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Endoscopic Injection of Autologous Fat-Derived Cells (SVF) for Adults With Refractory Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). (The GERD-REVIVE Pilot Study)
Sponsor: Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS
Summary
The purpose of this pilot clinical study is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of an innovative endoscopic treatment for adults with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) that does not respond adequately to standard medications. The study focuses on the anti-reflux barrier between the esophagus and the stomach, which fails in patients with GERD. Instead of traditional surgery, this study explores a minimally invasive approach: injecting a specialized mixture of the patient's own fat-derived cells-known as the Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF)-directly into the tissue at the esophagogastric junction during a standard endoscopy. The study is trying to answer two primary questions: Is it clinically feasible and safe to harvest, process, and endoscopically inject autologous SVF cells to support the anti-reflux barrier? Can this cell-based intervention help repair the tissue and improve the mechanical function of the barrier, allowing patients to reduce or completely stop their daily reliance on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)? By answering these questions in a small group of 15 participants, this pilot trial aims to provide the foundational data necessary to design larger clinical studies in the future.
Official title: Submucosal Injection of Autologous Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF) at the Esophagogastric Junction for the Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): A Single-Arm Pilot Feasibility and Safety Study
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 75 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
15
Start Date
2026-07
Completion Date
2027-06
Last Updated
2026-06-10
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Autologous Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF) Endoscopic Injection
This intervention is characterized by the localized, circumferential delivery of a point-of-care, autologous cell mixture derived from adipose tissue, distinguished by the following specific methodological parameters: Mechanical Processing (ELEA Method) - unlike chemical enzymatic digestion or standard centrifugation, the harvested fat is processed using purely mechanical activation via a Digital Vortex Mixer at 2000 rpm for exactly 8 minutes to separate the Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF)-rich activated fat fraction. Emulsification - the isolated activated fat fraction is emulsified by mechanical passage through a dedicated 2 mm filter before being loaded into a 19-gauge endoscopic injection needle. Anatomical Site and Delivery - the cell-rich cushion is injected submucosally and symmetrically across four quadrants at the esophagogastric junction (EGJ), precisely 0.5 to 1 cm above the squamocolumnar junction, to physically and biologically augment the anti-reflux barrier.