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Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for the Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Induced Acute Respiratory Failure (COVID-19 Disease)

Single Donor Banked Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for the Treatment of COVID-19 Induced ARDS: A Non-Blinded Randomized, Controlled Study

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 1Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04345601
Enrollment
28
Registered
2020-04-14
Start date
2021-02-12
Completion date
2023-01-10
Last updated
2024-10-09

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, COVID-19, Sars-CoV2

Keywords

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells, Respiratory failure

Brief summary

\*\*\*At this time, we are only enrolling at Houston Methodist Hospital (HMH)/Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and are not shipping cells outside of BCM/HMH.\*\*\* This is a study for patients who have respiratory infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 that have not gotten better. Because there is no standard treatment for this infection, patients are being asked to volunteer for a gene transfer research study using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Stem cells are cells that do not yet have a specific function in the body. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a type of stem cell that can be grown from bone marrow (the spongy tissue inside of bones). Stem cells can develop into other types of more mature (specific) cells, such as blood and muscle cells. The purpose of this study is to see if MSCs versus controls can help to treat respiratory infections caused by SARS-CoV-2.

Detailed description

Earlier, a healthy donor provided blood cells to generate MSCs. These cells were grown and frozen for later use. Before being treated, the patient will receive a series of standard medical tests: These tests are done to assess the patient's eligibility to receive the cells. * Physical exam and history * SARS-CoV-2 test * Blood tests * Chest X-ray or chest CT Scan * A urine pregnancy test, when applicable The patient will be randomly assigned to a study group. We'll use a computer to put the patient into study group A (study drug) or group B (control) by chance (randomized). Patients randomized to the control group, will receive the standard treatment for their respiratory infection. On the day that the patient is scheduled to receive the cells they will be pre-medicated with Benadryl and Tylenol. The patient will then receive an intravenous (into the vein) infusion of 1 x 10\^8 cells/kg of MSCs. The patient will be monitored closely for two hours after the infusion. The patient will receive a second infusion at the same dose within 3-5 days of the initial infusion (at the discretion of the investigator) if there is no improvement in respiratory parameters or if there is a worsening of Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The patient will receive standard medical tests when getting the infusion(s) and afterwards. As part of the research study, the patient will be evaluated daily for 7 days and then weekly at weeks 2, 3, and 4. The evaluations that will be done at these visits include: * Physical exam and history * SARS-CoV-2 test * Blood tests * Chest X-ray or chest CT Scan

Interventions

BIOLOGICALMesenchymal Stromal Cells

Patients will be given the cell product by intravenous injection (into the vein through an IV line). Dose:1 x 10\^8 MSCs.

OTHERSupportive Care

Patients will receive supportive care per their treating physician

Sponsors

Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine
CollaboratorOTHER
The Methodist Hospital Research Institute
CollaboratorOTHER
Baylor College of Medicine
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. 18 years or older 2. Confirmed SARS-CoV2 infection real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay 3. Moderate OR severe ARDS, based on the degree of impairment of oxygenation as defined by the ratio of arterial oxygen tension to fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2): 1. Moderate ARDS: PaO2/FiO2 100-200 mmHg OR 2. Severe ARDS: PaO2/FiO2 ≤100 mmHg 4. If on invasive or noninvasive (BiPAP) mechanical ventilator, PEEP ≥5 cm H2O 5. Bilateral opacities present on chest radiograph or computed tomographic (CT) scan, that are not fully explained by pleural effusions, lung collapse, or lung nodules.

Exclusion criteria

1. Currently receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) 2. Severe chronic respiratory disease requiring use of home oxygen 3. Pregnant or lactating 4. Known hypersensitivity to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) 5. Unstable hemodynamics as deemed by the treating physician/investigator including but not limited to unstable, ventricular tachycardia or new cardiac arrythmia requiring cardioversion. 6. Uncontrolled bacterial or fungal co-infection 7. Any end-stage organ disease or condition, which in the opinion of the Investigator, makes the patient an unsuitable candidate for treatment 8. Inability to obtain informed consent (from patient or legally appropriate proxy) 9. Presence of any contraindication to receiving prophylactic low dose unfractionated or low molecular weight heparin. 10. Respiratory failure not fully explained by cardiac failure or fluid overload.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Proportion of Participants With Treatment-related Serious Adverse Events (tSAEs)28 days post cell infusionTreatment-related serious adverse events (tSAE) are those directly related to the investigational infusion product. Adverse event grading will be per NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events(CTCAE), vs 5. Rate of tSAEs in patients treated with MSCs will be reported as proportion and its 95% confidence interval.
Number of Participants With Improvement by at Least Two Categories on a Six Category Ordinal Scale at Day 1414 days post cell infusionChange by at least two categories on a six-category ordinal scale as improvement at day 14 post-randomization per protocol defined criteria. The six-category ordinal scale ranges from 6 to 1 with a higher score indicating a worse clinical outcome as follows: 6 ꞊ death; 5 ꞊ hospitalization, requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and/or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV); 4 ꞊ hospitalization, requiring non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) and/or High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy; 3 = hospitalization, requiring supplemental oxygen (but not NIV/HFNC); 2 = hospitalization, not requiring supplemental oxygen; 1 = hospital discharge.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Oxygenation Free Days at Day 2828 days post cell infusionNumber of oxygen support-free days through Day 28
Number of Participants With Progression to Mechanical Ventilation or ECMO28 days post cell infusionParticipants not receiving mechanical ventilation at baseline who progress to requiring mechanical ventilation.
Duration of Mechanical Ventilation and/or ECMO28 days post cell infusionNumber of days requiring invasive mechanical ventilation and/or ECMO (ventilation/ECMO free days at day 28)
Clinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 2828 days post cell infusionClinical status at day 28 as determined by 6-point ordinal scale as follows: 6 ꞊ death; 5 ꞊ hospitalization, requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and/or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV); 4 ꞊ hospitalization, requiring non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) and/or High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy; 3 = hospitalization, requiring supplemental oxygen (but not NIV/HFNC); 2 = hospitalization, not requiring supplemental oxygen; 1 = hospital discharge. The six-category ordinal scale ranges from 6 to 1 with a higher score indicating a worse clinical outcome.
Duration of Hospital Stayfrom the date of on study to the time of hospital discharge, death, or last follow-up, whichever occurred first. Up to 35 days.Duration of hospital stay is calculated from the date of on study to the time of hospital discharge, death, or last follow-up, whichever occurred first. It does not reflect the entire hospitalization time.
Overall Survival28 days post cell infusionProbability of overall survival is calculated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves per protocol. Overall survival time is defined as days from the date of randomization or date of infusion if received MSCs to the date of death or the date of the last follow-up for censoring.
All-cause Mortality28 days post cell infusionNumber and percentage of deaths (all-cause) until Day 28
Duration of ICU Stayfrom the date of admission or data of on study if the patient was admitted to ICU before enrollment to the time of ICU discharge, death, or last follow-up, whichever occurred first. Up to 35 days.The number of days a participant spent in ICU. Duration of ICU stay is calculated from the date of admission or data of on study if the patient was admitted to ICU before enrollment to the time of ICU discharge, death, or last follow-up, whichever occurred first.
Severity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) at Day 1414 days post cell infusionARDS is divided into 3 groups based on the degree of hypoxemia: mild (partial pressure of oxygen in the arterial blood(PaO2)/fraction of inspired oxygen(FIO2) 201-300 mm Hg), moderate (PaO2/FIO2: 101-200 mm Hg), and severe (PaO2/FIO2 ≤ 100 mm Hg) and ventilator settings with a positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ≥5 cm water (H2O).

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Safety Run In
The study will first enroll and treat six patients with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for safety run in. If no more than 2 treatment-related severe adverse events (tSAEs) are observed, the study will enroll and randomize additional patients in a ratio of 1:1 to receive either MSCs or routine/supportive care. Mesenchymal Stromal Cells(MSCs): Patients will be given the cell product by intravenous injection (into the vein through an IV line). Dose:1 x 10\^8 MSCs.
6
Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs)
Patients randomized to the MSC arm will be administered an intravenous infusion of MSCs at a dose of 1 x 10\^8. A second infusion will be allowed if the patient does not have improvement in respiratory parameters per discretion of the investigator, or ARDS clinically worsens, within 3-5 days following the initial infusion. Mesenchymal Stromal Cells(MSCs): Patients will be given the cell product by intravenous injection (into the vein through an IV line). Dose:1 x 10\^8 MSCs.
10
Control Group
Patients randomized to the control arm will receive supportive care or treatment designated by their treating physicians. Supportive Care: Patients will receive supportive care per their treating physician
12
Total28

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001FG002
Overall StudyDeath032
Overall StudyLost to Follow-up002

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicSafety Run InMesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs)Control GroupTotal
Age, Continuous58.5 years56.5 years52.0 years55 years
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
2 Participants5 Participants4 Participants11 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
4 Participants4 Participants7 Participants15 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants1 Participants1 Participants2 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
1 Participants0 Participants2 Participants3 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants1 Participants1 Participants2 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
5 Participants9 Participants9 Participants23 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
4 Participants3 Participants5 Participants12 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
2 Participants7 Participants7 Participants16 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
EG002
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 63 / 102 / 12
other
Total, other adverse events
6 / 610 / 1012 / 12
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 63 / 100 / 12

Outcome results

Primary

Number of Participants With Improvement by at Least Two Categories on a Six Category Ordinal Scale at Day 14

Change by at least two categories on a six-category ordinal scale as improvement at day 14 post-randomization per protocol defined criteria. The six-category ordinal scale ranges from 6 to 1 with a higher score indicating a worse clinical outcome as follows: 6 ꞊ death; 5 ꞊ hospitalization, requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and/or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV); 4 ꞊ hospitalization, requiring non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) and/or High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy; 3 = hospitalization, requiring supplemental oxygen (but not NIV/HFNC); 2 = hospitalization, not requiring supplemental oxygen; 1 = hospital discharge.

Time frame: 14 days post cell infusion

Population: All study participants are included in the analysis.

ArmMeasureCategoryValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Safety Run InNumber of Participants With Improvement by at Least Two Categories on a Six Category Ordinal Scale at Day 14Improved by at least two categories2 Participants
Safety Run InNumber of Participants With Improvement by at Least Two Categories on a Six Category Ordinal Scale at Day 14Not improved by at least two categories4 Participants
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsNumber of Participants With Improvement by at Least Two Categories on a Six Category Ordinal Scale at Day 14Improved by at least two categories2 Participants
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsNumber of Participants With Improvement by at Least Two Categories on a Six Category Ordinal Scale at Day 14Not improved by at least two categories8 Participants
Control GroupNumber of Participants With Improvement by at Least Two Categories on a Six Category Ordinal Scale at Day 14Improved by at least two categories5 Participants
Control GroupNumber of Participants With Improvement by at Least Two Categories on a Six Category Ordinal Scale at Day 14Not improved by at least two categories7 Participants
Primary

Proportion of Participants With Treatment-related Serious Adverse Events (tSAEs)

Treatment-related serious adverse events (tSAE) are those directly related to the investigational infusion product. Adverse event grading will be per NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events(CTCAE), vs 5. Rate of tSAEs in patients treated with MSCs will be reported as proportion and its 95% confidence interval.

Time frame: 28 days post cell infusion

Population: All participants who received MSCs are included in the analysis.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
Safety Run InProportion of Participants With Treatment-related Serious Adverse Events (tSAEs)0 proportion of participant
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsProportion of Participants With Treatment-related Serious Adverse Events (tSAEs)0 proportion of participant
Secondary

All-cause Mortality

Number and percentage of deaths (all-cause) until Day 28

Time frame: 28 days post cell infusion

Population: All study participants are included in the analysis.

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Safety Run InAll-cause Mortality0 Participants
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsAll-cause Mortality3 Participants
Control GroupAll-cause Mortality2 Participants
Secondary

Clinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 28

Clinical status at day 28 as determined by 6-point ordinal scale as follows: 6 ꞊ death; 5 ꞊ hospitalization, requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and/or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV); 4 ꞊ hospitalization, requiring non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) and/or High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy; 3 = hospitalization, requiring supplemental oxygen (but not NIV/HFNC); 2 = hospitalization, not requiring supplemental oxygen; 1 = hospital discharge. The six-category ordinal scale ranges from 6 to 1 with a higher score indicating a worse clinical outcome.

Time frame: 28 days post cell infusion

Population: All study participants are included in the analysis.

ArmMeasureCategoryValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Safety Run InClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 285=hospitalization, requiring ECOM and/or IMV0 Participants
Safety Run InClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 284=hospitalization, requiring NIV and/or HFNC therapy2 Participants
Safety Run InClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 281= hospital discharge3 Participants
Safety Run InClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 283=hospitalization, requiring supplemental oxygen1 Participants
Safety Run InClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 282=hospitalization, not requiring supplemental oxygen0 Participants
Safety Run InClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 286=dead0 Participants
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 281= hospital discharge4 Participants
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 282=hospitalization, not requiring supplemental oxygen0 Participants
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 283=hospitalization, requiring supplemental oxygen1 Participants
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 285=hospitalization, requiring ECOM and/or IMV2 Participants
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 286=dead3 Participants
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 284=hospitalization, requiring NIV and/or HFNC therapy0 Participants
Control GroupClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 281= hospital discharge7 Participants
Control GroupClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 286=dead2 Participants
Control GroupClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 283=hospitalization, requiring supplemental oxygen2 Participants
Control GroupClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 284=hospitalization, requiring NIV and/or HFNC therapy0 Participants
Control GroupClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 285=hospitalization, requiring ECOM and/or IMV1 Participants
Control GroupClinical Status Determined by 6-point Ordinal Scale at Day 282=hospitalization, not requiring supplemental oxygen0 Participants
Secondary

Duration of Hospital Stay

Duration of hospital stay is calculated from the date of on study to the time of hospital discharge, death, or last follow-up, whichever occurred first. It does not reflect the entire hospitalization time.

Time frame: from the date of on study to the time of hospital discharge, death, or last follow-up, whichever occurred first. Up to 35 days.

Population: All study participants are included in the analysis.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Safety Run InDuration of Hospital Stay24 days
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsDuration of Hospital Stay24 days
Control GroupDuration of Hospital Stay17 days
Secondary

Duration of ICU Stay

The number of days a participant spent in ICU. Duration of ICU stay is calculated from the date of admission or data of on study if the patient was admitted to ICU before enrollment to the time of ICU discharge, death, or last follow-up, whichever occurred first.

Time frame: from the date of admission or data of on study if the patient was admitted to ICU before enrollment to the time of ICU discharge, death, or last follow-up, whichever occurred first. Up to 35 days.

Population: Participants admitted to ICU are included in the analysis.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Safety Run InDuration of ICU Stay16 days
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsDuration of ICU Stay19 days
Control GroupDuration of ICU Stay13 days
Secondary

Duration of Mechanical Ventilation and/or ECMO

Number of days requiring invasive mechanical ventilation and/or ECMO (ventilation/ECMO free days at day 28)

Time frame: 28 days post cell infusion

Population: All participants are included in the analysis.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Safety Run InDuration of Mechanical Ventilation and/or ECMO0 days
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsDuration of Mechanical Ventilation and/or ECMO11 days
Control GroupDuration of Mechanical Ventilation and/or ECMO1 days
Secondary

Number of Oxygenation Free Days at Day 28

Number of oxygen support-free days through Day 28

Time frame: 28 days post cell infusion

Population: All study participants are included in the analysis.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Safety Run InNumber of Oxygenation Free Days at Day 286 days
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsNumber of Oxygenation Free Days at Day 280 days
Control GroupNumber of Oxygenation Free Days at Day 287 days
Secondary

Number of Participants With Progression to Mechanical Ventilation or ECMO

Participants not receiving mechanical ventilation at baseline who progress to requiring mechanical ventilation.

Time frame: 28 days post cell infusion

Population: Participants who were not receiving mechanical ventilation at baseline are included in the analysis.

ArmMeasureCategoryValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Safety Run InNumber of Participants With Progression to Mechanical Ventilation or ECMONo progression to mechanical ventilation or ECMO4 Participants
Safety Run InNumber of Participants With Progression to Mechanical Ventilation or ECMOProgression to mechanical ventilation or ECMO1 Participants
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsNumber of Participants With Progression to Mechanical Ventilation or ECMOProgression to mechanical ventilation or ECMO6 Participants
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsNumber of Participants With Progression to Mechanical Ventilation or ECMONo progression to mechanical ventilation or ECMO2 Participants
Control GroupNumber of Participants With Progression to Mechanical Ventilation or ECMOProgression to mechanical ventilation or ECMO3 Participants
Control GroupNumber of Participants With Progression to Mechanical Ventilation or ECMONo progression to mechanical ventilation or ECMO5 Participants
Secondary

Overall Survival

Probability of overall survival is calculated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves per protocol. Overall survival time is defined as days from the date of randomization or date of infusion if received MSCs to the date of death or the date of the last follow-up for censoring.

Time frame: 28 days post cell infusion

Population: All study participants are included in the analysis.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
Safety Run InOverall Survival1 probability of overall survival
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsOverall Survival0.70 probability of overall survival
Control GroupOverall Survival0.825 probability of overall survival
Secondary

Severity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) at Day 14

ARDS is divided into 3 groups based on the degree of hypoxemia: mild (partial pressure of oxygen in the arterial blood(PaO2)/fraction of inspired oxygen(FIO2) 201-300 mm Hg), moderate (PaO2/FIO2: 101-200 mm Hg), and severe (PaO2/FIO2 ≤ 100 mm Hg) and ventilator settings with a positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ≥5 cm water (H2O).

Time frame: 14 days post cell infusion

Population: All study participants are included in the analysis.

ArmMeasureCategoryValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Safety Run InSeverity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) at Day 14No ARDS1 Participants
Safety Run InSeverity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) at Day 14Mild2 Participants
Safety Run InSeverity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) at Day 14Moderate2 Participants
Safety Run InSeverity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) at Day 14Severe1 Participants
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsSeverity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) at Day 14Mild1 Participants
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsSeverity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) at Day 14Severe1 Participants
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsSeverity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) at Day 14Moderate5 Participants
Mesenchymal Stromal CellsSeverity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) at Day 14No ARDS3 Participants
Control GroupSeverity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) at Day 14Moderate3 Participants
Control GroupSeverity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) at Day 14Mild2 Participants
Control GroupSeverity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) at Day 14No ARDS4 Participants
Control GroupSeverity of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) at Day 14Severe3 Participants

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026