Immune cells supercharged to fight cancer: early trial shows promise

NCT ID NCT00720785

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 30, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This early-phase trial tested whether giving patients their own natural killer (NK) cells, boosted by the drug bortezomib, is safe for treating advanced cancers like leukemia, lung, and pancreatic cancer. Thirty-five adults whose cancers had not responded to standard treatments received NK cell infusions after chemotherapy. The main goal was to find the safest dose and watch for side effects.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

Natural killer (NK) cells and bortezomib

What this could lead to

If successful, this could point toward a new treatment option for people with advanced cancers that have not responded to standard therapies.

What could go wrong

This is a very early Phase 1 trial with only 35 participants, so it is primarily testing safety, not effectiveness. The approach may not work for all cancer types, and side effects from chemotherapy and cell infusion are possible.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia chronic myelogenous leukemia, BCR-ABL1 positive Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive Neoplasm Metastasis non-small cell lung carcinoma plasma cell myeloma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

    Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States