Recruiting
Phase 1

GPC3 Targeted CAR-T

Sponsor:

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Code:

NCT05003895

Conditions

Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular Cancer

Metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Cyclophosphamide

CAR-T cell

Fludarabine

Study Details

Brief summary:

Background:

A new cancer treatment takes a person s own T cells, modifies them in a laboratory so they can better fight cancer cells, and then gives them back to the person. Researchers want to see if this treatment can help people with a certain types of cancer.

Objective:

To see if a personalized immune treatment, anti-GPC3 CAR-T cells, is safe.

Eligibility:

Adults aged 18 years and older who have Glypican-3 (GPC3) positive solid tumor malignancy.

Design:

Participants will be screened with the following:

Blood and urine tests

Medical history

Physical exam

Heart function tests

Review of their symptoms and their ability to perform their normal activities

Tumor biopsy

Imaging scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis

Participants will have leukapheresis. They may have an IV (intravenous catheter, a small tube put into an arm vein) inserted into each arm or get a central line. Blood will be removed. A machine will separate the white blood cells from their blood. The rest of their blood will be returned to them.

Participants will be admitted to the hospital for about 2 weeks. They will get the chemotherapy drugs fludarabine and cyclophosphamide by IV for 3 days. Then they will receive the modified white blood cells by IV.

Participants will have frequent blood draws. They will give blood and tumor samples for research.

Participants will have follow-up visits for the next 15 years. Then they will be contacted by email or phone for the rest of their life. If their disease does not get worse after 5 years, they will continue to be invited to do imaging studies every 6 months.

Conditions

Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular Cancer

Metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Study ID

NCT05003895

Start date

Dec 8, 2021

Status verified date

Apr 3, 2026

Completion date

Dec 31, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 31, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

  • INCLUSION CRITERIA:
  • Histopathological confirmation of HCC or other solid tumor malignancy by the NCI Laboratory of Pathology
  • Participants must:

  • have progressed on at least 1 prior line of treatment

OR

--been intolerant of at least 1 prior line of treatment.

  • Participants must have at least 1 focus of disease that is amenable to mandatory tumor biopsy prior to study treatment initiation to determine tumor GPC3 expression and be willing to undergo this. Ideally, the biopsied lesion should not be one of the target measurable lesions, although this can be up to the discretion of the investigators.
  • Tumor must have GPC3 positivity of >= 25% by immunohistochemistry on freshly collected biopsy
  • Participants must have at least 1 measurable lesion by RECIST version 1.1
  • Participants must have a disease that is not amenable to potentially curative resection, ablation, or transplantation.
  • Age >= 18 years.
  • Performance status (ECOG) 0-1
  • Participants must have adequate organ and marrow function as defined below:

ANC: >= 1,000/mcL

Platelets: >= 75,000/mcL

Hemoglobin: >= 8 g/dL

total bilirubin: If cirrhosis present: Part of Child Pugh requirement

If no cirrhosis: bilirubin should be <= 1.5 x ULN

ALT or AST: <= 5 x ULN.

Creatinine OR Measured or calculated creatinine clearance (CrCl) (eGFR may also be used in place of CrCl) (A): < 1.5x institution upper limit of normal OR >= 50 mL/min/1.73 m\^2 for participant with creatinine levels, >= 1.5 X institutional ULN

ALT (SGPT)=alanine aminotransferase (serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase);

AST (SGOT)=aspartate aminotransferase (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase); GFR=glomerular filtration rate; ULN=upper limit of normal.

(A)Creatinine clearance (CrCl) or eGFR should be calculated per institutional standard.

  • Normal cardiac ejection fraction (>= 50% by echocardiogram) and no evidence of hemodynamically significant pericardial effusion as determined by an echocardiogram within 4 weeks before treatment initiation.
  • Room air oxygen saturation of 92% or greater.
  • Treatment-related toxicities must be resolved to <= grade 1.
  • For participants with brain metastases: Participants with <=3 (three or fewer) brain metastases that have been treated with surgery or stereotactic radiosurgery or other form of treatment are eligible. Lesions that have been treated with stereotactic radiosurgery must be clinically stable for one month before protocol treatment.
  • The study drugs are harmful to developing human fetus. For this reason, women of childbearing potential must agree to use highly effective contraception (hormonal, intrauterine device (IUD), abstinence, surgical sterilization) at the study entry and up to 12 months after the last dose of combined chemotherapy. Men must agree to use an effective method of contraception (barrier, surgical sterilization, abstinence) at the study entry and up to 4 months after the last dose of study drugs. We also recommend men with partners of childbearing potential ask their partners to be on highly effective birth control (hormonal, IUD, surgical sterilization). Men must not freeze or donate sperm within the same period.
  • HBV infected participants must be on antivirals and have HBV DNA < 100IU/mL. HCV infected participants can be enrolled with close HCV RNA level monitoring.
  • Participants must be able to understand and be willing to sign a written informed consent.
  • For participants that do not have a legally authorized representative in place, one must be identified before study treatment starts

Exclusion Criteria

  • Prior systemic therapy, an investigational therapy, radiation, and/or surgery within 2 weeks prior to treatment initiation.
  • Prior administration of anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 antibodies or other agents that in the opinion of the PI can stimulate immune activity and interfere with an infusion of CAR-T cells within 8 weeks prior to treatment initiation.
  • Child-Pugh class B or C liver function
  • Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.

Note: Participants with a history of abnormal pulmonary function tests but stable obstructive or restrictive pulmonary disease may be eligible per PI discretion.

  • Any form of primary immunodeficiency (e.g. severe combined immunodeficiency).
  • HIV-positive participants are excluded because HIV causes complicated immune deficiency and study treatment can pose more risks for these participants.
  • Participants receiving systemic steroids >= 0.5 mg prednisone equivalent/kg/day. Steroid creams, ointments, and eye drops are allowed. Dose adjustment or discontinuation of medication must occur at least 24 hours prior to conditioning chemotherapy. Use of CART cell therapy in autoimmune diseases has the potential to be associated with serious safety risk. Given that this is an evolving area of research, caution should be exercised and any decision to include participants with autoimmune diseases should be made on a case-bycase basis.
  • History of severe immediate hypersensitivity reaction to cyclophosphamide or fludarabine.
  • Hospitalization within 7 days prior to treatment initiation.
  • Pregnant women are excluded from this study because study therapy can cause fetal harm. Because there is a potential risk for adverse events in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother with study therapy, breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is treated with study drugs.
  • Participants who received live or attenuated vaccine or virus-based vaccine within 30 days before initiation of study therapy
  • Participants with a history of seizure disorder
  • Participants with an expected life expectancy of less than 3 months before initiation of study therapy.

Study Design

Enrollment

38 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Non randomized

Intervention Model

Sequential

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: 1/ Arm 1

Escalating doses of CAR-T cells

experimental: 2/ Arm 2

MTD of CAR-T cells

Interventions

Cyclophosphamide

Daily x 3 doses on Day -3, -2, -1 300 mg/m2 IV infusion (200 mg/m\^2 in Dose Level -1)

CAR-T cell

Single infusion on Day 0

Fludarabine

Daily x 2 doses on Day -2 and -1 30 mg/m\^2 IV infusion administered following cyclophosphamide

Primary outcome measure

  • To determine the safety and feasibility of T-cells, expressing a novel humanized anti-GPC3 chimeric antigen receptor, in participants with advanced solid tumor malignancy, expressing GPC3. [ Time Frame: 15 years ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Locations

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

Recruiting

Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892

Contacts

For more information at the NIH Clinical Center contact National Cancer Institute Referral Office

888-624-1937

More Information

Sponsor

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Last update posted

Apr 7, 2026

Last verified

Apr 3, 2026

Keywords

  • immuno therapy
  • Targeted Therapy
  • Leukapheresis
  • Gene Therapy

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by National Cancer Institute (NCI) on 2026-04-07.