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Lupus NephritisPhase 4MAPLENCT07760480

Assessing Residual Inflammation and Macrophage Presence in Lupus Nephritis After 3 Months of Intensified Treatment With Prednisolone, Mycofenolate Mofetil and Voclosporin as Compared to Mycofenolate Mofetil and Prednisolone

A Phase 4 study testing Kidney Biopsy, Voclosporin (LUPKYNIS) and Blood, feces and urine sample collection in people with Lupus Nephritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), run by Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA) at 1 site in Netherlands.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn how different treatments affect immune cells in the kidney in people with active lupus nephritis (LN), a kidney manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 16 to 70 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
Kidney Biopsy, Voclosporin (LUPKYNIS) and Blood, feces and urine sample collection
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
55 participants
Where
1 siteNetherlands
Study dates
23 Apr 2026to Apr 2030
Phase
Phase 4
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 16 to 70 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Patients with de novo or flaring SLE according to the EULAR/ACR criteria and a suspicion of class III or IV LN with a clinical indication to perform a kidney biopsy
  • Age 16-70 years
  • eGFR as measured by cystatin C >20 mL/min

Who cannot join

  • LN class I, II or pure class V upon kidney biopsy
  • eGFR as measured by cystatin C <20 mL/min
  • Histological chronicity score (NIH) of 8 or higher in the kidney biopsy
  • Active infection of any kind as evidenced by cultures (blood, urine or otherwise)
  • History of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, tuberculosis and/or HIV
  • Treatment with any of the following agents within one month before screening:
Show all 23Show fewer
  • tacrolimus, belimumab, anifrolumab - Treatment with any of the following agents within 6 months before screening: rituximab, daratumumab, eculizumab
  • Prolongation of QT-interval (QTc >470ms) and/or bradycardia (resting heart rate <50bpm) measured on two separate occasions
  • Hyperkalaemia (serum potassium >6.0 mmol/L)
  • Hypertension (blood pressure > 165/105 mmHg, with symptoms of hyperten sion)*
  • Co-administration of voclosporin with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ke toconazole, itraconazole, clarithromycin)
  • Pregnancy
  • A single elevated blood pressure measurement will not lead to immediate exclusion from the trial. Antihypertensive therapy may be initiated as appropriate. Dose adjustments of voclosporin should be made in accordance with Section 11.3.2 of the protocol
  • SLE patients without LN (disease control group) Inclusion criteria
  • Diagnosis of SLE according to EULAR/ACR guidelines
  • Age 16-70
  • Suspicion of LN
  • Signs of active infection
  • Healthy subjects (control group) Inclusion criteria
  • Blank medical history
  • Age 16-70
  • A majority (75%) of female healthy subjects will be sought
  • Signs of active infection

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Netherlands1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Amsterdam University Medical Center

    Amsterdam

    Marc L Hilhorst, Principal Investigator, +31205669111, m.l.hilhorst@amsterdamumc.nl

    Marc L Hilhorst, MD, PhD

    Recruiting

Other trials in Netherlands

About this study

Official title: Assessing Residual Inflammation and Macrophage Presence in Lupus Nephritis After 3 Months of Intensified Treatment With Prednisolone, Mycofenolate Mofetil and Voclosporin as Compared to Mycofenolate Mofetil and Prednisolone, an Open Label Randomized Controlled Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn how different treatments affect immune cells in the kidney in people with active lupus nephritis (LN), a kidney manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It will also investigate whether early changes in kidney tissue can predict long-term treatment response and whether blood or urine biomarkers can be used to monitor disease activity without the need for repeat kidney biopsies.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Read more
  • Does adding voclosporin to standard treatment with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and prednisolone result in greater early improvement of kidney inflammation compared with MMF and prednisolone alone?
  • Are specific macrophage and monocyte populations associated with treatment response and long-term kidney outcomes?
  • Can blood- or urine-based biomarkers be identified that reflect kidney inflammation and treatment response?

Researchers will compare MMF, prednisolone, and voclosporin (triple therapy) with MMF and prednisolone alone (dual therapy) to determine whether intensified treatment leads to faster and more complete immunological and histological remission.

Participants with newly diagnosed or relapsing proliferative lupus nephritis will:

  • Be randomly assigned to receive either triple therapy (MMF, prednisolone, and voclosporin) or dual therapy (MMF and prednisolone).
  • Undergo a kidney biopsy before treatment starts and a repeat kidney biopsy after 3 months of treatment.
  • Provide blood and urine samples during follow-up for immune cell analyses and biomarker studies.
  • Complete patient-reported outcomes questionnaires
  • Attend regular study visits and clinical assessments for up to 2 years.

In addition, participants with SLE without lupus nephritis and healthy volunteers will provide blood samples to allow comparison of circulating immune cell populations between groups.

Being tested
Kidney Biopsy, Voclosporin (LUPKYNIS), Blood, feces and urine sample collection, LupusPRO questionnaire, Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) Treatment
Keywords
Lupus Nephritis, LN, SLE, Systemic lupus erythematosus, volcosporin, mmf, cellcept, prednisolone, kidney biopsy
Medical subject headings
Lupus Nephritis, Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic

What participants receive

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

  • Kidney BiopsyProcedure or surgery

    At 3 months after the start of treatment, participants will undergo a repeat renal biopsy for assessment of early histological response and for single-cell RNA sequencing.

  • Voclosporin (LUPKYNIS)Drug

    Arm 1 will receive triple therapy (addition of voclosporin)

  • Blood, feces and urine sample collectionDiagnostic test

    Blood, feces and urine samples will be collected at multiple timepoints during study follow-up period.

  • LupusPRO questionnaireOther

    The lupusPRO v1.7 questionnaire (20) is a 43-question patient reported outcome survey tool to follow the impact of lupus or its treatment on the patient's quality of life. The questionnaire takes 7-8 minutes to complete and is validated and available in multiple languages. Participants will be asked to either fill in the questionnaire at home (and bring it on their next outpatient clinic visit) or while visiting the hospital during follow-up time. The questionnaires are filled in on paper.

  • Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) TreatmentDrug

    MMF 1000 mg twice daily (or 500 mg four times daily)

  • PrednisoloneDrug

    Following intravenous methylprednisolone induction (500mg, 3 days), oral prednisolone 1 mg/kg/day tapered to ≤5 mg/day within 3 months.

Study groups in NCT07760480
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Triple Therapy (MMF + Prednisolone + Voclosporin)Active comparatorParticipants receive induction corticosteroid therapy consisting of intravenous methylprednisolone 500 mg daily for 3 days, followed by oral prednisolone 1 mg/kg/day with tapering to ≤5 mg/day within 3 months, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) 1000 mg twice daily (or 500 mg four times daily), and voclosporin 23.7 mg twice daily.
Receives: Procedure: Kidney Biopsy; Drug: Voclosporin (LUPKYNIS); Diagnostic Test: Blood, feces and urine sample collection; Other: LupusPRO questionnaire; Drug: Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) Treatment; Drug: Prednisolone
Dual Therapy (MMF + Prednisolone)Active comparatorParticipants receive induction corticosteroid therapy consisting of intravenous methylprednisolone 500 mg daily for 3 days, followed by oral prednisolone 1 mg/kg/day with tapering to ≤5 mg/day within 3 months, and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) 1000 mg twice daily (or 500 mg four times daily).
Receives: Procedure: Kidney Biopsy; Diagnostic Test: Blood, feces and urine sample collection; Other: LupusPRO questionnaire; Drug: Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) Treatment; Drug: Prednisolone
SLE without LN controlNo interventionFrom the SLE without LN patients (disease control), blood and urine samples are collected at two timepoints, with an interval of (min) 3 and (max) 6 months between collection. Participants in this arm are not randomized and do not undergo treatment or kidney biopsy.
Healthy controlNo interventionHealthy participants (healthy control) blood and urine samples are collected at two timepoints, with an interval of (min) 3 and (max) 6 months between collection. Participants in this arm are not randomized and do not undergo treatment or kidney biopsy.

What is being measured

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

  1. Determining single cell RNA sequencing differences within the full macrophage spectrum between arm 1 vs arm 2

    The macrophage spectrum will be compared between baseline kidney biopsy and kidney biopsy at 3 months treatment. Differences in celltype proportions, gene expression and spatial organization will be assessed using spatial single cell RNA sequencing techniques.

    Measured: From enrollment to the repeat kidney biopsy at 3 months after starting treatment

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. Analyze rapid clinical remission of intensified treatment by proteinuria levels for relation to tissue changes

    Clinical remission achievement will be related to transcriptomic tissue signature

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of follow-up at 24 months

  2. Assess differences in macrophage subtypes within kidney tissue

    Numerically distinguish residential macrophages and monocyte derived macrophages in kidney tissue with spatial scRNAseq, comparing arm 1 vs arm 2.

    Measured: From enrollment to the repeat kidney biopsy at 3 months after starting treatment

  3. Assess histological response of both treatment arms

    Assessment of histological response of intensified treatment (arm 1) compared to dual therapy (arm 2)

    Measured: From enrollment to the repeat kidney biopsy at 3 months after starting treatment

  4. To assess phenotype of circulating monocytes in LN patients compared to SLE patients without clinical kidney involvement and healthy participants

    Phenotype of circulating monocytes of LN patients will be associated with kidney tissue signature and compared to circulating monocyte phenotype of SLE patients without clinical kidney involvement and healthy participants.

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of follow-up at 24 months

  5. To identify potential non-invasive urinary biomarkers

    To identify potential non invasive urinary biomarkers of disease activity in the scRNA-seq data, to be tested in sequentially stored urine and/or serum from patients

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of follow-up at 24 months

  6. Confirm scRNA-seq identified macrophage markers immunohistochemically, identify spatial distribution (glomerular vs interstitial) and assess their predictive and prognostic use.

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of follow-up at 24 months

Timeline

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

  1. First posted12 Aug 2026
  2. Study start23 Apr 2026
  3. Primary completionApr 2028 (estimated)
  4. Study completionApr 2030 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
55 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07760480
Sponsor's protocol ID
2025-522187-32-01
Other IDs
2025-522187-32-01, 2025
Acronym
MAPLE
Status last verified
Aug 2026
First submitted
7 Jul 2026
Last updated
12 Aug 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing Kidney Biopsy, Voclosporin (LUPKYNIS) and Blood, feces and urine sample collection in people with Lupus Nephritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), run by Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA) at 1 site in Netherlands.

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 3 inclusion and 23 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 Aug 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 Netherlands. 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.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

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?

Each site lists its own contact: choose the nearest one under Trial locations. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Determining single cell RNA sequencing differences within the full macrophage spectrum between arm 1 vs arm 2 (time frame: From enrollment to the repeat kidney biopsy at 3 months after starting treatment). 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 12 Aug 2026.

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