Engineered immune cells take on HPV cancers in early trial
NCT ID NCT02379520
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tested a new experimental treatment called HPVST cells in 32 people with HPV-related cancers that had returned or not responded to standard care. The cells are grown from the patient's own blood and trained to attack HPV-infected cancer cells. The goal was to find a safe dose and see if the cells can survive and fight the tumor. Some participants also received the drug nivolumab to boost the immune response.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- HPV-specific T cells (HPVSTs) with or without nivolumab
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a new treatment option for patients with HPV-related cancers that have not responded to standard therapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early Phase 1 trial with only 32 participants, so results may not apply broadly. Side effects from the cell infusion or combination with nivolumab could be serious.
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
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
-
About 32 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Start date
-
Sep 2015
- Finished
-
Jan 2026
- 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 years and older
- 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 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: PROCUREMENT 1. Diagnosis of a cancer for which the presence of a high risk HPV type has been documented in a biopsy sample 2. Cancer is: * recurrent or persistent after standard therapy * OR patient is unable to receive standard therapy 3. Karnofsky score ≥ 50% 4. Informed consent explained to, understood by and signed by patient/guardian. Patient/guardian given copy of informed consent TREATMENT 1. Diagnosis of a cancer for which the presence of a high risk HPV type has been documented in a biopsy sample 2. Cancer is: * recurrent or persistent after standard therapy * OR patient is unable to receive standard therapy 3. Life expectancy ≥ 6 weeks. 4. Age ≥ 18 years. 5. Karnofsky score ≥ 50% 6. Bilirubin \< 3 × upper limit of normal (ULN), AST \< 5 × ULN, Hgb ≥ 7.0 g/dL 7. Pulse oximetry of \> 90% on room air. 8. GFR \> 30 mL/min calculated by the Cockcroft-Gault, MDRD study, or CKD-EPI creatinine equations, or equivalent. 9. ANC \> 1.0/μL 10. Platelets \> 75,000/μL 11. Informed consent explained to, understood by and signed by patient/guardian. Patient/guardian given copy of informed consent 12. Sexually active patients must be willing to utilize one of the more effective birth control methods during the study and for 6 months after the study is concluded. The male partner should use a condom. Exclusion Criteria: PROCUREMENT 1\. Known HIV positivity. TREATMENT 1. Currently receiving any investigational agents or have received any tumor vaccines or T cell antibodies within previous 4 weeks. 2. Severe intercurrent infection. 3. Pregnancy or lactation.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Human papillomavirus positive anal carcinoma are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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
-
Houston Methodist Hospital
Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Could a simple education push prevent 400,000 cancers?
- At-Home cervical cancer screening could save lives in rural uganda
- Could a delayed booster still protect against HPV?
- Free HPV shots help prevent cancer in Low-Income adults
- Can a Pre-Transplant HPV shot shield patients from cancer?
- Could a 3-Week radiation blast tame HPV throat cancer?