Exercise as an Immune Adjuvant for Allogeneic Cell Therapies

Recruiting now · Early Phase 1 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Leukemia, Hematopoetic Stem Cell Transplantation, Donor Lymphocyte Infusion, CAR T-Cell Therapy, Lymphoma, Cell Therapy

In brief

This study aims to improve the treatment of blood cancer by using exercise to collect healthier immune cells from donors. Allogeneic adoptive cell therapy is a treatment where immune cells from a healthy donor are given to a cancer patient, usually to help prevent or treat cancer relapse after a stem cell transplant. These donor cells can either be directly infused into the patient or grown in a lab to create more specialized immune cells that target and kill cancer. While this therapy has been helpful for many patients, there is a need to make it more effective for a larger group and reduce side effects like graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), where the donor's immune cells attack the patient's healthy tissue. This Early Phase 1 trial will test whether exercise can help produce better immune cells from donors. The investigators will recruit healthy participants for three study groups: 1. Exercise Group: Participants will complete a 20-minute cycling exercise session. The investigators will collect blood samples before, during, and after exercise to study the number and quality of immune cells. The investigators will also use the collected cells to create immune therapies and test their ability to kill cancer cells in the lab and control cancer growth in mice. 2. Exercise and Beta Blocker Group: In this group, participants will complete up to five cycling sessions, with at least a week between each session. Before each session, participants will take either a placebo or a drug (beta blocker) that blocks stress hormones like adrenaline. The investigators will collect blood samples before and during exercise to see how blocking these hormones changes the effect of exercise on immune cells. 3. Isoproterenol Group: Participants in this group will receive a 20-minute infusion of isoproterenol, a drug that mimics the effects of adrenaline. The investigators will collect blood samples before, during, and after the infusion to see if the drug causes similar immune changes to those caused by exercise. Participants can join one, two, or all three groups. This research will help understand whether exercise can improve immune cell therapies for treating blood cancer and reduce the risk of GvHD, making these treatments safer and more effective.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06643221

Run by

University of Arizona

People needed

200

Starts

2018-01-24

Expected to finish

2031-05-31

Last updated by the study team

2026-06-05

Who can join

Age: 21 and older, up to 55. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Participants must:
• Be between 21 and 55 years of age.
• Be classified as 'low-risk' for graded exercise/stress testing according to ACSM-AHA criteria.
• Have no contraindications for the use of isoproterenol, carvedilol, bisoprolol, nadolol, or roflumilast as per FDA guidelines.

You may not qualify if…

• Participants will be excluded if they:
• Currently use tobacco products or have quit within the last 6 months.
• Have a body mass index (BMI) greater than 34 kg/m² or waist circumference exceeding 102 cm for men and 88 cm for women.
• Use any medications known to affect the immune system or regularly take ibuprofen/aspirin, antidepressants, or medications that alter blood pressure or cardiovascular function.
• Use of hormone replacement therapy.
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Have chronic or debilitating arthritis or have been bedridden in the past three months.
• Experienced a common illness (e.g., colds) within the past 6 weeks.
• Have central or peripheral nervous disorders, a history of stroke, or major affective disorder.
• Are infected with HIV or hepatitis or have any autoimmune disease.
• Have known cardiovascular disease or contraindications for the use of isoproterenol, carvedilol, bisoprolol, nadolol, or roflumilast.
• Use any prescription medications or have an allergy to beta-blockers.
• Have a resting heart rate of less than 50 beats per minute.
• Suffer from asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, kidney disease, pheochromocytoma, diabetes, overactive thyroid, or a history of severe anaphylactic reactions.
• Are scheduled for surgery.
• Additionally, participants who meet the inclusion criteria but present with more than one of the following cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors will be excluded unless cleared by a cardiologist:
• Family History: Myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, or sudden death before 55 years of age in a father or male first-degree relative, or before 65 years of age in a mother or female first-degree relative.
• Hypertension: Systolic blood pressure greater than 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure greater than 90 mmHg.
• Dyslipidemia: Total serum cholesterol exceeding 200 mg/dl.
• Pre-diabetes: Fasting blood glucose levels between 100 mg/dl and 126 mg/dl.

Where it is running

• The University of Arizona — Tucson, Arizona, United States (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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