Engineered immune cells take on stubborn kidney disease
NCT ID NCT07423572
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This early-phase trial tests a new type of immune cell therapy called UCAR-T for people with a tough-to-treat kidney condition called refractory idiopathic membranous nephropathy. The therapy uses specially engineered cells to target and attack certain immune cells that may be driving the disease. The study will enroll 18 adults and focus on safety and whether the treatment can help control the disease.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Anti-CD19/BCMA universal chimeric antigen receptor T cells (UCAR-T)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new treatment option for people with refractory idiopathic membranous nephropathy who have not responded to standard therapies.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small study (18 people) focused on safety. The treatment may not work, could cause serious side effects, and is far from being widely available.
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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Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
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About 18 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Feb 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Sep 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 75 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: 1. Aged 18 to 75 years inclusive, either gender; 2. Adequate function of major organs as defined below: 1. Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.0 × 10⁹/L, hemoglobin ≥ 60 g/L, platelet count ≥ 50 × 10⁹/L; 2. Hepatic function: ALT ≤ 3 × ULN; AST ≤ 3 × ULN; total bilirubin (TBIL) ≤ 1.5 × ULN; 3. Coagulation function: international normalized ratio (INR) ≤ 1.5 × ULN, prothrombin time (PT) ≤ 1.5 × ULN; 4. Cardiac function: hemodynamically stable, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 50%; 3. Female subjects of childbearing potential and male subjects whose partners are women of childbearing potential must use a medically acceptable contraceptive method or practice abstinence during study treatment and for at least 6 months after the end of treatment.Female subjects of childbearing potential must have a negative serum HCG test within 7 days prior to enrollment and must not be breastfeeding; 4. Voluntarily agree to participate in this clinical study, provide written informed consent, demonstrate good compliance, and be willing to comply with follow-up procedures; 5. Diagnosis of primary membranous nephropathy confirmed by renal biopsy pathology; 6. Meet the clinical criteria for high-risk or relapsed/refractory membranous nephropathy, defined as: High-risk patients meeting any of the following: 1. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, CKD-EPI equation) \< 60 mL/min/1.73 m², and/or urinary protein \> 8 g/day for ≥ 6 months; 2. Normal eGFR, urinary protein \> 3.5 g/day despite ACEI/ARB treatment for 6 months with \< 50% reduction in proteinuria, plus serum albumin \< 25 g/L or anti-PLA2R antibody (aPLA2R) \> 50 RU/mL; Refractory membranous nephropathy: inadequate response or resistance to prior immunosuppressive therapy (including corticosteroids and/or cytotoxic agents, immunosuppressants and/or biologics), defined as persistent urinary protein ≥ 3.5 g/day with \< 50% reduction from baseline; Relapsed membranous nephropathy: recurrence (24-hour urinary protein ≥ 3.5 g) after achieving complete or partial remission (CR/PR) following treatment; 7. For relapsed/refractory membranous nephropathy patients during screening: eGFR ≥ 45 mL/min/1.73 m². Exclusion Criteria: 1. Subjects with known allergic reaction, hypersensitivity, intolerance, or contraindication to CD19/BCMA universal CAR-T or any components of the study drugs (including fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and tocilizumab), or a history of severe allergic reaction in the past. 2. Presence or suspicion of uncontrolled or treatable fungal, bacterial, viral, or other infections. 3. Central nervous system diseases caused by autoimmune or non-autoimmune diseases (including epilepsy, psychosis, organic brain syndrome, cerebrovascular accident, encephalitis, central nervous system vasculitis). 4. Subjects with severe cardiac diseases, such as angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, heart failure, arrhythmia, etc. 5. Subjects with congenital immunoglobulin deficiency. 6. Subjects with other malignant tumors (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer and carcinoma in situ of the cervix, bladder, or breast with disease-free survival \> 5 years). 7. Subjects with end-stage renal failure. 8. Subjects positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) with HBV DNA titer above the upper limit of detection; subjects positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody and HCV RNA; subjects positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody; subjects with positive syphilis test. 9. Subjects with psychiatric disorders and severe cognitive impairment. 10. Subjects who participated in other clinical trials within 6 months prior to enrollment. 11. Pregnant or lactating females, or females intending to become pregnant during the study. 12. Subjects with hypertension or diabetes mellitus that cannot be controlled by medication. 13. Subjects for whom the investigator considers there are other reasons for ineligibility. 14. Secondary membranous nephropathy (e.g., associated with hepatitis B, systemic lupus erythematosus, drug-related, malignancy-related, etc.), or concurrent renal disease confirmed by renal biopsy. 15. Type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus.
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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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The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University
Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China