Engineered immune cells take aim at a shared marker in two blood cancers
NCT ID NCT06690827
First seen Aug 28, 2026 · Last updated Aug 28, 2026
Summary
This trial tests a new type of cell therapy for people with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) that has come back or not responded to standard treatment. The therapy uses a patient's own natural killer (NK) cells, engineered to recognize a protein called CD123 on cancer cells. Participants receive two infusions of these engineered cells, and researchers monitor safety, side effects, and how well the cancer responds.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Anti-CD123 CAR-NK cells, a type of engineered immune cell that targets and attacks cancer cells carrying the CD123 marker
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new treatment option for people with hard-to-treat AML or BPDCN, potentially leading to lasting remission.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase trial with only 30 participants, so the treatment may not work for everyone and could cause serious side effects, including immune reactions or organ damage.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 1
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2024
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 75 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Patients of any gender, aged between 18 and 75 years (inclusive); 2. Positive expression of CD123 on tumor cells detected by flow cytometry; 3. Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of CD123-positive relapsed/refractory AML or BPDCN: (1) For AML patients: * Relapsed refers to the reappearance of leukemic cells in peripheral blood after complete remission (CR), or ≥5% blasts in bone marrow (excluding other reasons such as bone marrow regeneration after consolidation chemotherapy), or the presence of leukemic cell infiltration outside the marrow; * Refractory refers to patients who have not responded to two courses of standard treatment; patients who have relapsed within 12 months after CR and consolidation/intensification therapy; patients who have relapsed after 12 months but have not responded to conventional chemotherapy; patients with two or more relapses; patients with persistent extramedullary leukemia; (2) For BPDCN patients: Patients who have not responded to or cannot tolerate the recommended salvage treatment according to guidelines, and have persistent or recurrent disease in any of the following: peripheral blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen, skin lesions, or other sites. 4\. Expected survival time of more than 12 weeks; 5\. ECOG score of 0-2 (Appendix 2); 6\. No severe mental disorders; 7\. Basic normal function of important organs: 1. Blood routine: white blood cells \>1.0×109/L, neutrophils \>0.5×109/L, lymphocytes \>0.5×109/L, platelets \>50×109/L; 2. Cardiac function: echocardiography indicates a left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50%, and no significant abnormalities on electrocardiogram; 3. Renal function: serum creatinine ≤2.0×ULN; 4. Liver function: ALT and AST ≤3.0×ULN (for patients with liver invasion * 5.0×ULN); 5. Total bilirubin ≤2.0×ULN (for patients with Gilbert's syndrome ≤3.0×ULN); 6. Blood oxygen saturation \>92%. 8. The patient or their legal guardian agrees to participate in this clinical trial and signs the ICF, indicating their understanding of the purpose and procedures of the clinical trial and willingness to participate in the study. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Presence of active central nervous system invasion during screening; 2. Receipt of anti-tumor therapies prior to screening, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or other experimental drug treatments within 14 days or at least 5 half-lives (whichever is shorter), except for those who have confirmed disease progression after treatment; 3. Occurrence of cerebrovascular accident or epileptic seizure within 6 months prior to screening; 4. Presence of active or uncontrolled infection requiring systemic treatment within 1 week prior to screening; 5. Presence of any of the following cardiac diseases: 1. Congestive heart failure at New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or IV; 2. Myocardial infarction or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) within 6 months prior to enrollment; 3. Clinically significant ventricular arrhythmia, or history of unexplained syncope (excluding cases caused by vasovagal or dehydration); 4. History of severe non-ischemic cardiomyopathy; 6. Combination with active autoimmune diseases requiring long-term immunosuppressive therapy; 7. Presence of other malignancies, except for adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix, basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, localized prostate cancer after radical surgery, and ductal carcinoma in situ after radical surgery. 8. Receipt of live attenuated vaccines within 4 weeks prior to screening; 9. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, as well as male or female subjects who plan to have children within 1 year after receiving CAR-NK cell infusion; 10. Other conditions that the investigator deems unsuitable for participation in the study.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology.
RECRUITINGWuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
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