LeukemiaNCT03226704
Leukapheresis for CAR or Adoptive Cell Therapy Manufacturing
An observational study of Leukemia and Lymphoma, run by National Cancer Institute (NCI) at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Background: Leukapheresis is a procedure to separate and collect white blood cells. It is the first step in a treatment called CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell therapy. CAR-T therapy may be offered to people when their cancer comes back. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 3 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Leukemia, Lymphoma, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
- What is being tested?
- Leukapheresis
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- How many people
- 120 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 14 Aug 2017to 31 Jul 2030
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 3 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Study population: Patients 3-65 years of age, at least 15 kg, with relapsed/refractory cancer that has recurred after or not responded to one or more standard regimens and/or deemed incurable by standard therapy and who meet all eligibility criteria are eligible to participate.
Who may be able to join
- Age: >= 3 and <= 65 years
- Weight >= 15 kg
- Confirmation of cancer diagnosis provided by disease-specific assessment (e.g., flow cytometry, PCR) or H\&E verification.
- Disease Status:
- Relapsed/refractory cancer that has failed at least one standard regimen and are not in remission at the time of leukapheresis, OR
- Previously treated patients without detectable disease at the time of leukapheresis but at high-relapse risk.
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- Potentially eligible for future NIH-CAR or other adoptive cell therapy based on the following:
- Adequate performance status: Patients > 10 years of age: Karnofsky >= 50%; Patients <= 10 years of age: Lansky scale >= 50%
- Adequate organ function:
- absolute neutrophil count >750/mcL*
- platelets >=30,000/mcL*
- total bilirubin <=2 X ULN (except in the case of subjects with documented Gilbert s disease > 3x ULN)
- AST(SGOT)/ALT(SGPT)<=20 X institutional upper limit of normal for age and laboratory normal ranges
- creatinine within age adjusted normal institutional limits (see below) OR
- creatinine clearance >= 60 mL/min/1.73 m^2 for creatinine levels above institutional normal.
- Age (Years): <=5; Maximum Serum Creatine (mg/dL): 0.8
- Age (Years): 5 < age <= 10; Maximum Serum Creatine (mg/dL): 1.0
- Age (Years): >10; Maximum Serum Creatine (mg/dL): 1.2
- Cytopenias deemed to be disease-related and not therapy-related are exempt from this exclusion.
- Patients, parents/guardians, legally authorized representative (LAR), or durable power of attorney must be able to give consent and sign the Informed Consent Document.
Who cannot join
- Transfusion refractory thrombocytopenia such that platelet count cannot be adequately supported with transfusions to be at >=30,000/mcL
- Active DIC, bleeding or coagulopathy which cannot be corrected with minimal intervention
- Rapidly progressive disease or hyperleukocytosis >= 50,000 blasts/mcL
- Symptomatic, uncontrolled or severe intercurrent illness that would compromise the ability to tolerate CAR or adoptive cell therapy-based toxicity
- Subjects must have recovered from the acute side effects of their prior therapy, such that eligibility criteria are met. Cytopenias deemed to be disease-related and not therapyrelated are exempt from this exclusion.
- Pregnant or nursing (lactating) individuals, where pregnancy is defined as the state of after conception and until the termination of gestation, confirmed by a positive hCG laboratory test at screening
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- Active or latent hepatitis B or active hepatitis C, or any uncontrolled infection at screening
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection at screening (The experimental treatments being evaluated depend upon an intact immune system. Patients who are HIV seropositive can have decreased immune competence and thus be less responsive to the experimental treatment and more susceptible to its toxicities)
- Any patient that in the opinion of the investigator is not medically stable to undergo the leukapheresis procedure or will not comply with the visit schedules or procedures
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
About this study
Background:
Leukapheresis is a procedure to separate and collect white blood cells. It is the first step in a treatment called CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell therapy. CAR-T therapy may be offered to people when their cancer comes back. The collected T-cells are used to make a special version of T-cells called CARs. Researchers want to collect these cells from people who may become eligible for a CAR T-cell study in the future.
Read more
Objective:
To identify people who have a high likelihood to benefit from CAR T-cell therapy early in their disease course and collect and store a T-cell product.
Eligibility:
People ages 3-65 with a form of leukemia or lymphoma that has not been cured by standard therapy
Design:
Participants will be screened with medical history, physical exam, and blood and urine tests. Review of existing MRI, x-ray, pathology specimens/reports or CT images may be done.
On this study, participants will have leukapheresis. A needle will be placed into the arm. Blood will be collected and go through a machine. White blood cells will be taken out by the machine. The plasma and red cells will be returned to the participant through a second needle in the other arm. The procedure will take 4-6 hours. Some participants may have a central line (catheter) inserted which is needed to do the leukapheresis procedure, instead of the needles in the arms-especially if they are smaller. For a central line placement, a long thin tube is inserted through a small incision into the main blood vessel leading into the heart that would allow access to the blood to do the leukapheresis procedure.
Participants cells will be processed and frozen for future use in a CAR T-cell therapy study.
Read the detailed description
Background:
- Leukapheresis is a necessary step to developing a "CAR therapy" or other adoptive cellular therapy products. There are numerous clinical trials underway in the NCI utilizing CAR therapy.
- The purpose of this protocol is to develop a streamlined process whereby patients undergo apheresis for development of a CAR cell or other adoptive cell therapy product on a subsequent therapeutic clinical trial, which can be administered when the patient needs investigational therapies.
- Emerging data suggests the critical importance of elements of the apheresis product in outcomes following adoptive cell therapy. Evaluation of methodologies to optimize timing and composition of the apheresis collection are imperative to the feasibility of manufacturing and remains an active area of investigations. Patient specific elements (e.g., presence of NK-cells/circulating leukemic blasts and/or inhibitory myeloid derived suppressor cells) along with other parameters of the apheresis product itself appear to influence efficacy and toxicity profiles of adoptive cell therapy.
- Allowing for collection of the leukapheresis product in a protocol separate from the therapeutic protocol would allow for the best optimization of:
- Patient care and disease burden
- Timing and coordination of cell infusion
- Collection in patients with high-risk disease who have no current detectable disease but have a very high likelihood of relapse.
- Comprehensive evaluation of apheresis products will facilitate enhanced understanding of critical elements of the apheresis product in patients with cancer and how this may impact outcomes of adoptive cell therapy.
Objective:
To obtain via the leukapheresis process by which cells will be collected and stored for use in CCR CAR or other adoptive cell therapy clinical trials.
Eligibility:
Patients >=3 - <=65 years of age, at least 15 kg, with relapsed/refractory cancer that has recurred after or not responding to at least one or more standard regimen.
Design:
-Once a patient is identified to be a future potential candidate for one of the NCI CAR or other adoptive cell therapy clinical trials, they will undergo leukapheresis, as estimated by recipient weight and target cell harvest dose in the Department of Transfusion Medicine
(DTM).
-No treatments, investigational or standard therapy will be administered on this protocol beyond those used to support the apheresis procedure.
- Conditions
- Leukemia, Lymphoma, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
- Being tested
- Leukapheresis
- Keywords
- CD19, CD22, CD19/22, Immunotherapy, Apheresis, Natural History
- Medical subject headings
- Leukemia, Lymphoma, Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma, Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse, Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
LeukapheresisProcedure or surgery
Leukapheresis
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patients >/=3 - </=65 years of age, at least 15 kg, with relapsed/refractory cancer that has recurred after or not responded to at least one standard regimen Receives: Procedure: Leukapheresis |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
fraction of subjects who can enroll on a CAR-T study within approximately 12 months of undergoing apheresis
number of subjects who enroll on a CAR-T study within approximately 12 months of undergoing apheresis
Measured: 12 months after collection of apheresis product
Secondary outcomes (2)
fraction of patients who experience a grade 4 toxicity associated with apheresis
number of patients who experience an unexpected grade 4 toxicity associated with apheresis
Measured: completion of apheresis procedure
fraction of patients who can enroll on a CAR/adoptive cell therapy study within 12 months of undergoing apheresis by disease and type of CAR to be received.
number of patients who can enroll on a CAR/adoptive cell therapy study within 12 months of undergoing apheresis by disease and type of CAR to be received
Measured: 12 months after collection of apheresis product
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Jul 2017
- Study start14 Aug 2017
- Primary completion31 Jan 2030 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Jul 2030 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for LeukemiaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by National Cancer Institute (NCI)The sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Sponsor type
- US National Institutes of Health
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Srivandana Akshintala, M.D., Principal investigator, National Cancer Institute (NCI)
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03226704
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 170137
- Other IDs
- 17-C-0137
- Status last verified
- 27 Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 21 Jul 2017
- Last updated
- 29 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: All IPD recorded in the medical record will be shared with intramural investigators upon request.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Leukapheresis for CAR or Adoptive Cell Therapy Manufacturing
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03226704
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 170137
- Conditions
- Leukemia, Lymphoma, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
- Keywords
- CD19, CD22, CD19/22, Immunotherapy, Apheresis, Natural History
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Enrolling by invitation
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)US National Institutes of Health
- Study start
- 14 Aug 2017 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Jan 2030 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Jul 2030 (estimated)
- First posted
- 24 Jul 2017 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Background:
Leukapheresis is a procedure to separate and collect white blood cells. It is the first step in a treatment called CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell therapy. CAR-T therapy may be offered to people when their cancer comes back. The collected T-cells are used to make a special version of T-cells called CARs. Researchers want to collect these cells from people who may become eligible for a CAR T-cell study in the future.
Objective:
To identify people who have a high likelihood to benefit from CAR T-cell therapy early in their disease course and collect and store a T-cell product.
Eligibility:
People ages 3-65 with a form of leukemia or lymphoma that has not been cured by standard therapy
Design:
Participants will be screened with medical history, physical exam, and blood and urine tests. Review of existing MRI, x-ray, pathology specimens/reports or CT images may be done.
On this study, participants will have leukapheresis. A needle will be placed into the arm. Blood will be collected and go through a machine. White blood cells will be taken out by the machine. The plasma and red cells will be returned to the participant through a second needle in the other arm. The procedure will take 4-6 hours. Some participants may have a central line (catheter) inserted which is needed to do the leukapheresis procedure, instead of the needles in the arms-especially if they are smaller. For a central line placement, a long thin tube is inserted through a small incision into the main blood vessel leading into the heart that would allow access to the blood to do the leukapheresis procedure.
Participants cells will be processed and frozen for future use in a CAR T-cell therapy study.
Detailed description
Background:
- Leukapheresis is a necessary step to developing a "CAR therapy" or other adoptive cellular therapy products. There are numerous clinical trials underway in the NCI utilizing CAR therapy.
- The purpose of this protocol is to develop a streamlined process whereby patients undergo apheresis for development of a CAR cell or other adoptive cell therapy product on a subsequent therapeutic clinical trial, which can be administered when the patient needs investigational therapies.
- Emerging data suggests the critical importance of elements of the apheresis product in outcomes following adoptive cell therapy. Evaluation of methodologies to optimize timing and composition of the apheresis collection are imperative to the feasibility of manufacturing and remains an active area of investigations. Patient specific elements (e.g., presence of NK-cells/circulating leukemic blasts and/or inhibitory myeloid derived suppressor cells) along with other parameters of the apheresis product itself appear to influence efficacy and toxicity profiles of adoptive cell therapy.
- Allowing for collection of the leukapheresis product in a protocol separate from the therapeutic protocol would allow for the best optimization of:
- Patient care and disease burden
- Timing and coordination of cell infusion
- Collection in patients with high-risk disease who have no current detectable disease but have a very high likelihood of relapse.
- Comprehensive evaluation of apheresis products will facilitate enhanced understanding of critical elements of the apheresis product in patients with cancer and how this may impact outcomes of adoptive cell therapy.
Objective:
To obtain via the leukapheresis process by which cells will be collected and stored for use in CCR CAR or other adoptive cell therapy clinical trials.
Eligibility:
Patients >=3 - <=65 years of age, at least 15 kg, with relapsed/refractory cancer that has recurred after or not responding to at least one or more standard regimen.
Design:
-Once a patient is identified to be a future potential candidate for one of the NCI CAR or other adoptive cell therapy clinical trials, they will undergo leukapheresis, as estimated by recipient weight and target cell harvest dose in the Department of Transfusion Medicine
(DTM).
-No treatments, investigational or standard therapy will be administered on this protocol beyond those used to support the apheresis procedure.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Procedure: LeukapheresisPatients >/=3 - </=65 years of age, at least 15 kg, with relapsed/refractory cancer that has recurred after or not responded to at least one standard regimen |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 3 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Patients 3-65 years of age, at least 15 kg, with relapsed/refractory cancer that has recurred after or not responded to one or more standard regimens and/or deemed incurable by standard therapy and who meet all eligibility criteria are eligible to participate.
Key inclusion criteria (20 listed)
- Age: >= 3 and <= 65 years
- Weight >= 15 kg
- Confirmation of cancer diagnosis provided by disease-specific assessment (e.g., flow cytometry, PCR) or H\&E verification.
- Disease Status:
- Potentially eligible for future NIH-CAR or other adoptive cell therapy based on the following:
Key exclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Transfusion refractory thrombocytopenia such that platelet count cannot be adequately supported with transfusions to be at >=30,000/mcL
- Active DIC, bleeding or coagulopathy which cannot be corrected with minimal intervention
- Rapidly progressive disease or hyperleukocytosis >= 50,000 blasts/mcL
- Symptomatic, uncontrolled or severe intercurrent illness that would compromise the ability to tolerate CAR or adoptive cell therapy-based toxicity
- Subjects must have recovered from the acute side effects of their prior therapy, such that eligibility criteria are met. Cytopenias deemed to be disease-related and not therapyrelated are exempt from this exclusion.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| LeukapheresisLeukapheresis | Procedure or surgery | 1 |
Primary outcome
fraction of subjects who can enroll on a CAR-T study within approximately 12 months of undergoing apheresis
Time frame: 12 months after collection of apheresis product
number of subjects who enroll on a CAR-T study within approximately 12 months of undergoing apheresis
2 secondary outcomes
fraction of patients who experience a grade 4 toxicity associated with apheresis
Time frame: completion of apheresis procedure
fraction of patients who can enroll on a CAR/adoptive cell therapy study within 12 months of undergoing apheresis by disease and type of CAR to be received.
Time frame: 12 months after collection of apheresis product
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 29 Oct 2026.
- NIH Clinical Center Detailed Web PageLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. All IPD recorded in the medical record will be shared with intramural investigators upon request.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Srivandana Akshintala, M.D. principal investigator
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Leukemia and Lymphoma, run by National Cancer Institute (NCI) at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 20 inclusion and 9 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
fraction of subjects who can enroll on a CAR-T study within approximately 12 months of undergoing apheresis (time frame: 12 months after collection of apheresis product). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 29 Oct 2026.