A Phase IIa Study of Vitamin D3 Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells (tolDC) for Multiple Sclerosis

NCT ID: NCT07020715

Last Updated: 2026-01-05

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: PHASE2
• Total Enrollment: 14 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2026-03-01
• Study Completion Date: 2028-10-30

Brief Summary

The investigators propose to design and conduct a phase IIa clinical trial to treat patients with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) by vaccination with tolerogenic dendritic cells (tolDC), generated using Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Hereby, the investigators want to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of administrating clinical-grade vitamin D3-treated tolDC loaded with myelin-derived peptides to patients with progressive forms of MS. In vitro generation of dedicated and stable immunomodulatory DC followed by in vitro loading of antigens to ensure tolerance and safety of DC-directed therapy is a promising strategy with the potential to induce long term tolerance.

Detailed Description

This is an open-label, self-controlled, multi-center phase IIa clinical trial designed to evaluate the proof-of-concept for both efficacy and safety of tolDC-based therapy. The primary objective is to determine whether treatment with tolDC is effective (using a surrogate primary outcome-change in EDSS score) and safe (the occurrence and severity of adverse events). Secondary evaluations will include the clinical outcomes (assessed using 9HPT, SDMT and number and severity of relapses) and MRI-based markers. Participants will serve as their own controls, with data from 24 weeks pre-treatment period (documented by their neurologist). Following six tolDC administrations, a 24-weeks follow-period will take place. Furthermore, participants can enroll voluntarily into an optional additional follow-up phase of 52 weeks. Completion of screening assessments and confirmation of eligibility criteria should take no longer than 8 weeks.

Conditions

Multiple Sclerosis

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Intradermal Arm: tolerogenic dendritic cells (tolDC)

Each vaccine (15x10E6cells in 500 µL solution with 5% human albumin supplemented with 10% DMSO and 4% glucose) will be administered through intradermal injection at 5 sites (100 µL/site) in the posterior cervical region, targeting lymphatic drainage into both superficial and deep cervical lymph nodes (5-10 cm from the cervical lymph nodes). Injection sites will alternate between left and right sides of the neck for each administration timepoint.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Tolerogenic dendritic cells (tolDC)

Intervention Type: BIOLOGICAL

In brief, clinical-grade tolDC vaccines will be prepared from leukapheresis starting material of non-mobilized blood and subsequent immunomagnetic selection of CD14+ monocytes using a CliniMACS device. CD14+ monocytes will then be cultured in GMP-grade cell culture medium supplemented with 2% human AB serum, GM-CSF, IL-4 and 1 alpha,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3. At day 4, tolDC will be stimulated using a cytokine cocktail to induce a migratory phenotype. At day 6, tolDC will be harvested, loaded with antigen, resuspended, and cryopreserved. Separate aliquots of the cell product are prepared for final quality control and quality assurance (QC/QA) assessment. This includes cell count, viability, phenotypic analysis using flow cytometry, and induction of T cell hyporesponsiveness in allogeneic mixed leukocyte reaction (allo-MLR).

Interventions

Tolerogenic dendritic cells (tolDC)

In brief, clinical-grade tolDC vaccines will be prepared from leukapheresis starting material of non-mobilized blood and subsequent immunomagnetic selection of CD14+ monocytes using a CliniMACS device. CD14+ monocytes will then be cultured in GMP-grade cell culture medium supplemented with 2% human AB serum, GM-CSF, IL-4 and 1 alpha,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3. At day 4, tolDC will be stimulated using a cytokine cocktail to induce a migratory phenotype. At day 6, tolDC will be harvested, loaded with antigen, resuspended, and cryopreserved. Separate aliquots of the cell product are prepared for final quality control and quality assurance (QC/QA) assessment. This includes cell count, viability, phenotypic analysis using flow cytometry, and induction of T cell hyporesponsiveness in allogeneic mixed leukocyte reaction (allo-MLR).

Intervention Type: BIOLOGICAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Patient is ≥ 18 years old, and ≤65 years of age, at time of screening visit
• Diagnosis of MS according to the 2017 McDonald Criteria or more recent criteria
• Progressive MS by 2014 Lublin MS phenotypic criteria
• EDSS 2,0 - ≤7,5
• No clinical evidence of relapses in the past 2 years
• Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document. Patients must have signed informed consent to participate in the trial.
• Appropriate venous access
• Use of adequate contraceptive measures or not of childbearing potential

Exclusion Criteria

• Previous treatment with alemtuzumab, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or cladribine in the past 3 years.
• Prior treatment with any investigational agent within 3 months, or 5 half-lives, whichever is longer.
• Current and ongoing treatment with an approved DMT for MS
• Treatment with S1P receptor modulators, natalizumab, dimethylfumarate, teriflunomide within the last 3 months prior to study enrolment; last treatment with B cell depleting monoclonal antibodies at least 6 months prior to enrollment and normal CD19 B cell counts at time of enrollment
• Pregnancy or planning pregnancy in the next 12 months and breast feeding
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Inability to undergo MRI assessments
• History of or actual signs of immunodeficiency or malignancies (with the exception of treated basal cell carcinoma)
• Concurrent clinically relevant cardiac, immunological, pulmonary, neurological, renal or other major disease that could impact safety or outcome measures.
• Active or chronic infection with hepatitis B, C, HIV, syphilis or tuberculosis
• Splenectomy
• Dementia or severe psychiatric, cognitive or behavioral problems or other comorbidity that could interfere with the compliance to the protocol.

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

Sponsors

Fundació Institut Germans Trias i Pujol

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University Hospital, Antwerp

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

Universitair Ziekenhuis Antwerpen (UZA)

Edegem, , Belgium

Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital (HUGTiP)

Badalona, , Spain

Countries

Belgium; Spain

Central Contacts

Amber Dams

Role: CONTACT

amber.dams@uantwerpen.be

+32470011082

Facility Contacts

Barbara Willekens

Role: primary

studies.neurologie@uza.be

+3238213423

Amber Dams

Role: backup

amber.dams@uantwerpen.be

+32470011082

Cristina Ramo Tello

Role: primary

cramrot@gmail.com

0034 93 497 84 33

Silvia Presas Rodríguez

Role: backup

spresas.germanstrias@gencat.cat

Other Identifiers

T002523N

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

2025-522040-40-00

Identifier Type: CTIS

Identifier Source: secondary_id

CCRG22-002 / FWO-TBM T002523N

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id