ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT07558850

Exploratory Clinical Study of Anti-CD19/BCMA Universal CAR-T Cell Injection for the Treatment of Refractory Autoimmune Diseases

Record copied from ClinicalTrials.gov: Oct 10, 2026AI summaries generated: Sep 17, 2026

Exploratory Clinical Study of Anti-CD19/BCMA Universal CAR-T Cell Injection for the Treatment of Refractory Autoimmune Diseases

StatusRecruitingThe study is currently enrolling participants. Only the study team can say whether a particular person can join.
Study typeInterventionalA study in which researchers assign participants to one or more interventions, such as a drug, procedure, device, behavioural programme or other approach, to measure their effects.
Age18 years old and older
SexAll
LocationChina
AI summaryWhat this study is about, in plain languageShow ▾Hide ▴

AI-written from the registry record, not the study's own wording. May contain errors or omissions. Check the registry text on this page and the original record ↗ before acting on it.

This is a single-arm, open-label pilot study testing anti-CD19/BCMA UCAR-T cells (KN3601) in adults with certain refractory autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis). Participants receive lymphodepleting chemotherapy followed by a single infusion of KN3601 given in a dose-escalation plan. The study will monitor safety and measure signals of effectiveness, with safety assessments up to 48 weeks after infusion.

What it is studying. The study is testing the safety and effectiveness of anti-CD19/BCMA universal CAR-T cells (KN3601) in people with specified refractory autoimmune diseases.

What the researchers hope to learn. To characterize the safety (including dose-limiting toxicities and treatment-emergent adverse events) and to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-CD19/BCMA UCAR-T cells (KN3601) in relapsed/refractory autoimmune diseases.

What this study is about

The study's own summary, as published on ClinicalTrials.gov. Underlined terms have a short explanation.

A single arm, open-label pilot study is designed to determine the safety and effectiveness of anti-CD19/BCMA-UCAR-T cells in patients with autoimmune diseases. 36-72 patients are planned to be enrolled in the dose-escalation trial.

Interventions being studied

Being studied in this trial does not mean the treatment or procedure is approved or available for this condition.

Biological
  • anti-CD19/BCMA-UCAR-T cells

Eligibility

The criteria exactly as listed on ClinicalTrials.gov. Only the study team can say whether they apply to you.

Inclusion criteria

  • Common Inclusion Criteria
  • Voluntarily sign an informed consent form, understand the study, and be willing and capable of completing all trial procedures.
  • Aged 18 to 70 years, regardless of gender.
  • At screening, the number of peripheral blood CD19-positive B cells determined by flow cytometry > 5 cells/μL.
  • For subjects previously treated with B-cell targeted therapy, peripheral blood B cell counts have returned to normal or above pre-treatment levels at the screening visit.
  • Complete blood counts within 7 days prior to lymphodepleting chemotherapy meet the following requirements in patients with Sjögren's disease (SjD):
  • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1.5×10⁹/L Hemoglobin (Hb) ≥ 80 g/L Platelet count (PLT) ≥ 50×10⁹/L
  • Subjects have adequate hepatic, renal, pulmonary and cardiac function at screening visit, defined as:
  • Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 2.5 × upper limit of normal (ULN) Total bilirubin (TBIL) ≤ 1.5 × ULN; except for patients with Gilbert syndrome, whose TBIL must be ≤ 3.0 × ULN Renal function: estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 30 mL/min/1.73m². Subjects with eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73m² and/or receiving renal replacement therapy may be enrolled if the investigator assesses benefits outweigh risks and full informed consent is obtained from the subject or guardian.
  • Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) ≥ 92% under room air without oxygen supplementation; no clinically significant pleural effusion (excluding that related to the target indication).
  • Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 50%; no pericardial effusion confirmed by echocardiography (excluding indication-related effusion); no clinically significant abnormalities on electrocardiogram (ECG).
  • During the screening period, serum pregnancy test must be negative for fertile female subjects. Females who have undergone surgical sterilization or natural menopause for at least 2 years are considered non-fertile. Fertile female and male subjects must adopt highly effective contraceptive methods throughout the clinical study and for 1 year after the last study treatment. They shall also agree not to donate oocytes or sperm for assisted reproductive technology within 1 year following the final study treatment.
  • Specific Inclusion Criteria
  • Relapsed/Refractory Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
  • Meet the 2010 ACR/EULAR classification diagnostic criteria, diagnosed with moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis, with a confirmed RA diagnosis for ≥ 6 months.
  • Swollen joint count ≥ 6 (based on 66-joint assessment) and tender joint count ≥ 6 (based on 68-joint assessment) at screening.
  • C-reactive protein (CRP) ≥ 10 mg/L or erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) ≥ 28 mm/h at screening.
  • Definition of EULAR refractory rheumatoid arthritis:
  • Treatment failure: Patients received treatment in accordance with EULAR recommended guidelines, and failed to respond to ≥ 2 biological/targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) following failure of conventional synthetic DMARDs (csDMARDs).
  • ① Exclusions: Treatment access restricted to bDMARDs/tsDMARDs due to socioeconomic factors.
  • ② If csDMARDs are contraindicated, treatment failure with ≥ 2 b/tsDMARDs with distinct mechanisms of action also qualifies.
  • Both patients and physicians acknowledge persistent difficulties in managing RA symptoms.
  • Presence of at least one of the following five indicators suggestive of active or progressive disease:
  • Moderate or higher disease activity (DAS28-ESR > 3.2 or CDAI > 10);
  • Clinical signs and/or symptoms indicative of active disease;
  • Inability to taper glucocorticoids to ≤ 7.5 mg/day prednisone or equivalent dose;
  • Rapid radiographic progression (increase in modified van der Heijde Sharp score ≥ 5 points within 1 year);
  • Impaired quality of life secondary to RA, despite seemingly adequate disease control.
  • Dermatomyositis (DM)
  • Diagnosed with Dermatomyositis (DM) in accordance with the 2017 EULAR/ACR criteria for at least 24 weeks prior to informed consent (ICF) signing.
  • Meet the classification criteria for refractory DM, and satisfy criterion ① plus any one of criteria ②-⑤:① Insufficient response to glucocorticoids (prednisone 1-2 mg/kg/day or equivalent dose of other corticosteroids) combined or sequential treatment with at least two immunosuppressants, with glucocorticoid treatment lasting for no less than 3 months;② Rapid disease progression, and/or involvement of extrapulmonary organs including the heart and gastrointestinal tract, and/or significant interstitial lung disease;③ Calcification in subcutaneous, muscular and articular tissues;④ Recurrent rashes or cutaneous ulcers;⑤ Recurrent or persistent muscle weakness. MRI shows extensive diffuse muscle edema during the disease course, or CMAS score < 48. At least two abnormal results among the five core parameters: Physician Global Assessment (PhGA) ≥ 2 cm, Patient Global Assessment (PtGA) ≥ 2 cm, Manual Muscle Test MDAAT ≥ 2, Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) total score ≥ 0.25, muscle enzyme levels > 1.5 × upper limit of normal (ULN).
  • Patients with anti-synthetase syndrome and positive anti-synthetase antibodies meet DM criteria and may be enrolled directly.
  • Patients with immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy positive for SRP or HMGCR antibodies meet DM criteria and may be enrolled directly.
  • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
  • Diagnosed with adult systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in accordance with the 2019 EULAR/ACR SLE classification criteria for at least 12 weeks prior to signing the informed consent form (ICF).
  • Subjects with moderate to severe refractory SLE shall meet all of the following criteria:
  • Positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) with a titer >1:80 at screening visit; or anti-double stranded DNA antibody level above the laboratory normal reference range (excluding borderline values); or anti-Sm antibody level above the laboratory normal reference range.
  • BILAG score showing Grade A involvement in ≥1 organ system, or Grade B involvement in ≥2 organ systems at both screening and baseline visits.
  • SLEDAI-2000 score ≥ 8 at both screening and baseline visits. Insufficient clinical response following adequate standard-dose glucocorticoids, antimalarials, immunosuppressants, and at least one biological agent administered in combination or sequentially for ≥ 3 months prior to screening.
  • Subjects receiving hematopoietic growth factor supportive therapy, including erythropoietin (EPO), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and thrombopoietin (TPO), must have an interval of at least 2 weeks between the last dose of growth factor therapy and screening assessments.For subjects receiving blood product transfusions: platelet assessments at screening shall be separated by at least 1 week from the last platelet transfusion; hemoglobin assessments at screening shall be separated by at least 2 weeks from the last red blood cell transfusion.
  • Systemic Sclerosis (SSc)
  • Meet the 2013 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for systemic sclerosis, with disease duration ≤ 60 months.
  • Positive for antinuclear antibody (ANA) or any SSc-specific autoantibody.
  • Modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS) ≥ 15 (full score: 51).
  • Meet the definition of refractory disease:
  • Significant progressive involvement of skin and visceral organs; ② No obvious disease remission after more than 3 months of combined or sequential treatment with glucocorticoids and/or cyclophosphamide, plus one or more immunomodulatory agents including but not limited to antimalarials, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, methotrexate, leflunomide, tacrolimus, ciclosporin, and biological agents such as rituximab, belimumab, telitacicept.Alternatively, subjects meeting criteria for rapidly progressive disease with no response to conventional standard clinical therapy may be enrolled if the investigator determines that clinical benefits outweigh risks and full informed consent is obtained from the subject or legal guardian.

Exclusion criteria

  • Common Exclusion Criteria
  • History of malignant tumors (excluding cured and completely resected basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell skin carcinoma or cervical carcinoma in situ with a disease-free interval of at least 5 years post resection), or concurrent malignant tumors.
  • Complicated severe pulmonary diseases, including pulmonary hypertension graded ≥ Grade 3 per WHO functional classification, requirement for oxygen therapy via oxygen reservoir mask, non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation support at screening.
  • Known allergy, hypersensitivity, intolerance or contraindication to CD19/BCMA CAR-NK cells or any investigational medicinal ingredients (including fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and tocilizumab), or history of severe anaphylactic reactions.
  • Evidence of severe active viral, bacterial infection or uncontrolled systemic fungal infection at screening or baseline visit.
  • Cardiac insufficiency classified as NYHA Class Ⅲ or Ⅳ according to New York Heart Association criteria (see Appendix).
  • Congenital heart disease prior to screening, history of acute myocardial infarction within 6 months, severe arrhythmia (including multifocal frequent supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, etc.), moderate to massive pericardial effusion, severe myocarditis; unstable vital signs requiring vasopressor support.
  • Active or uncontrolled infection requiring parenteral antimicrobial therapy at screening or baseline visit.
  • Positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) with peripheral HBV DNA level above upper limit of normal; positive HCV antibody with peripheral HCV RNA level above upper limit of normal; positive HIV antibody, positive syphilis serology, or positive cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA.
  • History of severe herpes infection such as herpes encephalitis, ocular herpes or disseminated herpes; signs of herpes or varicella-zoster virus infection (particularly varicella and herpes zoster) within 12 weeks prior to screening.
  • Active tuberculosis, history of active tuberculosis, or negative interferon-gamma release assay for tuberculosis infection not achieved during screening period.
  • History of epilepsy or other active central nervous system disorders.
  • Subjects with acquired or congenital immunodeficiency diseases.
  • Any clinically significant cardiac, endocrine, hematological, hepatic, immune, metabolic, urinary, pulmonary, neurological, dermatological, psychiatric, renal disorders or major medical history that may interfere with KN3601 administration, as judged by the investigator.
  • Solid organ transplantation or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation within 3 months prior to screening; acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) Grade ≥2 within 2 weeks prior to screening.
  • Administration of live vaccines within 4 weeks prior to screening.
  • Receipt of the following treatments within specified time windows before baseline visit:
  • B-cell depleting therapy within 26 weeks Anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody, belimumab, abatacept, anti-tumor necrosis factor-α biologics, immunoglobulin therapy or plasma exchange within 24 weeks JAK inhibitors or other kinase inhibitors within 12 weeks, unless explicitly permitted by the protocol Traditional Chinese medicines and proprietary Chinese medicines for Sjögren's disease within 4 weeks (including Tripterygium wilfordii, Tripterygium hypoglaucum, Tripterygium hypoglaucum root, Paeonia lactiflora, and preparations/supplements containing the above ingredients) Prior treatments within 3 elimination half-lives, 4 weeks, or ongoing pharmacodynamic effect, whichever is longer Post prior B-cell depleting therapy with B lymphocyte count below lower limit of normal or baseline value, whichever is lower
  • Participation in other clinical trials within 3 months, excluding subjects confirmed not to receive investigational drugs or devices.
  • Any conditions that, in the investigator's opinion, may elevate subject risk or confound trial outcomes.
  • Specific Exclusion Criteria Relapsed/Refractory Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
  • ACR functional class Grade 4 for rheumatoid arthritis. Dermatomyositis (DM)
  • Paraneoplastic myositis, defined as myositis diagnosed within 2 years following cancer diagnosis, or subjects categorized as high-risk for malignancy.
  • Subjects with overlap syndrome (excluding overlap with Sjögren's syndrome), connective tissue disease-associated DM other than primary DM, inclusion body myositis, polymyositis, or drug-induced myopathy.
  • Subjects with severe systemic musculoskeletal disorders other than DM, which interfere with adequate investigator assessment of disease activity.
  • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
  • Renal pathological diagnosis of Class V lupus nephritis (excluding Class III or IV lupus nephritis complicated with Class V lupus nephritis); active nephritis requiring treatment with protocol-prohibited medications, or requirement for hemodialysis.
  • Systemic Sclerosis (SSc)
  • Concurrent rheumatic autoimmune diseases other than SSc, including but not limited to rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, mixed connective tissue disease, polymyositis and dermatomyositis, as determined by the investigator.Note: Subjects with fibromyalgia, secondary Sjögren's syndrome, and scleroderma-associated myopathy at screening will not be excluded.
  • Non-SSc cutaneous lesions that impair accurate investigator evaluation of disease activity.
  • History of scleroderma renal crisis occurring within 2 years prior to screening visit.

Study description and what participation involves

The registry record has no detailed description beyond the summary above.

AI summaryWhat participation may involve, in plain languageShow ▾Hide ▴

AI-written from the registry record, not the study's own wording. May contain errors or omissions. Check the registry text on this page and the original record ↗ before acting on it.

After screening tests, eligible participants receive lymphodepleting chemotherapy (fludarabine and cyclophosphamide on days -5, -4, -3) followed by a single infusion of anti‑CD19/BCMA CAR‑T cells (KN3601) using a dose‑escalation plan. Participants will have regular safety monitoring and follow-up visits, with blood tests, pregnancy testing for fertile females, heart and lung checks (ECG/echocardiography/SpO₂ as needed), and reporting of adverse events for up to 48 weeks after infusion. Participants must follow contraception and gamete‑donation restrictions described in the protocol (use highly effective contraception during the study and for 1 year after last treatment; no oocyte/sperm donation for 1 year).

How the study is structured. Interventional, single-group, open-label dose-escalation study. Participants receive fludarabine and cyclophosphamide as lymphodepletion, then a single infusion of KN3601 (anti-CD19/BCMA UCAR-T); no randomization or placebo masking is used. Safety and adverse events are followed for up to 48 weeks after infusion.

Questions you could ask

These questions are suggestions for a conversation with the study team or your own clinician, not advice.

  • The listed sites are in China. Is any of them reachable for me, and does the study help with travel?
  • Which of the eligibility criteria would need to be checked with tests before I could join?

More on dermatomyositis

This trial is also listed on this site under polymyositis.

Important dates

Study start
May 10, 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Jan 10, 2028 (estimated)
Study completion
Jan 10, 2029 (estimated)
Target enrollment
72 participants (estimated)
Last updated on registry
Apr 30, 2026
Data verified
Oct 10, 2026

Sponsor and research team

The lead sponsor funds and oversees the trial. A pharmaceutical or biotech company sponsor typically means the study is testing that company's drug or device; a hospital, university, or government agency usually indicates investigator-initiated or publicly funded research.

Lead sponsor
The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University
Collaborators
  • Rui Therapeutics Co., Ltd

Central study contact

If you're interested in participating, the central contact can answer general questions about the study — including eligibility requirements and how to find a recruiting site near you. Actual eligibility is determined by the site's medical team.

Participating sites (1)

  • The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University (Jiangsu Province Hospital)Recruiting

    Nanjing, Jiangsu · China

Terms used on this page · explanations by MedicalUpdates.ai

single arm
All participants receive the same treatment or follow the same plan. There is no comparison group within the study.
open-label
No masking is used, so the assigned intervention is not deliberately hidden from participants or study staff.
dose-escalation
Groups of participants receive increasing doses of a treatment, one group after another, to find a dose that can be given safely.
Inclusion Criteria
The conditions a person must meet to be considered for the study, for example a confirmed diagnosis, an age range or a test result.
informed consent form
The process of explaining a study, including its risks and what participation involves, so that a person can decide freely whether to take part. Consent is usually documented in writing, and a participant can choose to leave the study later.
At screening
The checks done before enrolment to see whether a person qualifies, such as tests, scans or a review of medical history.
Absolute neutrophil count
The number of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell that fights infection, in a blood sample. Studies often require it to be above a set level.
upper limit of normal
The highest value of a blood test that a laboratory considers normal. Criteria such as '≤ 3 × ULN' mean the result must be no more than three times that value.
estimated glomerular filtration rate
A blood-test estimate of how well the kidneys are filtering. Lower numbers mean reduced kidney function; many studies set a minimum value.
echocardiography
An ultrasound scan of the heart. A transesophageal echocardiogram is done through a probe passed into the food pipe for a closer view.
electrocardiogram
A recording of the heart's electrical activity. QTc is one measurement from it; some drugs are avoided if it is prolonged.
Relapsed/Refractory
A condition that has not responded to a treatment. 'Relapsed' means it responded and then came back; 'refractory' means it did not respond in the first place.
contraindicated
A reason a particular test or treatment should not be used for a person, for example a metal implant that rules out an MRI scan.
glucocorticoids
Steroid medicines, such as prednisone, that reduce inflammation. Studies often require a stable dose at entry or measure whether the study treatment allows the dose to be reduced.
immunosuppressants
A medicine that reduces the activity of the immune system. Studies of autoimmune conditions often require a stable dose, a prior failure, or a washout of such medicines.
MRI
A scan that uses magnets and radio waves, not X-rays, to make detailed pictures of the inside of the body. Some implants and metal objects mean a person cannot have one.
baseline
Measurements taken at the start of the study, before any study treatment, so that later results can be compared with them.
legal guardian
A person who is legally allowed to make decisions, including consent to research, on behalf of someone who cannot consent for themselves.
Exclusion Criteria
The conditions that rule a person out even if they meet the inclusion criteria, for example other illnesses, certain medicines or pregnancy.
investigational
A treatment that is being tested and has not been approved for this use. It may be approved for a different condition. Being studied does not mean it works or is available outside the study.
half-lives
The time it takes for the amount of a drug in the body to fall by half. 'Five half-lives' is often used as the point at which a previous drug has essentially left the body.
pharmacodynamic
What a drug does to the body, for example how it changes a blood marker or a symptom, and how that relates to the dose.
prohibited medications
A medicine that participants may not use during the study, usually because it could interfere with the study treatment or its measurement.

The study record on this page is reproduced from ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, where it was submitted by the study sponsor. MedicalUpdates.ai does not own this content, is not affiliated with or endorsed by ClinicalTrials.gov, NIH, or the U.S. Government, and does not verify the record. Plain-language notes, the glossary and the questions above are added by this site; text in the boxes marked "AI summary" was written by an AI model and may contain errors. Registry records change over time. Check the original record for the current version and discuss eligibility or participation with a qualified healthcare professional.

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