NCT07372885Not yet recruitingPhase 1/2
GRanulocyte Augmented Cord Blood Transplantation for Poor Risk leukaEmia
A Multi-centre Phase I/II Trial of Granulocyte-augmented Cord Blood Transplantation for Young Adults With Very Poor Risk Acute Myeloid Leukaemia.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 11 Mar 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is the only potentially curative therapy for patients with high-risk Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, but relapse is common and remains the leading cause of death. Patients with certain mutations and those transplanted without first clearing their disease have very poor outcomes with most relapsing soon after transplant, and then surviving only a few months. A recent trial at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital used cord blood stem cells alongside a type of white blood cell called 'granulocytes' and produced surprisingly good outcomes for children with very resistant leukaemia. GRACE is a clinical trial for adults (\<55 years) with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia that has not responded to chemotherapy or harbours mutations that predict a very poor response to conventional transplant. Participants will receive a transplant using umbilical cord blood and be given additional infusions of white blood cells, called granulocytes. The trial will be split into two parts:-The first will study the safety of this new approach. The experience of the investigators in children is that granulocyte infusions cause a fever, rash and expansion of another type of white blood cell called lymphocytes. Children that did not have this reaction did not respond to treatment. The investigators therefore believe that the reaction is necessary for the treatment to work, but the investigators must ensure that it is safe in adult patients. The trial design allows the investigators to determine the dose of granulocytes that is best tolerated and most likely to be effective. The aim of the second part is to demonstrate that the new treatment is more effective than conventional transplantation. The study will be conducted in three NHS transplant centres. Patients will be recruited over 36 months and followed up for a minimum of 1 year. The study is funded by Blood Cancer UK.
- Status (registry)
- Not yet recruiting
- Phase (registry)
- Phase 1/2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 50 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 20 Nov 2025
- Start date
- 9 Feb 2026
- Primary completion date
- 31 Dec 2028
- Lead sponsor
- University of Manchester
- NCT number
- NCT07372885
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional · Phase 1/2
- Planned participants: 50
- From 9 Feb 2026 to the primary completion date, 31 Dec 2028
- 3 sites 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
- Prior allogeneic stem cell transplant
- Participation in another clinical trial that would alter any aspect of the transplant protocol or that aims to reduce the subsequent risk of relapse (discuss with trial team if unsure)
- Previous history of sensitivity to granulocytes
- Any other organ dysfunction or co-morbidity that precludes transplant in the opinion of the investigator
Other illness
- Active CNS disease
- History of cardiac arrhythmia
- Ischaemic heart disease, valvular heart disease or congestive cardiac failure
- Rheumatologic disease (SLE, RA, polymyositis, mixed CTD or polymyalgia rheumatica)
- Ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease
- Presence of an active second malignancy
- Uncontrolled infection, including viral reactivation (CMV, EBV)
- HIV positive
- Hepatitis B/C active infection with measurable viral load (patients with chronic hepatitis B or C infection require clear documentation of absence of cirrhosis by either fibroscan or biopsy, regardless of viral load)
Other
- AML Secondary to a myeloproliferative neoplasm
- Transient ischaemic attack or cerebrovascular accident
- Liver cirrhosis
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding, unwilling to use contraception
- Contraindications to administration of pooled granulocytes
- Inability of patient to give informed consent
- Any concern by PI
Who the study is looking for
- Availability of a suitable cord blood unit
- Age between 16 and 55 years
- Primary diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) or MDS/AML (as defined by ICC 2022) fitting one or more of the following criteria:
- TP53 mutation (single- or multi-hit)
- Presence of inv(3) (q21.3q26.2) or t(3;3)(q21.3;q26.2)
- Adverse risk (as per ICC 2022) and \>0.1% MRD by flow cytometry after 2 cycles of induction
- AML (any risk) with partial remission (\<10% blasts) after 2 cycles induction
- Early relapse (\<6 months) after chemotherapy alone (excluding t(16;16), inv(16) or t(8;21))
- Bone marrow performed within 28 days of starting conditioning chemotherapy demonstrates either:
- \<10% blasts
- \>10% blasts with a hypocellular background (must be discussed with the trial team)
- Suitable fitness and organ function as per the following criteria:
- Glomerular filtration rate \>50 mL/min/1.73m2
- Ejection fraction \>50%
- FEV1 \>65% without dyspnoea on mild activity
- AST/ALT \<3 x ULN
- Bilirubin \<1.5 x ULN (excluding Gilbert's syndrome)
- Performance Status (ECOG) of 0 or 1
- Females of and male patients of reproductive potential (i.e., not post-menopausal or surgically sterilised) must agree to use appropriate, highly effective, contraception from the point of commencing therapy until 12 months after transplant
Age in the registry: 16 years to 55 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (3)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | London | United Kingdom | Unknown status |
| Kings College Hospital NHS Trust Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | London | United Kingdom | Unknown status |
| The Christie NHS Foundation Trust Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Manchester | United Kingdom | Unknown status |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.