Skip to main content
TTrialFinderData
TrialFinderData is for informational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. Always talk to your doctor.

Updated May 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov

RECRUITINGPhase 2INTERVENTIONAL

Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes in Treating Patients With Malignancies With BK and/or JC Virus

Phase II Study Assessing the Effect of BK Specific CTL Lines Generated by Ex Vivo Expansion in Patients With BK Virus Infection and JC Virus Infection

Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes in Treating Patients With Malignancies With BK and/or JC Virus (NCT02479698) is a Phase 2 interventional studying Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and BK Virus Infection, sponsored by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

Important: This information is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

About This Trial

This phase II trial studies how well donor cytotoxic T lymphocytes work in treating patients with malignancies with BK and/or JC virus. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes are made from donated blood cells that are grown in the laboratory and are designed to kill viruses that can cause infections in transplant patients and may be an effective treatment in patients with malignancies with BK and/or JC virus.

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 2 trials evaluate whether a treatment actually works against Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and continue monitoring side effects. Phase 2 enrolls larger groups (typically 100–300 patients) and produces the first real efficacy signal. A successful Phase 2 readout is what unlocks the much larger Phase 3 confirmatory trials needed for FDA approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 100 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: - Patients ≥ 2 years. English and non-English speaking patients are eligible. - Immunocompromised patients; and/or Non-immunocompromised patients with PML/JC virus Encephalitis; and/or patients with any type of malignancies; and/or HIV/AIDs; and/or history of solid organ transplant; and/or Merkel polyoma-virus related Merkel cell tumor(s) with measurable disease on imaging per RECIST criteria. - Patients with microscopic hematuria OR biopsy proven BK nephritis and urine or blood PCR positive for BK virus and/or JC viral encephalitis and/or JC end-organ disease and/or polyomavirus. - Clinical status at enrollment to allow tapering of steroids to less than 0.5 mg/kg/day of prednisone. - Patients who are currently receiving treatment with cidofovir, leflunomide, or other antiviral therapy with no response, will be eligible for CTL infusion. - Written willing to sign a consent form and/or signed assent from patient, parent or guardian. Patients with cognitive impairments are eligible. - Negative pregnancy test in female patients of childbearing potential, defined as not post-menopausal for 12 months or no previous surgical sterilization. Women of child bearing potential must be willing to use an effective contraceptive measure while on study. - Patients enrolled on this study may be enrolled on other IND studies at the discretion of the PI. - Patients may be re-enrolled in the protocol should the infection re-occur, provided they meet all the other eligibility criteria at the moment of re-enrollment. Who Should NOT Join This Trial: - Patients receiving prednisone \> 0.5 mg/kg/day at time of enrollment, or have received ATG within 14 days or have received donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) or Campath within 28 days of enrollment. ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients ≥ 2 years. English and non-English speaking patients are eligible. * Immunocompromised patients; and/or Non-immunocompromised patients with PML/JC virus Encephalitis; and/or patients with any type of malignancies; and/or HIV/AIDs; and/or history of solid organ transplant; and/or Merkel polyoma-virus related Merkel cell tumor(s) with measurable disease on imaging per RECIST criteria. * Patients with microscopic hematuria OR biopsy proven BK nephritis and urine or blood PCR positive for BK virus and/or JC viral encephalitis and/or JC end-organ disease and/or polyomavirus. * Clinical status at enrollment to allow tapering of steroids to less than 0.5 mg/kg/day of prednisone. * Patients who are currently receiving treatment with cidofovir, leflunomide, or other antiviral therapy with no response, will be eligible for CTL infusion. * Written informed consent and/or signed assent from patient, parent or guardian. Patients with cognitive impairments are eligible. * Negative pregnancy test in female patients of childbearing potential, defined as not post-menopausal for 12 months or no previous surgical sterilization. Women of child bearing potential must be willing to use an effective contraceptive measure while on study. * Patients enrolled on this study may be enrolled on other IND studies at the discretion of the PI. * Patients may be re-enrolled in the protocol should the infection re-occur, provided they meet all the other eligibility criteria at the moment of re-enrollment. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients receiving prednisone \> 0.5 mg/kg/day at time of enrollment, or have received ATG within 14 days or have received donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) or Campath within 28 days of enrollment. * Patients with other uncontrolled infections (except HIV/AIDS). For bacterial infections, patients must be receiving definitive therapy and have no signs of progressing infection for 72 hours prior to enrollment. For fungal infections patients must be receiving definitive systemic anti-fungal therapy and have no signs of progressing infection for 1 week prior to enrollment. Progressing infection is defined as hemodynamic instability attributable to sepsis or new symptoms, worsening physical signs or radiographic findings attributable to infection. Persisting fever without other signs or symptoms will not be interpreted as progressing infection * Patients with active acute (GVHD) grades II-IV

Treatments Being Tested

BIOLOGICAL

Allogeneic BK-specific Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes

Given IV

OTHER

Laboratory Biomarker Analysis

Correlative studies

Locations (1)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

M D Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT02479698), the sponsor (M.D. Anderson Cancer Center), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT02479698 clinical trial studying?

This phase II trial studies how well donor cytotoxic T lymphocytes work in treating patients with malignancies with BK and/or JC virus. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes are made from donated blood cells that are grown in the laboratory and are designed to kill viruses that can cause infections in transplant patients and may be an effective treatment in patients with malignancies with BK and/or JC virus. The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT02479698?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT02479698?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT02479698. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT02479698. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.