Can donated immune cells calm the cytokine storm?

NCT ID NCT06052436

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026

Summary

Researchers are testing whether regulatory T cells taken from donated thymus tissue can control the dangerous immune overreaction that occurs in severe COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The trial enrolls adults aged 18 to 65 who are hospitalized with acute respiratory failure and signs of immune hyperactivation. Participants receive one of two doses of these cells through an intravenous infusion, and researchers track infusion-related side effects and changes in intensive care outcomes such as oxygen levels and organ function.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Allogeneic regulatory T cells derived from donated thymus tissue (thyTreg)
What this could lead to
If it works, this approach could offer a way to calm runaway inflammation in severe COVID-19 and ARDS, and possibly other conditions driven by an overactive immune response.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage trial with only 24 participants, so safety and any benefit are far from proven. Donated cells could trigger immune reactions, fail to help, or work differently in larger, more varied groups of patients.

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

Phase 1/2

Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.

Participants

About 24 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jun 2023

Expected to finish

Dec 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Patient over 18 to 65 years of age 2. Patient Informed and non-opposed to the research by his medical doctor during hospitalization 3. Patient with clinical, radiological, gasometric and immunological criteria defined as: 1. Acute respiratory failure secondary to acute lung injury of noncardiogenic cause 2. Pulmonary abnormalities compatible with bilateral alveoloinsterstitial infiltrates by chest imaging (radiograph or scan) 3. PaO2/FiO2≤ 300 Presence of at least one of the following markers of inflammation: IL6 \> 40 pg/ml or ferritin \>300 ng/ml or CRP \>3 mg/dl or increasing over the last 24 hours Exclusion Criteria: 1. Pregnancy or breast feeding 2. Body mass index \>35 3. Patients not expected to survive 48 hours after enrolment based on clinical assessment 4. Patients with an extracorporeal respiratory support 5. Neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count \<1000/uL) 6. Thrombocytopenia (absolute neutrophil count \<50000/uL) 7. Positive serology for HBV, HCV, or HIV at Screening 8. Life expectancy of less than 6 months due to other pathologies 9. History of significant underlying pulmonary disease requiring oxygen therapy prior to inclusion. 10. Patients with a history of autoimmune diseases 11. Patients with a history of hematopoietic neoplasia or oncology disease 12. Patients with a history of hematopoietic or solid organ transplant 13. Patients with a congenital or induced immunodeficiency 14. Patients received thymoglobulin, basiliximab or any anti-T-cell therapies within 6 moths prior to the screening visit 15. Patients received other cell therapy in the last 12 months 16. Patients received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) within 5 moths prior to the screening visit 17. Patients who have participated or is participating in a clinical research study evaluating COVID-19 or ARDS within 30 days prior to the screening visit

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

acute respiratory distress syndrome COVID-19 Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

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

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañon

    RECRUITING

    Madrid, Madrid, 28007, Spain

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