Engineered immune cells take aim at HPV-Positive cancers
NCT ID NCT03578406
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This early-stage trial tested a new type of cell therapy for people with HPV-positive head & neck or cervical cancer. The treatment uses a patient's own immune cells, engineered to recognize and attack HPV-infected cancer cells. Some patients also received cells that produce an anti-PD1 molecule to help the immune cells work better. The main goal was to find a safe dose, and only 9 people took part.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- HPV E6-specific TCR-T cells
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new treatment option for HPV-positive head & neck or cervical cancers that have not responded to standard therapies.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early Phase 1 trial with only 9 participants, so it is too small to prove effectiveness. The approach may not work well in solid tumors, and there are risks from the cell therapy itself.
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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9 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2018
- Finished
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Oct 2022
- 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
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18 to 70 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: * Expected to live longer than 12 weeks * PS 0-2 * Pathology confirmed as HPV16 positive malignant tumor, either metastatic or recurrent disease * Creatinine \<2.5mg/dl * ALT/AST is lower than three times ULN. * No contraindications of leukocyte collection * Before entering the trial, women must adopt a reliable method of contraception until 30 days after infusion. * Understand this trial and have signed an informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with symptomatic brain metastasis * With other uncontrolled malignant tumors. * Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C activity period, HIV infected patients * Any other uncontrolled disease that interferes with the trial * Patients with severe heart and cerebrovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, cerebral thrombosis and cerebral hemorrhage * Untreated hypertension or hypertensive patients * A person with a history of mental illness that is difficult to control * Researchers do not consider it appropriate to participate in this trial * Patients who have been using immunosuppressive agents for a long time after organ transplants, except for recent or current inhaled corticosteroids * Subjects who have been pregnant or nursing, or who plan for pregnancy within 2 months of treatment or after the end of treatment * An illness affects a person who signs a written consent or complies with a study procedure, or who is unwilling or unable to comply with the research requirements
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Qingzhu Jia
Chongqing, Chongqing Municipality, 400037, China
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