Can an amino acid boost chemo? early trial launches for advanced colorectal cancer
NCT ID NCT07178613
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This early-stage trial is testing whether adding oral serine, a natural amino acid, to standard chemotherapy is safe for people with advanced colorectal cancer. The study will enroll 20 adults who are eligible for first-line treatment with fluorouracil-based drugs. The main goal is to check for side effects and find the best dose of serine to use in future studies.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- serine (an amino acid) taken orally alongside standard chemotherapy drugs (fluoropyrimidines)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a way to make standard chemotherapy more effective or less toxic for people with advanced colorectal cancer.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early Phase 1 trial with only 20 people. The main goal is safety, not yet proof that it works. It may not show any benefit or could cause unexpected side effects.
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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About 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Nov 2025
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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 years and older
- 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: 1. Age ≥ 18 years (inclusive), male or female; 2. Patients with advanced colorectal cancer confirmed by histopathological or cytological examination, eligible for standard first-line treatment with fluorouracil-containing regimens. 3. Patients must have at least one measurable lesion. 4. ECOG performance status ≤ 2. 5. Expected survival ≥ 3 months; 6. Major organ functions are essentially normal, with laboratory tests meeting the following criteria: Hematology (no transfusion of blood or blood products within 7 days prior to testing; no use of G-CSF or other hematopoietic growth factors for correction): Absolute neutrophil count ≥1.5×10⁹/L ; Platelets ≥75×10⁹/L ; Hemoglobin ≥90 g/L; Renal: Creatinine clearance (CrCl) or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) \>60 mL/min/1.73 m² (Cockcroft-Gault formula); Liver: Serum total bilirubin \<1.5×ULN; Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) \<2.5×ULN or ≤5×ULN (for subjects with liver metastases); Albumin (ALB) ≥30 g/L; Coagulation Function: International Normalized Ratio (INR) or Prothrombin Time (PT) \< 1.5×ULN. If the subject is receiving anticoagulant therapy, PT is acceptable as long as it falls within the therapeutic range for the anticoagulant drug. Cardiovascular System: Ejection Fraction (EF) 55%-70%; QTc Interval: Male ≤440ms; Female ≤450ms. 7. Serum pregnancy tests for female subjects of childbearing potential during the screening period must be negative. Female/male subjects with reproductive potential must be willing to use reliable contraception throughout the study period (i.e., from signing the informed consent form until 90 days after the last study drug administration), including but not limited to: abstinence, male partner having undergone vasectomy, female sterilization, effective intrauterine device (IUD), and effective contraceptive medication. 8. Patients voluntarily participate in this study, sign informed consent forms, and demonstrate good compliance. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Trial Participation Restrictions: Currently participating in or having received investigational drug/device treatment within the past 4 weeks; 2. Prior Fluorouracil-Based Therapy Restrictions: History of ≥Grade 3 toxicity (e.g., myelosuppression, gastrointestinal toxicity) following prior fluorouracil-based therapy, deemed unsuitable for re-administration by the investigator; 3. Recent Surgery Restriction: Undergone major surgery (excluding diagnostic biopsy) within 28 days prior to first dosing, or scheduled for surgery during the study period; 4. Metabolic and Nutritional Status Restriction: Presence of severe malnutrition (BMI \< 18.5 or serum albumin \< 30 g/L), or inability to supplement serine orally (e.g., malabsorption syndrome, short bowel syndrome); Known serine metabolism disorders (e.g., PHGDH/PSAT1 gene mutation-related diseases); 5. Concurrent severe disease restrictions: Severe cardiovascular disease (NYHA Class III/IV heart failure, myocardial infarction within 6 months, uncontrolled hypertension \>150/100 mmHg); severe respiratory disease (COPD, GOLD Stage ≥3, interstitial lung disease); Active infection (requiring systemic antibiotic/antiviral therapy); 6. Active HIV/viral hepatitis: HIV-positive status, or active hepatitis B (HBV-DNA ≥ 2000 IU/mL), or active hepatitis C (HCV-RNA positive); (Note: Patients with HBV-DNA \< 2000 IU/mL receiving antiviral therapy may be enrolled); 7. Neurological disorders: Uncontrolled brain metastases (with intracranial hypertension or neurological symptoms), or history of severe psychiatric illness/substance abuse (impeding treatment compliance); 8. Allergy history: Known allergy to fluorouracil-based drugs or serine supplements; 9. Pregnancy/lactation: Pregnant or lactating women (patients of childbearing potential must use highly effective contraception); 10. Other conditions deemed ineligible by the investigator: Any concomitant conditions or laboratory abnormalities that may interfere with study results, increase risk, or compromise patient safety.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
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