A Safety and Efficacy Trial of Chidamide Combined With NKG2D CAR-NK Cell Therapy for Reducing the HIV Viral Reservoir

Plain-language summary

This study aims to investigate the safety and preliminary efficacy of an innovative therapeutic strategy combining chidamide with NKG2D-directed chimeric antigen receptor natural killer (CAR-NK) cells in individuals living with HIV. The approach is predicated on the "shock and kill" paradigm: chidamide is employed to reactivate latent HIV reservoirs and upregulate surface target ligands (NKG2D ligands) on infected cells; subsequently, allogeneic NKG2D CAR-NK cells are infused to specifically recognize and eliminate these "marked" cells. This is a phase I, open-label, single-arm clinical trial comprising two distinct stages: a dose-escalation phase (phase Ia, utilizing a "1+3+3" design) and a dose-expansion phase (phase Ib). A total of 20 HIV-infected individuals who are stable on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and have suppressed plasma viremia are planned for enrollment. Participants will receive oral chidamide over approximately five weeks, followed by two cycles of intravenous CAR-NK cell infusion. The primary endpoint is the safety and tolerability of the regimen, with particular attention to immune-related adverse events including cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Secondary endpoints encompass exploratory assessments of potential virologic and immunologic effects, such as alterations in plasma HIV RNA, cell-associated viral nucleic acids, and CD4+ T-cell counts. This study is intended to provide initial human safety data and preliminary evidence regarding the potential of this combination strategy to contribute toward a functional cure for HIV infection.

Who can participate

What they're measuring

Trial details