This Phase 1 split-site pilot study will evaluate the safety and dermal tolerability of a topical exosome-containing liquid in 10 healthy adult volunteers. The investigational liquid will be applied to a small defined area of intact skin. A vehicle liquid without exosomes may be applied to a matched contralateral skin site as a control. The study will assess local skin reactions, systemic adverse events, vital signs, clinical laboratory parameters, and feasibility of topical administration. No melanoma lesion, surgical wound, burn wound, or artificial skin wound will be induced in participants in this Phase 1 safety study.
The investigational product is a sterile topical exosome-containing liquid being developed for future evaluation in postoperative skin wound repair after melanoma excision. Preclinical in vivo evaluation in a murine surgical post-melanoma-excision wound model suggested improved wound closure kinetics and better histological organization of repaired skin after topical exosome-containing formulation administration. In the surgical wound model, the exosome-containing formulation group showed a faster wound-area reduction trend, significant wound-area reduction at selected time points, improved epithelialization, more organized regenerated tissue, fewer tissue defect-associated spaces, and no significant body-weight differences compared with control groups. This first-in-human Phase 1 study is designed to evaluate safety and dermal tolerability in healthy adult volunteers before the product is tested in patients with postoperative wounds after melanoma excision. No melanoma lesion, surgical wound, burn wound, or artificial skin wound will be created. The investigational liquid will be applied to a small defined area of intact skin according to the protocol-defined dose and schedule. If a split-site design is used, vehicle liquid without exosomes will be applied to a matched contralateral intact skin site as a control. Participants will be monitored for local skin irritation, erythema, edema, pruritus, burning sensation, pain, rash, allergic reaction, systemic adverse events, vital signs, and clinical laboratory abnormalities. The first two participants will be enrolled as sentinel participants. Safety data through at least 72 hours after first application will be reviewed before enrollment of the remaining participants. The main purpose of the study is to determine whether topical administration of the exosome-containing liquid is safe and tolerable on intact human skin before future clinical evaluation in post-melanoma-excision surgical wound repair.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
10
The investigational product is a sterile topical liquid containing exosome-enriched extracellular vesicles derived from human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells. The liquid will be applied topically to a small defined area of intact skin at a dose of 0.1 mL/cm², containing 1 × 10\^10 extracellular vesicle particles/mL, equivalent to 1 × 10\^9 extracellular vesicle particles/cm², according to the approved protocol-defined schedule. The product is investigational and is being evaluated for safety and dermal tolerability before future testing in patients with postoperative wounds after melanoma excision.
Vehicle liquid without exosomes will be applied topically to a matched contralateral intact skin site according to the same protocol-defined schedule as the exosome-containing liquid. The vehicle liquid is used as a within-participant control for local dermal tolerability assessment.
ATMP center of West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University
Aktobe, Aktobe, Kazakhstan
Number of Participants With Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events
Number of participants with any treatment-emergent adverse event after topical application of the exosome-containing liquid. Events include local application-site reactions such as erythema, edema, pruritus, burning sensation, pain, rash, vesicles, ulceration, allergic reaction, or infection, and systemic events such as fever, malaise, abnormal vital signs, clinically significant laboratory abnormalities, serious adverse events, or any other clinically significant adverse event judged by the investigator.
Time frame: From first application through Day 28
Maximum Total Score on the Draize Dermal Irritation Scale at the Exosome-Containing Liquid Application Site
The Draize Dermal Irritation Scale grades erythema and eschar formation from 0, indicating no erythema, to 4, indicating severe erythema or eschar formation, and edema from 0, indicating no edema, to 4, indicating severe edema. The total score is the sum of the erythema/eschar score and edema score and ranges from 0 to 8. Higher scores indicate worse local skin irritation. The maximum total score observed at the exosome-containing liquid application site will be reported.
Time frame: Baseline, 30 minutes, 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 28
Within-Participant Difference in Total Draize Dermal Irritation Scale Score Between Exosome-Containing Liquid and Vehicle-Control Sites
The within-participant difference will be calculated as the total Draize Dermal Irritation Scale score at the exosome-containing liquid application site minus the total score at the vehicle-control liquid application site at each assessment time point. The total Draize score ranges from 0 to 8, with higher scores indicating worse local skin irritation. Positive values indicate higher irritation at the exosome-containing liquid site, and negative values indicate higher irritation at the vehicle-control site.
Time frame: Baseline, 30 minutes, 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 28
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Vital Sign Abnormalities
Number of participants with any clinically significant abnormality in vital signs after topical application of the exosome-containing liquid. Vital signs include systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and body temperature. Clinical significance will be determined by the investigator using protocol-defined reference ranges and clinical judgment. The reporting unit is number of participants.
Time frame: From first application through Day 28
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Clinical Laboratory Abnormalities
Number of participants with any clinically significant abnormality in clinical laboratory safety tests after topical application of the exosome-containing liquid. Laboratory safety tests include complete blood count, renal function tests, liver function tests, and inflammatory markers according to the protocol. Clinical significance will be determined by the investigator using protocol-defined reference ranges and clinical judgment. The reporting unit is number of participants.
Time frame: From first application through Day 28
Percentage of Planned Topical Applications Completed According to Protocol
For each participant, the topical application completion percentage will be calculated as the number of completed topical applications divided by the number of protocol-planned topical applications, multiplied by 100. The outcome will be reported as the mean percentage of planned topical applications completed across participants. A higher percentage indicates better feasibility of topical application.
Time frame: From Day 0 through Day 7 or Day 14, according to the protocol-defined application schedule
Number of Participants With Delayed Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events
Number of participants with delayed local or systemic treatment-emergent adverse events occurring after completion of the primary Day 28 safety assessment. Delayed events may include local skin reactions, allergic reactions, infection, abnormal vital signs, clinically significant laboratory abnormalities, serious adverse events, or any other clinically significant adverse event judged by the investigator.
Time frame: From Day 29 through Day 56
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