CClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT06674265Updated Apr 9, 2025

Safety and Efficacy of Systemic Allogenic NK Cells in R/R Neuroblastoma

A Phase 1 interventional study of Allogenic NK cells infusion in Neuroblastoma, Recurrent, Refractory, Neuroblastoma (NB) and Neuroblastoma in Children, sponsored by Marzieh Ebrahimi. Recruiting at 1 site in Iran, Islamic Republic of. Open to participants aged 2 Years to 16 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-04-09.

Sponsored by Marzieh Ebrahimi · Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Nov 2024; still recruiting 1 year 10 months later.
Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
10
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
2 Years to 16 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to assess safety and efficacy of systemic injection of allogenic NK cells in patients with refractory/recurrent high-risk neuroblastoma.

Is the injection of allogenic nk cells safe in patients with R/R high-risk neuroblastoma? Is the injection of allogenic nk cells effective in patients with R/R high-risk neuroblastoma? We will compare the NK cell administration group with a control group that receives conventional treatment to determine whether the intervention is safe and effective

Read the detailed description

NK cells are isolated from healthy donors through the apheresis process and subsequently separated using the CLINIMACS device in a clean room environment. After quality assessment (sterility, viable cell count, purity, and phenotype of active cells), they are stored at -198°C until use. Upon need, the cells are thawed and washed, followed by checking their viability, count, and sterility. Children between the ages of 2 to 16 who meet the eligibility criteria will be added to the study. After admission, the cells are injected into the patient at a ratio of 5×10\^6 cells per kilogram of the patient's body weight. A total of 3 injections are administered to all patients. Based on the patient's response and recovery status, the need for additional injections is evaluated. If improvements in the patient's condition are observed after the last injection and confirmed by MRI MIBG, further 2 injections can continue. The intervals between injections vary based on the patient's standard treatment, and the cells are injected 10 days after the completion of each chemotherapy course.

02

Conditions studied

  • Neuroblastoma, Recurrent, Refractory
  • Neuroblastoma (NB)
  • Neuroblastoma in Children

Browse trials for

Keywords

  • Neuroblastoma
  • High-Risk Neuroblastoma
  • Natural Killer Cell
  • Nk Cell
  • adrenal gland
03

In context

Neuroblastoma

625 studies on the registry are indexed under Neuroblastoma; 123 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 10 is below the median of 32 across 475 interventional studies indexed under Neuroblastoma.

Browse Neuroblastoma studies →

Lead sponsor

Marzieh Ebrahimi is the lead sponsor of 2 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
2 Years to 16 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  1. High-risk neuroblastoma that is resistant to standard induction therapy based on COG (Children's Oncology Group) criteria (according to INRG criteria and having received at least 4 cycles of multi-drug induction chemotherapy, and not responding to conventional treatments).
  2. Evidence of relapse or progression of neuroblastoma after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation or aggressive therapy.
  3. A minimum life expectancy of 6 months.
  4. Patients must have a pathological diagnosis of neuroblastoma and/or confirmation of tumor cells in the bone marrow with increased urinary catecholamines.
  5. Measurable residual disease based on imaging findings using Curie scoring or MIBG or PET imaging criteria (1: measurable tumor of at least 10 mm in one dimension on MRI or CT scan with positive uptake on I-123 MIBG scan ("MIBG avid") oOR 2): increased FDG uptake on 18F-FDG PET-CT or PET-MRI ("PET avid")).

Exclusion criteria

-

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Insufficient bone marrow function: Platelet count > 50,000/µL, independent of transfusion (no platelet transfusion within one week). Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) maximum of 500 per microliter. Hemoglobin > 10 grams per deciliter.
  2. Insufficient liver function: Plasma bilirubin level more than 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN). SGPT (ALT) at least three times the upper limit of normal (a level of 45 units per liter is considered the upper limit of normal).
  3. Insufficient kidney function: Creatinine clearance or estimated radioisotope GFR \< 70 ml/min/1.73m². Plasma creatinine level more than 1.5 times the upper limit of normal based on age/gender.
  4. Insufficient central nervous system function if seizures are present, entry into the study is not possible and if seizures are not well controlled with anticonvulsant drugs.

3- Insufficient cardiovascular function Shortening fraction \< 27% by ECHO OR Ejection fraction \< 50% by ECHO or gated radionuclide study.

4- Insufficient pulmonary function evidence of dyspnea at rest. Exercise intolerance. Chronic need for oxygen and room air pulse oximetry \< 94% if pulse oximetry evaluation is clinically indicated. Presence of current pleural or pericardial effusion.

5- Inability to tolerate new treatment due to emergency conditions. 6- Elevated catecholamines (more than twice the ULN) or sole involvement of bone marrow (bone marrow positive for NB as the only evaluable disease without confirmatory pathology report).

7- Receiving 0.5 mg/kg/day of systemic steroids (equivalent to prednisone) for at least 7 days before enrollment.

8- Receiving CYP3A4 inducers or inhibitors at least 7 days before study enrollment.

9- Diagnosis of any other malignancy alongside the diagnosis of neuroblastoma. 10- Diarrhea > Grade 2 (4 to 6 stools per day). 11- Significant illness not covered by exclusion criteria but interfering with the study process or increasing the intensity of treatment with NK cells.

12- Participation in another clinical trial. 13- Severe impairment of major organ functions, such as renal, cardiac, hepatic, neurological, pulmonary, or gastrointestinal toxicity above Grade 2 according to the National Cancer Institute's Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0 (CTC v5.0).

14- Inability to comply with protocol requirements. 15- Lack of confirmed and signed consent by the patient's guardians. 16- Evidence of HIV disease (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) or positive serology for HIV.

05

Study design

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

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Intervention Group

    Patients with refractory/recurrent neuroblastoma will receive 3 to 5 systemic injections of allogeneic NK cells during the intervals between their chemotherapy courses

    Biological: Allogenic NK cells infusion

  • No intervention
    Control Group

    Patients in the control group will receive no cells and just conventional treatments will be administered to them.

Interventions

  • BiologicalAllogenic NK cells infusion

    Natural Killer (NK) cells are extracted from a healthy donor through apheresis and processed in a clean room using the CLINIMACS device. After quality assessment, these cells are stored at -198°C until needed. When required, the cells are thawed, washed, and evaluated for viability and sterility before being administered to the patient at a dosage of 5 × 10\^6 cells per kilogram of body weight. Two further injections may be considered based on the patient's response and confirmed improvement via MRI MIBG. Injections are scheduled seven to ten days after each chemotherapy course according to the standard treatment protocol.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. NK Cell Infusion Safety

    The safety of the treatment is assessed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) checklist.

    Time frame: After each injection to next injection and 2 weeks after last injection

Secondary outcomes

  1. Response rate comparison between control and intervention groups

    The response rate in patients in the control and treatment groups will be assessed and compared using MRI, MIBG, or PET scans.

    Time frame: 6 months and 12 months

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Rasoul Akram Hospital
    Tehran, 1445613131, Iran, Islamic Republic of
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 9, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06674265
Lead sponsor
Marzieh Ebrahimi
Collaborators
Royan Institute, Iran University of Medical Sciences
Responsible party
Marzieh Ebrahimi (Professor of Medical Immunology, Kian Immune Cell Company) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Nov 5, 2024
Start date
Nov 10, 2024
Primary completion
Nov 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Nov 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Apr 9, 2025

Study contacts

Dr. Marzieh Ebrahimi
Contact
m.ebrahimi@royan-rc.ac.ir
+98 9123448359
Dr. Marzieh Ebrahimi, PhD. in Medical Immunology
study chair · Royan Institute
Dr. Mohammad Faranoush, Pediatric Oncologist
principal investigator · Iran University of Medical Science

Oversight

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

Interested in this study?

Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.

Contact study team

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion