Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a persistent and gradually increasing genetic autoimmune disease requiring life-long management. The disease commonly impacts children. However, a quarter of cases are diagnosed in adults. The pancreatic islet beta-cells are responsible for producing insulin, a peptide hormone that is involved in the tight regulation of blood glucose levels. In T1D, the beta-cells are mistakenly destroyed by autoreactive T cells resulting in insulin deficiency and an inability to regulate blood glucose levels. The cause for such an autoimmune reaction to beta-cells is under active investigation. T regulatory cells (Tregs), are specialized immune cells that typically act to control your immune system. Tregs can be modified in the laboratory to recognize and deactivate T1D-causing cells. This process is done by inserting a piece of DNA (the molecules inside cells that carry genetic information and pass it from one generation to the next) into the Tregs. A non-infectious virus called a lentivirus will carry the piece of DNA into the cells that were collected from a donor. Tregs are then grown to large numbers in the laboratory and stored for treatment of T1D. It is not known whether these Tregs cells will treat T1D.
This is a single-center, pilot clinical trial of autologous CD6-targeted chimeric antigen receptor regulatory T cells (autoCD6-CAR Tregs) in patients diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). This study is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and feasibility of autoCD6-CAR Tregs as T1D treatment. Currently, the disease is managed through intensive supportive care. Patients require multiple daily injections or continuous pump delivery of exogenous insulin therapy to manage blood glucose levels. Furthermore, chronic hyperglycemia and hyperglycemic excursions increase the risk of both acute and chronic complications, which can be life-threatening (e.g., severe hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis leading to coma, retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy). Therefore, there is an urgent unmet medical need for curative therapies for patients with T1D. We propose to harness the natural immunomodulatory capacity of regulatory T cells (Tregs) to specifically target pathogenic autoreactive effector T cells (Teffs). CD6 has been implicated in several autoimmune diseases and is highly expressed by activated Teff cells whereas Tregs express little or no CD6. Itolizumab is a first-in-class humanized anti-CD6 monoclonal antibody (mAb) with demonstrated clinical efficacy in psoriasis. Our therapeutic approach is to co-opt the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell platform to generate autologous Tregs expressing a CD6-targeting CAR (autoCD6-CAR Tregs), which are expected to target activated pathogenic T cells while sparing Tregs in T1D patients.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
6
The investigational product is an autologous (patient-derived) anti-CD6 chimeric antigen receptor (CD6-CAR) T regulatory cell (Treg) cellular product (CD6-CAR Tregs).
City of Hope Medical Center
Duarte, California, United States
Toxicity, CRS, ICANS, hyperglycemia/DKA
Toxicity will be graded according to the CTCAE version 65.0; cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) will be assessed per ASTCT consensus criteria \[8\]; Hyperglycemia/DKA will be graded per the Clinical Islet Transplant Consortium Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CIT-TCAE). Unacceptable toxicity (UT) and moderate toxicity (MOD) are defined in Section 11.2. All patients who are not evaluable for UT or MOD will be replaced.
Time frame: till 28 days post investigational drug infusion
Feasibility of investigational product manufacture
Feasibility will be assessed by achieving both following conditions. * ability to meet at least 80% of the required cell dose at the assigned dose level and * ability to meet the required product release criteria.
Time frame: till 28 days post investigational drug infusion
Change in insulin levels
To assess change in insulin over time, to evaluate effects of treatment on beta-cell function.
Time frame: at baseline (pre-intervention), 3, 6 and 12 months post last CAR T cell infusion through study completion, an average of 1 year'
Change in stimulated C-peptide levels
To assess change in stimulated C-peptide levels over time, to evaluate effects of treatment on beta-cell function as reflected mostly by potentially accelerated/delayed loss of C-peptide preservation in blood samples through change in stimulated C-peptide area under the curve (AUC) value during 2-hr MMTT, and peak C-peptide at baseline (pre-intervention), 3, 6 and 12 months post last CAR T cell infusion through study completion, an average of 1 year.
Time frame: at baseline (pre-intervention), 3, 6 and 12 months post last CAR T cell infusion through study completion, an average of 1 year'
Change in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) metrics levels
To assess continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) metrics: mean glucose, time in range 70 to 180 mg/dL, time \< 54 mg/dL, time \< 70 mg/dL, CGM measured hypo events, coefficient of variation, % time \> 180mg/dL, % time \> 250mg/dL, % with \> 70% time in range, % with \< 4% of time \< 70mg/dL, % with \<1% of time \< 54 mg/dL, time in tight range 70 to 140 mg/dL.
Time frame: at baseline (pre-intervention), 3, 6 and 12 months post last CAR T cell infusion through study completion, an average of 1 year'
Change in Hb1Ac levels
To assess change in Hb1Ac levels baseline (pre-intervention), 3, 6 and 12 months post last CAR T cell infusion through study completion, an average of 1 year
Time frame: at baseline (pre-intervention), 3, 6 and 12 months post last CAR T cell infusion through study completion, an average of 1 year'
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