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Gastric AdenocarcinomaGASTROIMMUNENCT07692477

Molecular Characterization of Tumor-Microenvironment Interactions to Predict Drug Resistance in Gastric and GEJ Adenocarcinoma

An observational study of Gastric Adenocarcinoma and Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma (Siewert II-III), run by Azienda Ospedaliera Specializzata in Gastroenterologia Saverio de Bellis.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Surgical resection remains the only curative option for resectable gastric cancer, but perioperative FLOT chemotherapy is associated with substantial rates of chemoresistance and recurrence, largely driven by marked tumor heterogeneity. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
How many people
250 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
1 Sep 2026to 1 Sep 2028
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 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Adult patients (age >= 18 years) with histologically confirmed, operable, locally advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma, candidate to perioperative treatment with FLOT plus durvalumab at the participating IRCCS centers. Patients are enrolled consecutively as they start perioperative treatment in clinical practice.

Who may be able to join

  • Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the stomach (gastric cancer, GC) or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ)
  • Operable, locally advanced disease (T >= 2 and/or node-positive) according to AJCC 8th edition staging
  • Candidate for perioperative chemotherapy with FLOT regimen combined with durvalumab, as per clinical practice
  • Age >= 18 years
  • Provision of written informed consent prior to any study-specific procedure

Who cannot join

  • Presence of another active malignant disease
  • Advanced or metastatic gastric/GEJ cancer not eligible for surgical treatment
  • Inability or unwillingness to provide written informed consent

Trial locations and contacts

No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Rosalba D'Alessandro, Biologist contact

0804994178

rosalba.dalessandro@irccsdebellis.it

About this study

Official title: Molecular Characterization of Tumor-Microenvironment Interactions to Predict Drug Resistance to Perioperative Treatment in Patients With Gastric and Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma

Surgical resection remains the only curative option for resectable gastric cancer, but perioperative FLOT chemotherapy is associated with substantial rates of chemoresistance and recurrence, largely driven by marked tumor heterogeneity. Recent data from the MATTERHORN phase III trial have shown that adding durvalumab to perioperative FLOT improves pathological complete response and survival, supporting this combination as a new standard of care for resectable gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

This observational multicenter study aims to characterize angiogenic and immune profiles within the tumor microenvironment and peripheral blood, in order to identify cellular and molecular signatures associated with response or resistance to perioperative FLOT plus durvalumab. Longitudinal biospecimen collection (PBMCs, serum, plasma, endoscopic biopsies, surgical specimens) will be integrated with multiparametric flow cytometry, single-cell transcriptomics and TCR/BCR sequencing, immunohistochemistry, pathomics and multiplex immunoassays, to provide mechanistic insights and potential predictive biomarkers.

Read the detailed description

This observational multicenter study will prospectively enroll approximately 250 patients with operable, locally advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma who receive perioperative FLOT plus durvalumab according to current clinical practice. Patients typically present with locally advanced disease (T ≥2 and/or node-positive) as defined by the AJCC 8th edition, and are candidates for perioperative chemo-immunotherapy followed by surgery.

Peripheral blood samples for PBMC isolation and serum/plasma storage will be obtained at baseline before neoadjuvant treatment (N1), before surgery (N2), and approximately 2 months after completion of adjuvant therapy (N3). Tumor tissue will be collected through diagnostic endoscopic biopsies and surgical resections; fresh and FFPE specimens will be used for immunohistochemistry, pathomics and omics analyses, including organoid cultures.

The study will implement a multiparametric registry integrating clinical, imaging and omics data, ensuring harmonized data collection across the two IRCCS centers (IRCCS Saverio de Bellis and Humanitas Clinical and Research Center). Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and PBMCs will be profiled by spectral flow cytometry (up to 40 markers), single-cell RNA sequencing and TCR/BCR sequencing to define immune subsets, activation and exhaustion states, and clonal expansion patterns.

Whole-slide digital histology (HE-stained sections) will be analyzed to derive robust pathomic biomarkers related to vascular architecture and immune cell distribution, previously associated with response to anti-angiogenic therapies; these biomarkers will be validated in the perioperative gastric/GEJ cohort. Serum cytokine and chemokine panels will be assessed using Luminex xMAP technology, while CT imaging acquired for staging and follow-up will be annotated to calibrate mathematical models predicting treatment response.

Statistical analyses will treat this project as a pilot study, given the lack of previous evidence on predictors of complete response to perioperative therapy. Patients will be stratified by Tumor Regression Grade (TRG), with TRG 1-2 considered responders and TRG 3-4 non-responders, and effect-size measures, ensemble machine-learning algorithms and multilevel longitudinal models will be used to identify and evaluate angiogenic and immune markers associated with short-term outcomes.

Keywords
tumor microenvironment, perioperative chemotherapy, FLOT, durvalumab, angiogenesis, single-cell RNA sequencing, biomarkers

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Study groups in NCT07692477
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Perioperative FLOT plus Durvalumab CohortPatients with operable, locally advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma receiving perioperative chemotherapy (FLOT regimen: docetaxel, oxaliplatin, leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil) combined with durvalumab (anti-PD-L1) as standard of care. Longitudinal biological samples (peripheral blood and tumor tissue) are collected for molecular characterization of tumor-microenvironment interactions and identification of predictive biomarkers of pharmacological resistance.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Identification of immune and angiogenic cellular subsets associated with pathological response to perioperative FLOT plus durvalumab

    Identification of specific cellular subsets and activation/exhaustion states, assessed by scRNA-seq, TCR/BCR sequencing, and multiparametric spectral flow cytometry of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and PBMCs, associated with pathological response (Tumor Regression Grade TRG 1-2) or resistance (TRG 3-4) to perioperative FLOT plus durvalumab.

    Measured: At surgical resection (approx. 3-4 months after treatment initiation) and approx. 2 months after completion of adjuvant therapy

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Association between angiogenic and immune signatures and clinical outcomes

    Correlation of angiogenic and immune profiles (serum cytokine/chemokine panels by Luminex xMAP, pathomic biomarkers from whole-slide HE images, and flow cytometry data) with clinical outcomes including Tumor Regression Grade (TRG), early recurrence, and short-term survival.

    Measured: From baseline to approximately 2 months after completion of adjuvant therapy (up to approximately 9 months)

  2. Validation of a pathomic biomarker related to angiogenesis and immune response

    Validation of a previously developed pathomic biomarker derived from whole-slide HE digital histology, related to vascular architecture and immune cell spatial distribution, as a predictor of response to perioperative FLOT plus durvalumab in gastric and GEJ adenocarcinoma.

    Measured: At baseline (endoscopic biopsy) and at surgical resection (approximately 3-4 months after treatment initiation)

  3. Characterization of immune evasion mechanisms in non-responders

    Characterization of immune evasion mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment of non-responders (TRG 3-4) based on single-cell analyses (scRNA-seq, TCR/BCR-seq) of TILs and PBMCs, including identification of exhausted T cell populations, immunosuppressive cell subsets, and altered antigen presentation pathways.

    Measured: At surgical resection (approx. 3-4 months after treatment initiation) and approx. 2 months after completion of adjuvant therapy

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted9 Jul 2026
  2. Study start1 Sep 2026 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion1 Sep 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion1 Sep 2028 (estimated)

Resources

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
250 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07692477
Sponsor's protocol ID
GASTRO-IMMUNE-FLOT-2026
Acronym
GASTROIMMUNE
Status last verified
Jul 2026
First submitted
2 Jul 2026
Last updated
9 Jul 2026
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Albano F, Severini FL, Calice G, Zoppoli P, Falco G, Notarangelo T. The role of the tumor microenvironment and inflammatory pathways in driving drug resistance in gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2025 Aug;1871(6):167821. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2025.167821. Epub 2025 Apr 7.

    PubMed 40203956
  • Janjigian YY, Al-Batran SE, Wainberg ZA, Muro K, Molena D, Van Cutsem E, Hyung WJ, Wyrwicz L, Oh DY, Omori T, Moehler M, Garrido M, Oliveira SCS, Liberman M, Oliden VC, Smyth EC, Stein A, Bilici M, Alvarenga ML, Kozlov V, Rivera F, Kawazoe A, Serrano O, Heilbron E, Negro A, Kurland JF, Tabernero J; MATTERHORN Investigators. Perioperative Durvalumab in Gastric and Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2025 Jul 17;393(3):217-230. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2503701. Epub 2025 Jun 1.

    PubMed 40454643
  • Al-Batran SE, Homann N, Pauligk C, Goetze TO, Meiler J, Kasper S, Kopp HG, Mayer F, Haag GM, Luley K, Lindig U, Schmiegel W, Pohl M, Stoehlmacher J, Folprecht G, Probst S, Prasnikar N, Fischbach W, Mahlberg R, Trojan J, Koenigsmann M, Martens UM, Thuss-Patience P, Egger M, Block A, Heinemann V, Illerhaus G, Moehler M, Schenk M, Kullmann F, Behringer DM, Heike M, Pink D, Teschendorf C, Lohr C, Bernhard H, Schuch G, Rethwisch V, von Weikersthal LF, Hartmann JT, Kneba M, Daum S, Schulmann K, Weniger J, Belle S, Gaiser T, Oduncu FS, Guntner M, Hozaeel W, Reichart A, Jager E, Kraus T, Monig S, Bechstein WO, Schuler M, Schmalenberg H, Hofheinz RD; FLOT4-AIO Investigators. Perioperative chemotherapy with fluorouracil plus leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel versus fluorouracil or capecitabine plus cisplatin and epirubicin for locally advanced, resectable gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (FLOT4): a randomised, phase 2/3 trial. Lancet. 2019 May 11;393(10184):1948-1957. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32557-1. Epub 2019 Apr 11.

    PubMed 30982686

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Gastric Adenocarcinoma and Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma (Siewert II-III), run by Azienda Ospedaliera Specializzata in Gastroenterologia Saverio de Bellis.

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 5 inclusion and 3 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

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?

Contact Gianluigi Giannelli, MD (+390804994721, gianluigi.giannelli@irccsdebellis.it), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Identification of immune and angiogenic cellular subsets associated with pathological response to perioperative FLOT plus durvalumab (time frame: At surgical resection (approx. 3-4 months after treatment initiation) and approx. 2 months after completion of adjuvant therapy). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07692477, which also lists 3 linked publications.

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 9 Jul 2026.

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