Can engineered immune cells tame autoimmune kidney disease?
NCT ID NCT07746453
First seen Aug 05, 2026 · Last updated Aug 11, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This early-stage trial is testing whether a single infusion of universal STAR-T cells—a type of engineered immune cell that targets both CD19 and BCMA—can safely and effectively treat two autoimmune kidney diseases: IgA nephropathy and primary membranous nephropathy. The study will enroll about 10 to 24 adults and will test three different dose levels to find the safest and most promising dose. The main goals are to see if the treatment can reduce protein in the urine (a sign of kidney damage) and to monitor for side effects.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Universal STAR-T cells (CD19 and BCMA bispecific CAR-T cells) given as a single intravenous infusion
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a new way to treat autoimmune kidney diseases by resetting the immune system, potentially reducing or eliminating the need for long-term immunosuppression.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early, small exploratory study. The therapy may not work for all participants, and CAR-T cell treatments carry risks like cytokine release syndrome, infections, and other serious 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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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 24 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2029
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 to 65 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: * Subjects must meet all the following inclusion criteria to be enrolled in this study: 1. Age 18-65 years (inclusive), gender (no gender restriction); 2. Previous diagnosis of IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) or Primary Membranous Nephropathy (PMN): * IgA Nephropathy (IgAN): Renal biopsy confirmed as IgAN, and meets any one of the following criteria: 1. Treatment-refractory IgAN: Previously received RAAS inhibitors or SGLT2 inhibitors or endothelin receptor antagonists (ERA) or mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) for at least 12 weeks, and combined with/or sequentially added at least one immunosuppressant or biologic agent for ≥3 months, with 24-hour urinary protein ≥1.0 g or 24-hour urine protein/creatinine ratio (UPCR) ≥0.8 g/g; 2. eGFR decreased by ≥50% within the past 3 months, and acute kidney injury (AKI) is excluded; 3. Unable to tolerate conventional treatment, may be considered for enrollment after full evaluation by the investigator. * Primary Membranous Nephropathy (PMN): Renal biopsy confirmed as PMN, and anti-phospholipase A2 receptor antibody (anti-PLA2R) is positive, and meets any one of the following criteria for relapsed or refractory PMN: 1. Refractory PMN: Received hormone combined with cyclophosphamide or calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) or rituximab for ≥6 months, and meets any one of the following:(a) Anti-PLA2R persistently high titer \>50 RU/mL;(b) Persistent 24-hour urinary protein \>3.5 g/d, and reduction \<50% during treatment;(c) Unable to tolerate the above immunosuppressive therapy, or discontinued due to severe adverse reactions; 2. Relapsed PMN: After achieving complete remission, 24-hour urinary protein re-increased to \>3.5 g/d; 3. Function of vital organs meets the following requirements: <!-- --> 1. Bone marrow function must satisfy:(a) Neutrophil count ≥1.0×10⁹/L (without colony-stimulating factor treatment within 2 weeks prior to testing, except for disease-induced neutropenia);(b) Hemoglobin ≥60 g/L;(c) Platelet count ≥30×10⁹/L; 2. Liver function:(a) ALT ≤3×ULN (elevations due to disease are excluded);(b) AST ≤3×ULN (elevations due to disease are excluded);(c) TBIL ≤1.5×ULN (elevations due to disease are excluded); 3. Kidney function: Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥30 mL/min/1.73 m² (calculated by CKD-EPI formula); 4. Coagulation function: International Normalized Ratio (INR) ≤1.5×ULN, Prothrombin Time (PT) ≤1.5×ULN; 5. Cardiac function: Hemodynamically stable; 4. Female subjects of childbearing potential and male subjects whose partners are of childbearing potential must agree to use medically accepted contraceptive measures or abstinence during the study and for 24 months after cell infusion; female subjects of childbearing potential must have a negative serum HCG test within 7 days prior to enrollment and must not be lactating: 5. Voluntarily participate in this clinical study and sign the informed consent form. Exclusion Criteria: * Subjects who meet any of the following exclusion criteria will be excluded from this study: 1. Secondary IgAN, secondary membranous nephropathy; 2. Use of immunosuppressive agents with therapeutic effect on the disease within five half-lives prior to cell infusion, or biologics within 4 weeks; 3. History of severe drug allergy or allergic constitution; 4. Uncontrolled or requiring treatment fungal, bacterial, viral, or other infections; 5. Active tuberculosis at screening; 6. Cardiac insufficiency (NYHA functional class \>II), unable to tolerate study lymphodepletion and cell reinfusion; 7. Subjects with congenital immunoglobulin deficiency; 8. History of malignant tumor within the past 5 years that has not yet resolved; 9. Positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) with peripheral blood HBV DNA titer above the detection limit; positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody with peripheral blood HCV RNA positive; positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody; positive for syphilis test; 10. Male and female subjects who plan to conceive during the study period or within 24 months after cell infusion; 11. Subjects whom the investigator deems otherwise unsuitable for inclusion in this study.
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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 places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital.
Guangdong, Guangzhou, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- New antibody drug zuberitamab takes aim at kidney disease in phase 3 trial
- Blood test may help doctors Fine-Tune kidney disease therapy
- Can a daily pill protect kidneys in IgA nephropathy? MRI study puts atrasentan to the test
- Can AI learn to spot kidney disease in biopsy images?
- Can a single injection drug calm the immune attack on kidneys?
- A new tool to predict kidney failure risk in membranous nephropathy?