mutant grade 4 astrocytoma, and there is a significant enhancing mass on MRI (≥1.0 cm in diameter with upper limit of 5 cm maximal diameter). A pathology report constitutes adequate documentation of histology for study inclusion.
  3. Patients must show unequivocal evidence for tumor recurrence or progression by MRI scan after failing prior surgical resection, biopsy, chemotherapy or radiation. A baseline MRI must be performed within 24 days prior to registration. Biopsy is encouraged at the time of recurrence if it is unclear that there is recurrent tumor. However, biopsy is not required if the practicing physician thinks that there is adequate radiographic and clinical evidence for recurrence.
  4. Male or female patients ≥ 18 years of age.
  5. Patients must be able to undergo endovascular treatment based on Doppler studies showing ICA that is less than 50% occluded.
  6. For patients undergoing resection for biological endpoints, tumors must be surgically resectable at the time of baseline evaluation and craniotomy for tumor resection is indicated as part of their standard medical care.
  7. Tumors must be ≥1.0 cm in diameter with upper limit of 5 cm maximal diameter.
  8. Patients must have a performance score ≥ 70.
  9. Patients must have a of at least 16 weeks.
  10. Patients must have adequate bone marrow function (absolute granulocyte count > 1,500 and count of > 75,000), adequate liver function ( and SGOT and \< 2 times institutional normal ranges), and adequate renal function (creatinine \< 2.0 times institutional normal) prior to starting therapy.
  11. /international normalized ratio (PT/INR) or partial thromboplastin time (PTT) ≤ 1.5x .
  12. Subjects who have received the following chemotherapies must have completed them within the following time periods prior to Baseline/Day 0 of hMSC-DNX2401 delivery with recovery from any drug-related toxic effects to Grade 1, or less, severity:

    • Four weeks from cytotoxic agents (3 weeks from procarbazine or Temozolomide, 2 weeks from vincristine)
    • 6 weeks from nitrosoureas (CCNU, BCNU)
    • Four weeks from any targeted agent
    • One week from non-cytotoxic agents
  13. This study was designed to include women and minorities, but was not designed to measure differences of intervention effects. Males and females will be recruited with no preference to gender.
  14. No exclusion to this study will be based on race. Minorities will actively be recruited to participate. The malignant glioma patient population treated at MDACC over the past year is as follows:

    • American Indian or Alaskan Native - 0
    • Asian or Pacific Islander - \<2%
    • Black, not of Hispanic Origin - 3%
    • Hispanic - 6%
    • White, not of Hispanic Origin - 88%
    • Other or Unknown - 2%
    • Total - 100%
  15. Patients must be 8 weeks from radiotherapy to minimize the potential for MRI changes related to radiation necrosis that might be misdiagnosed as progression of disease, or 4 weeks if a new lesion, relative to the pre-radiation MRI, develops that is outside the primary radiation field (beyond 80% isodose line). However, if a biopsy is undertaken prior to these times and this biopsy documents histological evidence for recurrent disease, then patients will be eligible regardless of the time after radiation.
  16. Patients must be willing to forego other cytotoxic and non-cytotoxic drug or radiation therapy against the tumor while enrolled in the study.
  17. Women of must have a negative urine or serum pregnancy test at screening.
  18. Subjects and their partners must be willing to use effective during the study and for up to 6 months following administration of hMSC-DNX2401. Birth control that is acceptable to use in this study:

    • Using twice the normal protection of birth control (i.e., double-barrier) by using a condom AND spermicidal jelly or foam, or a diaphragm AND spermicidal jelly or foam. A spermicidal jelly or foam must be used in addition to a barrier method (e.g., condom or diaphragm)
    • Birth control pills ("The Pill")
    • Depot or injectable birth control
    • IUD (Intrauterine Device)
    • Birth Control Patch (e.g., Othro Evra®)
    • NuvaRing®
    • Surgical sterilization (i.e., tubal ligation or hysterectomy for women or vasectomy for men)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Histology other than GBM, gliosarcoma, IDH wild-type astrocytoma grade III or IDH-mutant astrocytoma grade 4.
  2. Tumor foci detected below the tentorium or beyond the cranial vault.
  3. Tumor within the posterior fossa.
  4. Tumor with .
  5. Difficulty in obtaining vascular access for percutaneous procedure.
  6. Ipsilateral carotid stenosis (>50%, by Doppler studies).
  7. Thrombophilias or primary hematological diseases.
  8. Transfusions or medications (G-CSF) to treat pancytopenia or other hematological conditions \< 28 days prior to Baseline/Day 0/hMSC-DNX2401 administration.
  9. Biologic/immunotherapy within 2 weeks of baseline.
  10. Clinical or laboratory evidence of inflammatory and/or disorders.
  11. Any for undergoing MRI such as: individuals with pacemakers, epicardial pacer wires, infusion pumps, surgical and/or aneurysm clips, shrapnel, metal prosthesis, implants with potential magnetic properties, metallic bodies in the eyes, etc. In addition, subjects must present with tumor that is evaluable by MRI.
  12. Pregnant or nursing females.
  13. Evidence of active uncontrolled infection or unstable or severe intercurrent medical conditions. All subjects must be afebrile (i.e., \<38.0° Celsius [C]).
  14. Any medical condition that precludes surgery or endovascular treatment
  15. Alcoholism (dependency), alcohol or substance abuse within twelve (12) months prior to screening that has caused health consequences.
  16. subjects or those with autoimmune conditions, active hepatitis (Liver function tests > 2x normal) or (HIV) seropositivity.
  17. Evidence of bleeding diathesis or use of anticoagulant medication or any medication that may increase the risk of bleeding that cannot be stopped prior to surgery. If the medication can be discontinued prior to DNX-2401 injection then the subject may be eligible following consultation with the Study Chair. Low weight heparin and Lovenox (enoxaparin) administered on a temporary limited basis for post procedure DVT prophylaxis is permitted.
  18. History or current diagnosis of any medical or psychological condition that in the Investigator's opinion might interfere with the subject's ability to participate or inability to obtain because of psychiatric or complicating medical problems.
  19. Encephalitis, multiple sclerosis or other central nervous system (CNS) infection or primary CNS disease that would interfere with subject evaluation.
  20. Subjects with known Li-Fraumini Syndrome or with a known germ line deficit in the retinoblastoma gene or its related pathways.
  21. Subjects with significant systemic or major illnesses including but not limited to: congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease (history of strokes or TIAs in large vessel or small vessel distribution), kidney disease or renal failure, active liver disease, organ transplantation, or significant psychiatric disorder.
  22. Enrollment in a concomitant therapeutic clinical study.
  23. Any condition that prevents compliance with the protocol or adherence to therapy.
  24. For patients enrolled in the biological endpoint phase of the study, patients will be excluded if in the assessment of the surgeon, after resecting the tumor, there is high likelihood of injecting BM-hMSC-DNX2401 into the ventricles.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(17)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Platelets

Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

Bilirubin

A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.

Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.

INR, PT and aPTT (clotting tests)

Blood tests of how long blood takes to clot. The INR is the prothrombin time (PT) put on a common scale; about 1 is usual for someone not taking a blood thinner.

Criteria often make an exception for people on a blood thinner such as warfarin, whose INR is raised on purpose.

ULN (upper limit of normal)

The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.

“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

Childbearing potential

Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).

Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

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.

Leptomeningeal disease

Cancer that has spread to the leptomeninges, the thin layers covering the brain and spinal cord, and the fluid between them. It is not the same as brain metastases.

Criteria often treat it separately, and many studies leave it out even where treated brain metastases are allowed.

Autoimmune disease

A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.

Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.

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.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Sequential assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
36 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Part I (oncolytic adenovirus Ad5-DNX-2401)

    Patients receive oncolytic adenovirus Ad5-DNX-2401 IA over 20-30 minutes on day 0.

    Biological: Oncolytic Adenovirus Ad5-DNX-2401

  • Experimental
    Part II (oncolytic adenovirus Ad5-DNX-2401, surgery)

    Patients receive oncolytic adenovirus Ad5-DNX-2401 as in part I. After 2 weeks, patients undergo surgery, then receive oncolytic adenovirus Ad5-DNX-2401 IA over 20-30 minutes.

    Biological: Oncolytic Adenovirus Ad5-DNX-2401 · Procedure: Therapeutic Conventional Surgery

Interventions

  • Given IA

    Also known as: Ad5-Delta24RGD, DNX-2401, DNX2401, Oncolytic Ad5-Delta 24RGD, Oncolytic Adenovirus Ad5-Delta 24RGD

  • ProcedureTherapeutic Conventional Surgery

    Undergo surgery

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Maximum-tolerated dose (MTD)

    The MTD will be defined as the dose below the dose that results in greater than or equal to one-third of the subjects exposed who experienced grade 3 or 4 (except hematological, grade 4 required) toxicity according to National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria that is deemed to be at least "probably related" to the study drug (i.e., dose-limiting toxicity \[DLT\]).

    Time frame: Up to 28 days

  2. Incidence of adverse events (AEs)

    AEs will be summarized both overall and by dose group and tabulated by severity, relationship to BM-hMSCs-DNX 2401and causality. The number and percentage of subjects experiencing AEs will be tabulated by body system/preferred term both overall and by dose group. When an AE occurs more than once, the maximum severity and causality will be counted.

    Time frame: Up to 1 year

Secondary outcomes

  1. Tumor response

    Will be based upon change in tumor size by serial magnetic resonance imaging scans post injection.

    Time frame: Up to 1 year

  2. Time to progression

    Time frame: Up to 1 year

  3. Virus replication in tumor

    Detection of replicating delta-24-RGD-4C in tumor tissue will be done by immunohistochemistry against E1A protein and hexon protein.

    Time frame: Up to 1 year

  4. Virus shedding

    Polymerase chain reaction of serum, nasopharyngeal secretions, and urine will be performed.

    Time frame: Up to 1 year

  5. Immunogenicity based on adenoviral (AdV) antibodies

    Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) will be used to detect AdV antibodies in serum and virus assays to determine antibody titers (anti-AdV5 antibody immunofluorescence) will be performed.

    Time frame: Up to 1 year

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • M D Anderson Cancer Center
    Houston, Texas 77030, United States
    Recruiting
    • Frederick F. Lang · Contact713-792-2400
    • Frederick F. Lang · Principal investigator
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Chen SR, Chen MM, Ene C, Lang FF, Kan P. Perfusion-guided endovascular super-selective intra-arterial infusion for treatment of malignant brain tumors. J Neurointerv Surg. 2022 Jun;14(6):533-538. doi: 10.1136/neurintsurg-2021-018190. Epub 2021 Nov 25. PubMed 34824133 ↗
09

Updates

1 registry update since Sep 25, 2026
Minor edits
Nothing that changes what the study is or who can join. Edited: verification date
1 update, last Sep 25, 2026
Show all 1 update
  1. Sep 25, 2026
    Minor edits only
    + 1 other change: verification date

From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03896568
Collaborators
DNAtrix, Inc.
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Apr 1, 2019
Start date
Feb 12, 2019
Primary completion
Sep 30, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Sep 30, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 25, 2026

Study contacts

Frederick Lang
Contact
flang@mdanderson.org
713-792-2400
Frederick F Lang
principal investigator · M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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