Blood-Filtering therapy may tame rare brain inflammation in children
NCT ID NCT03274375
First seen Jul 01, 2026 · Last updated Aug 11, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This trial investigates whether a blood-filtering procedure called immunoadsorption (IA), combined with the drug rituximab, can improve neurological function in children aged 0-18 with severe anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Participants receive 10 IA sessions over 28 days plus weekly rituximab for four weeks. The study measures changes in disability scores to see if the treatment helps reduce brain inflammation and improve outcomes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- immunoadsorption therapy (IA) and rituximab
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this approach could offer a more effective way to control severe anti-NMDAR encephalitis in children, potentially reducing long-term disability.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small Phase 2 study with only 20 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The treatment involves risks from both immunoadsorption and rituximab, including infection and allergic reactions.
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 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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20 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Jun 2021
- Finished
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Oct 2025
- 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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Up to 18 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age: 0-18 years inclusive * Autoimmune encephalitis with positive anti-NMDAR antibodies in CSF (definite anti-NMDAR encephalitis according to Graus's criteria (Graus et al., 2016). * PCPCS and mRS at 4 or over at the inclusion after first line therapy (steroids and/or IgIV) when Rituximab therapy is warranted * Parents or legal guardians signed the Informed consent form * Social insurance affiliation Exclusion Criteria: * Autoimmune encephalitis without NMDAR antibodies * PCPCS and mRS scores ≥ 3 before first symptoms * Contraindication to perform central vascular access * Pregnancy, breastfeeding or absence of effective contraception (including abstinence) in a pubertal patient. * Contraindication to perform IA therapy : * Clinical conditions that prohibit transitory volume changes * Indications that prohibit anticoagulation using Heparin and/or ACD-A solutions * History of hypercoagulability * Generalized viral, bacterial and/or mycotic infections * Severe immune deficiencies (e.g. AIDS) * Suspected allergies against sheep antibodies or agarose
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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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Hôpital Necker Enfants-Malades
Paris, Paris, 75015, France
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