NCT03513939Active, not recruitingPhase 1/2
A Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy Study of Sernova's Cell Pouch™ for Clinical Islet Transplantation
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 25 Feb 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
The Cell Pouch™ is a novel implantable device, that is transplanted with therapeutic cells such as insulin producing islets. This combination product is designed for the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1D) with hypoglycemia unawareness and a history of severe hypoglycemic episodes. Upon implantation, the Cell Pouch is designed to form a natural environment, rich in tissue and microvessels for the transplant and function of therapeutic cells. The Cell Pouch is designed as a scaffold made of non-degradable polymers, formed into small cylindrical chambers which, when implanted against the abdominal muscle, becomes incorporated with vascularized tissue to the circumference of removable plugs within as early as two weeks as demonstrated in preclinical studies. After the tissue incorporation, the plugs are removed, leaving fully formed tissue chambers with central void spaces for the transplantation of therapeutic cells including Islets of Langerhans (islets). Tissue integration within and around the Cell Pouch forms a natural environment, rich in microvessels that allows the transplanted islets to engraft, resulting in a functional biohybrid organ. It is believed this engraftment will enable long-term survival and function of transplanted islets. This study aims to demonstrate the safety and tolerability of islet transplantation into the Cell Pouch for the treatment of T1D in subjects with hypoglycemia unawareness and a history of severe hypoglycemic episodes. The study also aims to establish islet release criteria that accurately characterize the islet product and are predictive of clinical transplant outcomes into the Cell Pouch, which will be demonstrated through defined efficacy measures.
- Status (registry)
- Active, not recruiting
- Phase (registry)
- Phase 1/2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 17 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 6 Apr 2018
- Start date
- 7 Feb 2019
- Primary completion date
- Oct 2026
- Lead sponsor
- Sernova Biotherapeutics Inc.
- Diseases
- Type 1 diabetes
- NCT number
- NCT03513939
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional · Phase 1/2
- Planned participants: 17
- From 7 Feb 2019 to the primary completion date, Oct 2026
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Invasive aspergillus, histoplasmosis, or coccidioidomycosis infection within one year prior to study consent.
- Receiving treatment for a medical condition requiring chronic use of systemic steroids, except for the use of ≤ 5 mg prednisone daily, or an equivalent dose of hydrocortisone, for physiological replacement only.
- Treatment with any anti-diabetic medication other than insulin within 4 weeks of transplant, More information on this criterion is in the protocol
- Use of any investigational agents within 4 weeks of consent
- Administration of live attenuated vaccine(s) within 2 months of consent.
- Treatment with any immunosuppressive regimen at the time of consent.
- A previous islet transplant.
- A previous pancreas transplant. More information on this criterion is in the protocol
Other illness
- Presence or history of panel-reactive anti-HLA antibodies \>30%
- Any history of malignancy except for completely resected squamous or basal cell carcinoma of the skin.
- Severe unremitting diarrhea, vomiting or other gastrointestinal disorders potentially interfering with the ability to absorb oral medications (for example untreated celiac disease).
- Untreated Graves' disease
- Portal hypertension
- Any medical condition that, in the opinion of the study investigator, will interfere with safe participation in the trial.
- Known allergy or hypersensitivity to polymers More information on this criterion is in the protocol
- Islets from non-heart beating donors will be excluded as well as from CDC high-risk donors.
- History of malignant hypertension or other conditions precluding general anesthesia.
Lab values
- Glycated Haemoglobin (HbAlc) \>13%.
- Presence or history of macroalbuminuria (\>300 mg/g creatinine).
- Presence or history of active infection including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, or tuberculosis (TB). Subjects with laboratory evidence of active infection are excluded even in the absence of clinical evidence of active infection.
- Baseline Hb below the lower limits of normal at the local laboratory for patients initially being enrolled into study.
- Severe co-existing cardiac disease, characterized by any one of these conditions:
- Recent myocardial infarction (within past 6 months).
- Left ventricular ejection fraction \<30%.
- Uncontrolled coronary artery disease.
- Known hypercoagulative state or
- International Normalized Ratio \> 1.8
- Use of coumadin or other anticoagulant therapy (except aspirin) or subject with prothrombin time (PT-INR) \> 1.5.
Other
- Body mass index (BMI) \>30 kg/m2
- Insulin requirement \>1.0 IU/kg/day
- Untreated proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
- Blood Pressure: Systolic blood pressure (SBP) \>160 mmHg or Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) \>100 mmHg.
- Measured glomerular filtration rate \<70 mL/min/1.73m2 (More information about this criterion is in the protocol
- For female subjects of child bearing potential: Positive pregnancy test, presently breast-feeding, or unwillingness to use effective contraceptive measures for the duration of the study and 4 months after discontinuation. For male subjects: intent to procreate during the duration of the study or within 4 months after discontinuation or unwillingness to use effective measures of contraception. More information about this criterion is in the protocol.
- Patients with negative screen for Epstein Barr Virus by Immunoglobulin G (IgG) determination. More information about this criterion is in the protocol,
- Active smoking, vaping or marijuana use or known active alcohol or substance abuse.
- Uncontrolled hyperlipidemia (fasting LDL cholesterol \>130mg/dL and/or fasting triglycerides \>200mg/dL).
- Persistent elevation of liver function tests. More information on this criterion is in the protocol
- Presence of colostomy/ileostomy, incisional hernia or other deformity of the abdominal wall precluding implantation of the Cell Pouch.
Who the study is looking for
- Male and female patients 18 to 65 years of age.
- Ability to provide written informed consent.
- Mentally stable and able to comply with the procedures of the study protocol.
- Clinical history compatible with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) with onset of disease at \<40 years of age, insulin-dependence for ≥5 years at the time of consent, and a sum of patient age and insulin dependent diabetes duration of ≥28.
- Absent stimulated c-peptide (\<0.3 ng/mL) in response to a mixed meal tolerance test (MMTT; measured during the 4 hour test).
- Involvement in intensive diabetes management defined as self-monitoring of glucose values no less than a mean of three times each day averaged over each week and by the administration of three or more insulin injections each day or insulin pump therapy. Such management must be under the direction of an endocrinologist, diabetologist, or diabetes specialist with at least 3 clinical evaluations during the 12 months prior to study consent.
- At least one episode of severe hypoglycemia in the 12 months prior to study consent.
- Reduced awareness of hypoglycemia. More information about this criterion, including specific definitions of hypoglycemia unawareness, is in the protocol.
Age in the registry: 18 years to 65 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Save your city in your profile to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Chicago Medical Center Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Chicago | United States | Unknown status |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.