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A Single-Center Clinical Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Allogeneic Natural Killer (NK) Cell Transplantation for Mooren's Ulcer
Sponsor: Suxia Li
Summary
Given that the definitive pathogenesis of Mooren's ulcer has not been fully clarified and clinical relapse occurs frequently, natural killer (NK)-cells demonstrate unique therapeutic potential. Since NK cells do not express T-cell receptors (TCRs), they exert biological functions through a specific self-versus-non-self recognition pathway and hardly induce graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after transplantation. Therefore, NK-cells serve as an ideal cellular therapeutic vehicle for such autoimmune diseases. This project targets refractory Mooren's ulcer by taking advantage of the distinctive immunological properties of NK-cells for disease intervention. Its core merits consist of eliminating the risk of GVHD and conferring immunomodulatory effects. From a clinical perspective, this study fills the research gap of cell-based therapies focused on the relapse mechanism of Mooren's ulcer and delivers a minimally-invasive and safe novel therapeutic option for intractable patients.
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 85 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
6
Start Date
2026-08-20
Completion Date
2027-11-01
Last Updated
2026-08-24
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Allogeneic natural killer (NK)-cell transplantation
Investigational allogeneic NK-cells will be delivered via subconjunctival injection for patients with refractory Mooren's ulcer under strict sterile conditions. After cell transplantation, patients will receive routine topical ophthalmic medications and regular slit-lamp examinations. Participants are followed-up for 48-weeks to evaluate corneal recovery, visual changes and safety profiles of this cell-based intervention.