Trifecta-Heart cfDNA-MMDx Study

NCT ID: NCT04707872

Last Updated: 2025-11-14

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

300 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-06-01

Study Completion Date

2027-07-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Demonstrate the relationship between DD-cfDNA levels and HLA antibodies in blood transplant recipient and the Molecular Microscope® (MMDx) Diagnostic System results in indication and protocol biopsies from heart transplants.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

The current standard for assessment of rejection in heart transplants is an endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) interpreted by histology according to ISHLT guidelines. This has considerable error rates, many due to the high disagreement among pathologists in assessing lesions and diagnoses. To address the unmet need for precision and accuracy, the Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre (ATAGC, University of Alberta) has developed a new diagnostic system - the Molecular Microscope® Diagnostic System (MMDx), which uses microarrays to define the global gene expression features of rejection and injury. Now a new screening test is being introduced: the monitoring of donor-derived cell-free DNA (DD-cfDNA) released in the blood by the heart during rejection. The Natera Inc DD-cfDNA Prospera® test is based on the massively multiplex polymerase chain reaction that targets 13,392 single nucleotide polymorphisms and targeted sequences are quantified by Next Generation Sequencing. The Prospera® test has been done on kidney transplant recipients and detected "active rejection" and differentiated it from borderline rejection and no rejection. However, Prospera® test was not examined (the DD-cfDNA results) in heart transplant recipients. DD-cf-DNA test for heart transplants must now be calibrated against MMDx that is based on global gene expression, the new standard for biopsy interpretation. The present study will calibrate centrally measured (Natera Inc) DD-cfDNA levels obtained at the time of an indication or protocol biopsy against the MMDx measurements of T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR), antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) and early and late tissue injury. The present study will compare DD-cfDNA and MMDx in 300 prospectively collected biopsies for clinical indications and protocol, and accompanying 600 blood samples, to calibrate the DD-cfDNA (Natera Inc.) levels against the MMDx biopsy diagnoses of TCMR, ABMR (and its stages), and acute (early) and chronic (late) injury, , as well as central assessment of HLA antibody (One Lambda) in 300 blood samples, interpreted centrally as donor specific antibody (DSA) based on the tissue typing results. Trifecta-Heart collected 575 biopsies and 573 cfDNA samples, and 573 One Lambda samples so far. Due to a considerable interest from participation centers, this study aims to collect 300 more biopsies and corresponding blood samples. This study is an extension of the INTERHEART ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02670408

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Heart Transplant Rejection

Keywords

Explore important study keywords that can help with search, categorization, and topic discovery.

Donor derived cfDNA gene expression heart transplant biopsy

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Heart transplant protocol and for cause biopsies

The study population includes patients with a functioning heart transplant undergoing a biopsy for clinical indications as standard of care, or protocol biopsies of heart in high-risk patients, or follow-up after treatment.

HLA antibody

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Centralized measurement of HLA antibodies in patient blood

MMDx diagnostic test

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Microarray test of gene expression in heart biopsies

Prospera

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Donor derived cell-free DNA in patient blood

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

HLA antibody

Centralized measurement of HLA antibodies in patient blood

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

MMDx diagnostic test

Microarray test of gene expression in heart biopsies

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Prospera

Donor derived cell-free DNA in patient blood

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* All heart transplant recipients undergoing a biopsy for clinical indications and protocol biopsies, as determined by their physician or surgeon, will be eligible to enroll in the study.
* Patients are enrolled based on standard of care biopsies, including surveillance biopsies in high-risk patients, with informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria

* Patients will be excluded from the study if they decline participation
* Are unable to give informed consent.
* Recipients of multiple organs.
Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Natera, Inc.

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role collaborator

One Lambda

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Alberta

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Philip F Halloran, MD PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Center, University of Alberta

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Baptist Health Institute for Research and Innovation

Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Tampa General Hospital, 409 Bayshore Blvd.

Tampa, Florida, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Columbia University Medical Center, Columbia Interventional Cardiovascular Care

West New York, New Jersey, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Montefiore Medical Center, 3319 Rochambeau Avenue, 2nd FL

The Bronx, New York, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute, BaylorScott&White Research Institute

Dallas, Texas, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Utah Health

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Cardiac Transplantation Laboratory, The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute

Darlinghurst, , Australia

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Division of Cardiology, University of Alberta

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Site Status RECRUITING

Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine - IKEM Videnska 1958/9

Prague, , Czechia

Site Status RECRUITING

Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Unit, University of Bologna

Bologna, , Italy

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Silesian Center for Heart Diseases (Ś!ąskie Centrum Chorób Serca w Zabrzu

Zabrze, , Poland

Site Status RECRUITING

Advanced Heart Failure Transplant Unit

A Coruña, , Spain

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Austria United States Australia Canada Czechia Italy Poland Spain

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Konrad Famulski, PhD

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 1 780 782 9463

Email: [email protected]

Robert Polakowski, PhD

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 1 780 492 5091

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Victoria McIntosh Marren

Role: primary

Kristyn Kuzianik

Role: primary

Maria Alejandra Muñoz Cifuentes

Role: primary

Renae Robinson

Role: primary

Brandon Johnson

Role: backup

Aayla K Jamil, MBBS

Role: primary

Jennifer Hong

Role: primary

Carmen Herrera, MD

Role: primary

Daniel Kim, MD

Role: primary

Tereza Novakowa

Role: primary

Laura Borgese

Role: primary

Agnieszka Kuczaj, MD PhD

Role: primary

Zulaika Grille Cancela

Role: primary

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Madill-Thomsen KS, Halloran PF. Precision diagnostics in transplanted organs using microarray-assessed gene expression: concepts and technical methods of the Molecular Microscope(R) Diagnostic System (MMDx). Clin Sci (Lond). 2024 Jun 5;138(11):663-685. doi: 10.1042/CS20220530.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 38819301 (View on PubMed)

Halloran PF, Madill-Thomsen KS. Donor-derived Cell-free DNA: A Step Forward in the Quest for Transplant Truth. Transplantation. 2025 Jun 1;109(6):910-914. doi: 10.1097/TP.0000000000005332. Epub 2025 Jan 28. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 39883025 (View on PubMed)

Halloran PF, Reeve J, Mackova M, Madill-Thomsen KS, Demko Z, Olymbios M, Campbell P, Melenovsky V, Gong T, Hall S, Stehlik J. Comparing Plasma Donor-derived Cell-free DNA to Gene Expression in Endomyocardial Biopsies in the Trifecta-Heart Study. Transplantation. 2024 Sep 1;108(9):1931-1942. doi: 10.1097/TP.0000000000004986. Epub 2024 Aug 20.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 38538559 (View on PubMed)

Halloran PF, Madill-Thomsen KS. The Molecular Microscope Diagnostic System: Assessment of Rejection and Injury in Heart Transplant Biopsies. Transplantation. 2023 Jan 1;107(1):27-44. doi: 10.1097/TP.0000000000004323. Epub 2022 Dec 8.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 36508644 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

ATAGC06

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id