Micro-encapsulated Hepatocyte Intraperitoneal Transplantation in Liver Failure Adults

NCT ID: NCT05727722

Last Updated: 2025-06-27

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: PHASE1
• Total Enrollment: 10 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-03-01
• Study Completion Date: 2026-02-28

Brief Summary

This is a prospective single-center dose escalation study of the administration of the microencapsulated hepatocyte therapy in adult liver failure. The purpose of the study is to determine the maximum tolerated dose of microencapsulated hepatocytes in liver failure patients and its effectiveness in treating the disease. We previously generated proliferating human hepatocytes (ProliHH) through dedifferentiation of PHH and engineered them into encapsulated liver organoids (eLO), providing an unlimited cell source for hepatocyte transplantation.

Detailed Description

This study is a single-center unblinded single-arm study comprised of a dose escalation phase and a preliminary assessment of efficacy. Subjects who were diagnosed with liver failure (including chronic liver failure and acute-on-chronic liver failure) received 3 days' regular treatment with no beneficial effect and volunteered to participate in micro-encapsulated hepatocytes intraperitoneal transplantation therapy will be enrolled. Before the clinical research, the recruitment criteria and micro-encapsulated hepatocytes transplantation protocol will be confirmed. To minimize the number of patients receiving unbeneficial therapeutic dosage, the accelerated titration design and "3+3" design will be used to decide the dosage group. All micro-encapsulated hepatocytes transplantation patients will be monitored after 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 60 days after treatment for safety and primary efficacy analyses. The patients could still receive regular clinical treatment including liver transplantation.

Conditions

Acute-On-Chronic Liver Failure; Chronic Liver Failure

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SEQUENTIAL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Micro-encapsulated Hepatocyte Intraperitoneal Transplantation Cohort 1

Participants will each be administered the dosage of 0.15×10\^9 for one time, with 60 days follow-up after the cell infusion.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

a single course of micro-encapsulated hepatocytes intraperitoneal transplantation therapy

Intervention Type: BIOLOGICAL

A single course will be divided into an "accelerated titration design" phase and a "3+3 design" phase to reduce the number of subjects exposed to potentially ineffective doses that may not benefit from treatment. The "accelerated titration design" phase starts at a starting dose of 0.15x10\^9, moving to the "3+3 design" phase at the dose of 0.5x10\^9. According to the semi-logarithmic incremental (10\^0.5-fold) approach, the treatment dosage was set into four groups at a maximum dose of 4.5×10\^9 (allowing for a ±20% difference between the actual dose and the planned dose, considering production specifics). The number or the incremental ratio of subsequent dose groups can be adjusted based on the evaluation of available data in the study, and intermediate doses can be explored.

Micro-encapsulated Hepatocyte Intraperitoneal Transplantation Cohort 2

Participants will each be administered the dosage of 0.5×10\^9 for one time, with 60 days follow-up after the cell infusion.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

a single course of micro-encapsulated hepatocytes intraperitoneal transplantation therapy

Intervention Type: BIOLOGICAL

A single course will be divided into an "accelerated titration design" phase and a "3+3 design" phase to reduce the number of subjects exposed to potentially ineffective doses that may not benefit from treatment. The "accelerated titration design" phase starts at a starting dose of 0.15x10\^9, moving to the "3+3 design" phase at the dose of 0.5x10\^9. According to the semi-logarithmic incremental (10\^0.5-fold) approach, the treatment dosage was set into four groups at a maximum dose of 4.5×10\^9 (allowing for a ±20% difference between the actual dose and the planned dose, considering production specifics). The number or the incremental ratio of subsequent dose groups can be adjusted based on the evaluation of available data in the study, and intermediate doses can be explored.

Micro-encapsulated Hepatocyte Intraperitoneal Transplantation Cohort 3

Participants will each be administered the dosage of 1.5×10\^9 for one time, with 60 days follow-up after the cell infusion.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

a single course of micro-encapsulated hepatocytes intraperitoneal transplantation therapy

Intervention Type: BIOLOGICAL

A single course will be divided into an "accelerated titration design" phase and a "3+3 design" phase to reduce the number of subjects exposed to potentially ineffective doses that may not benefit from treatment. The "accelerated titration design" phase starts at a starting dose of 0.15x10\^9, moving to the "3+3 design" phase at the dose of 0.5x10\^9. According to the semi-logarithmic incremental (10\^0.5-fold) approach, the treatment dosage was set into four groups at a maximum dose of 4.5×10\^9 (allowing for a ±20% difference between the actual dose and the planned dose, considering production specifics). The number or the incremental ratio of subsequent dose groups can be adjusted based on the evaluation of available data in the study, and intermediate doses can be explored.

Micro-encapsulated Hepatocyte Intraperitoneal Transplantation Cohort 4

Participants will each be administered the dosage of 4.5×10\^9 for one time, with 60 days follow-up after the cell infusion.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

a single course of micro-encapsulated hepatocytes intraperitoneal transplantation therapy

Intervention Type: BIOLOGICAL

A single course will be divided into an "accelerated titration design" phase and a "3+3 design" phase to reduce the number of subjects exposed to potentially ineffective doses that may not benefit from treatment. The "accelerated titration design" phase starts at a starting dose of 0.15x10\^9, moving to the "3+3 design" phase at the dose of 0.5x10\^9. According to the semi-logarithmic incremental (10\^0.5-fold) approach, the treatment dosage was set into four groups at a maximum dose of 4.5×10\^9 (allowing for a ±20% difference between the actual dose and the planned dose, considering production specifics). The number or the incremental ratio of subsequent dose groups can be adjusted based on the evaluation of available data in the study, and intermediate doses can be explored.

Interventions

a single course of micro-encapsulated hepatocytes intraperitoneal transplantation therapy

A single course will be divided into an "accelerated titration design" phase and a "3+3 design" phase to reduce the number of subjects exposed to potentially ineffective doses that may not benefit from treatment. The "accelerated titration design" phase starts at a starting dose of 0.15x10\^9, moving to the "3+3 design" phase at the dose of 0.5x10\^9. According to the semi-logarithmic incremental (10\^0.5-fold) approach, the treatment dosage was set into four groups at a maximum dose of 4.5×10\^9 (allowing for a ±20% difference between the actual dose and the planned dose, considering production specifics). The number or the incremental ratio of subsequent dose groups can be adjusted based on the evaluation of available data in the study, and intermediate doses can be explored.

Intervention Type: BIOLOGICAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

A. Chronic liver failure (CLF) group:

The progressive liver function decline or decompensation after liver cirrhosis:

1. Body weight>40kg;

2. Aged between 18 to 65 years old;

3. Serum Total bilirubin was higher than the normal range and lower than 10 times the upper limit of normal value (ULN);

4. With or without significantly decreased serum albumin value, lower than 35;

5. With or without significantly decreased platelet (PLT) value, prothrombin activity (PTA)≤40% (or international normalized ratio (INR)≥1.5), other reasons excluded;

6. With or without refractory ascites or portal hypertension;

7. With or without a stage I or II hepatic encephalopathy;

8. No obvious improvement after more than 3 days' regular clinical treatments.

OR B. Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) group:

With known or unknown basic liver diseases, subjects undergoing acute liver failure syndrome (clinical manifestations indicated as an early stage liver failure).

1. Body weight>40kg;

2. Aged between 18 to 65 years old;

3. With obvious fatigue, accompanied by other gastrointestinal symptoms such as anorexia, vomiting, and abdominal distension;

4. Complicated with ascites and/or hepatic encephalopathy within 4 weeks after being diagnosed;

5. Progressive aggravation of jaundice, total serum bilirubin≥85umol/L；

6. Coagulation disorders, INR>1.5 or PTA<40%;

7. No obvious improvement after more than 3 days' regular clinical treatments.

Exclusion Criteria

1. With obvious brain edema, cerebral hernia, or indicated intracranial hemorrhage;

2. Diagnosed or suspected as primary or metastatic liver cancer;

3. With uncorrectable oxygenation index (PaO2/FiO2)<200;

4. With disseminated intravascular coagulation;

5. Active hemorrhage;

6. Uncontrollable infection, including ascites infection such as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis;

7. Uncorrectable decrease in PLT (<20×109/L);

8. HIV and/or SARS-CoV-Ⅱ positive;

9. Drug abuse within 1 year;

10. Systemic hemodynamic instability;

11. Combined with pregnancy or lactation;

12. Other situations excluded by clinician;

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

RenJi Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Shanghai, , China

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

China

Facility Contacts

Qiang Xia, MD, PhD

Role: primary

xiaqiang@shsmu.edu.cn

+86-21-58752345

Ping Wan, MD, PhD

Role: backup

gufeng182@126.com

+86-15721069636

References

Yang T, Zhu X, Long M, Hui L, Yuan X, Sun Z, Zhang L, Xia Q, Wan P. Phase I safety and tolerability dose escalation study of microencapsulated hepatocyte intraperitoneal transplantation therapy in adult patients with liver failure: a study protocol. BMJ Open. 2025 Apr 15;15(4):e087828. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087828.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 40233953 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

IIT02-ProliHH-I

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id