Completed
VICTA

Virus Specific Cytotoxic T-Lymphocytes for the Treatment of CMV After Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant: A Dose-Finding Trial

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What is being tested

CMV CTL infusion

Biological
Who is being recruted

Cytomegalovirus Infections
+2

+ DNA Virus Infections
+ Herpesviridae Infections
See all eligibility criteria
How is the trial designed

Treatment Study

Phase 1
Interventional
Study Start: April 2004
See protocol details

Summary

Principal SponsorBaylor College of Medicine
Last updated: January 14, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner
Study start date: April 1, 2004Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.

If the patient and their donor are eligible, we will take 100-120 ml (20-24 teaspoonfuls) of blood from the donor 3-4 weeks before the transplant. We will only take as much blood as is safe for the patient and their donor. We will use this blood to grow T cells. We will first infect the peripheral blood mononuclear cells with a specially produced human virus adenovirus) that carries part of the CMV gene to the monocytes which will stimulate the T cells. This stimulation will train the T cells to kill cells with the pp65 from the CMV virus on their surface. If this approach is insufficient to stimulate T cells which will kill the pp65 from the CMV virus then we will grow a special type of cell called dendritic cells which will stimulate the T cells and we will put the specially produced human virus (adenovirus) that carries the parts of the CMV gene (called pp65) into the dendritic cells. These dendritic cells will then be treated with radiation so they cannot grow. They will then be used to stimulate T cells. This stimulation will train the T cells to kill cells with the pp65 from the CMV virus on their surface. We will then grow these CMV specific CTLs by more stimulation with EBV infected cells (which we will make from the blood of the donor by infecting them with EBV in the laboratory). We will also put the adenovirus that carries the CMV pp65 gene into these EBV infected cells so that they too have CMVpp65. These EBV infected cells will be treated with radiation so they cannot grow. Once we have made sufficient numbers of T cells we will test them to make sure they kill cells with CMVpp65 on their surface. To make sure that these cells won't attack the patients tissues, we test these cells against the lymphoblasts that we grow in the laboratory. These will be used to check if the CMV CTL can attack them. Alternatively, we could take a small piece of skin from the patient to grow skin cells which can also be used to check if CMV CTL can attack them. The skin biopsy can be done at the same time of another procedure such as a bone marrow. The donor's CMV CTL cells will be thawed and injected into the patients intravenous line for a period of 10 minutes after the patient received Benadryl and Tylenol. The patient will receive the dose of CMV CTL cells on or after day 30 following their transplant if they agree and are well enough. We will not give antiviral medications during this study but we will monitor the CMV levels weekly for at least 30 days after the transplant. If after the initial dose of CMV CTL cells the patient develops a viral infection, then they may be eligible to receive one additional injection of CTLs at the same dose as the first injection. If the CMV levels in the blood continue to rise after the dose of T cells then the patient will receive treatment with Ganciclovir, Foscarnet, or Cidofuvir. The patient will continue to be followed in the BMT clinic after the injection. They will be seen in the clinic, in the hospital or contacted by the research nurse and have blood tests (to monitor the blood counts, the kidney and liver function and to monitor for viruses) weekly for the first 60 days after the CTL infusion, then at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. To learn more about the way the T cells are working in the body, an extra 20-40 mls (4-8 teaspoons) of blood will be taken before the infusion and then 24 hours after the infusion (optional depending on the patients preference), and then at 1, 2, 4 and 6 weeks after the infusion. After this, blood will be taken every 3 months for 1 year. The amount of blood taken in the first 12 months will be 260-460mls (1-2 cups). Total time participation for this study will be 1 year.

Official TitleVirus Specific Cytotoxic T-Lymphocytes for the Treatment of CMV After Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant: A Dose-Finding Trial 
NCT00078533
Principal SponsorBaylor College of Medicine
Last updated: January 14, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Protocol

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
Design Details
26 patients to be enrolledTotal number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.
Treatment Study
These studies test new ways to treat a disease, condition, or health issue. The goal is to see if a new drug, therapy, or approach works better or has fewer side effects than existing options.

How participants are assigned to different groups/arms
In this clinical study, all participants receive the same treatment. Since there is only one group, there is no need for randomization or assignment to different arms. This type of study is often used to test a new treatment without comparing it to another.

Other Ways to Assign Participants
Randomized allocation
: Participants are assigned randomly, like flipping a coin, to ensure fairness and reduce bias.

Non-randomized allocation
: Participants are assigned based on specific factors, such as their medical condition or a doctor's decision.

How treatments are given to participants
In this study, all participants receive the same treatment. This approach is often used to evaluate the effects of a single intervention without comparing it to another.

Other Ways to Assign Treatments
Parallel assignment
: Participants are split into separate groups, each receiving a different treatment.

Cross-over assignment
: Participants switch between treatments during the study.

Factorial assignment
: Participants receive different combinations of treatments.

Sequential assignment
: Participants receive treatments one after another in a specific order, possibly based on individual responses.

Other assignment
: Treatment assignment does not follow a standard or predefined design.

How the effectiveness of the treatment is controlled
In a non placebo-controlled study, no participants receive an inert substance (placebo) to compare outcomes. Instead, all participants receive either the experimental treatment or an alternative treatment (often the Standard of Care). This method allows researchers to compare the effects of the experimental treatment with those of a different active intervention, rather than a placebo.

Other Options
Placebo-Controlled
: A placebo is used to compare the effects of the experimental treatment with those of an inert substance, isolating the true treatment effect.

How the interventions assigned to participants is kept confidential
Everyone involved in the study knows which treatment is being given. This is typically used when it's not possible or necessary to hide the treatment details from participants or researchers.

Other Ways to Mask Information
Single-blind
: Participants do not know which treatment they are receiving, but researchers do.

Double-blind
: Neither participants nor researchers know which treatment is given.

Triple-blind
: Participants, researchers, and outcome assessors do not know which treatment is given.

Quadruple-blind
: Participants, researchers, outcome assessors, and care providers all do not know which treatment is given.

Eligibility

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Conditions
Criteria
Any sexBiological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.
Healthy volunteers not allowedIf individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.
Conditions
Pathology
Cytomegalovirus Infections
DNA Virus Infections
Herpesviridae Infections
Infections
Virus Diseases
Criteria

Inclusion criteria: * Recipients of allogeneic donor stem cell transplants at risk for CMV reactivation with a CMV seropositive stem cell donor and at least 30 days post transplant. * Recipients can have early evidence of CMV reactivation with greater than 2 leukocytes but less than 10 leukocytes positive for the CMV Ag per 100,000 cells. * No evidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) \> Grade II at time of enrollment. * Life expectancy \> 30 days * No severe intercurrent infections * Lansky/Karnofsky scores greater than or equal to 60 * Absence of severe renal disease (Creatinine \> x 3 normal for age) * Absence of severe hepatic disease (direct bilirubin \> 3 mg/dl or SGOT \> 500) * Not receiving Ganciclovir, Foscarnet, or Cidofovir or other antiviral therapy for CMV reactivation * Patient/guardian able to give informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with CMV negative stem cell donors * Patients with GVHD Grades III-IV * Patients receiving antiviral therapy for CMV reactivation or other viral infections such as adenovirus or herpes viruses * Patients with significant CMV reactivation. Significant CMV reactivation is defined as one CMV Antigenemia reading with \>10 leukocytes positive for the CMV Ag per 100,000 cells * Patients with less than 50% donor chimerism in either peripheral blood or bone marrow or patients with relapse of original disease

Study Plan

Find out more about all the medication administered in this study, their detailed description and what they involve.
Treatment Groups
Study Objectives
One single intervention group 

is designated in this study

This study does not include a placebo group 

Treatment Groups
Group I
Experimental
Subjects are assigned a dose level at the time of enrollment.

Three dose levels will be explored. The lowest dose level will be 1x10\^7cells/m2 and the highest will be 1x10\^8/m2. 3-6 pts will be entered at each dose level (depending on toxicity). If there are no toxicities and immunological efficacy is not seen at any dose, then the doses will be further escalated after additional local and federal approval. Additional patients will be treated at dose level 1 in order to assess the secondary objective of virus-specific immunity from the CTL infusions
Study Objectives
Primary Objectives

Study Centers

These are the hospitals, clinics, or research facilities where the trial is being conducted. You can find the location closest to you and its status.
This study has 2 locations
Suspended
Houston Methodist HospitalHouston, United StatesSee the location
Suspended
Texas Children's HospitalHouston, United States
Completed2 Study Centers