Clinical Research Directory

Intestinal Low Dose Radiotherapy Combined With Immunotherapy in Immune-resistant Metastatic Malignant Solid Tumors

Preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that intestinal low-dose radiotherapy (ILDR) may enhance antitumor immune responses by modulating the gut microenvironment, thereby improving the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICBs) in refractory solid tumors. Based on these findings, the investigators initiate a multicohort phase II clinical trial to evaluate the clinical benefit and safety of ILDR combined with PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibody therapy in patients with metastatic solid tumors resistant to prior ICB treatment. In this study, patients are stratified into three parallel cohorts by tumor type (lung cancer, esophageal cancer, and other solid tumors), with 16 patients per cohort (48 in total, including subjects enrolled from the ILDR-01 study). Eligible participants includes patients with advanced metastatic solid tumors progressing after monotherapy or combination ICB treatment, meeting criteria of ECOG performance status 0-2, life expectancy ≥3 months, and have at least one measurable lesion. Exclusion criteria encompasses prior pelvic radiotherapy, ongoing infections, major organ dysfunction, or concurrent antitumor therapies. The primary endpoints includes objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival after ILDR (PFS2), and the incidence of abscopal effects. Secondary endpoints includes overall survival (OS), treatment safety, α/β diversity changes in gut microbiota, peripheral blood immune cell subset dynamics, and tumor immune microenvironment remodeling characteristics. All patients receives a 1 Gy jejunoileal radiotherapy followed by PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibody administration (in accordance to prior protocols or guidelines) within 24 hours, with maintenance therapy up to 2 years. Therapeutic efficacy is assessed via RECIST v1.1, while therapeutic toxicity is assessed according to CTCAE v5.0. Paired pre- and post-treatment samples (including wumor tissue, stool, peripheral blood etc.) are collected for metagenomic sequencing, metabolomic analysis, and multi-omics integrative modeling to systematically elucidate the regulation mechanism of gut microbiota-metabolite-immune axis mediated by ILDR. This approach aims to provide theoretical foundations for optimizing treatment strategies in immunotherapy-resistant tumors and identify biomarkers that potentially associated with therapeutic efficacy.

Zusanli (ST36) Electroacupuncture Treatment for Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

This study aims to investigate the potential synergistic effects of acupuncture combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer therapy. Over the past decade, significant progress in cancer immunotherapy has been driven by breakthroughs in understanding immune checkpoint molecules; however, monotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors still faces challenges due to low response rates. As a traditional Chinese medical intervention, acupuncture modulates neuro-immune pathways to achieve remote regulation of organ functions, with particular anti-tumor potential observed at the Zusanli (ST36) acupoint-a site located 2 cm below the knee that can be stimulated via electroacupuncture (EA) to improve gastrointestinal function and alleviate inflammation. Preclinical evidence demonstrates that EA suppresses tumor growth in breast cancer models, reduces levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and TNF-α, enhances anti-tumor activity of CD8+ T cells and NK cells, and decreases accumulation of immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Animal studies show that ST36 EA increases key immunomodulatory factors like serum IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-17, thereby potentiating the efficacy of anti-tumor drugs. Guided by the traditional TCM principle of "reinforcing healthy qi to consolidate the body's resistance," modern clinical applications of EA combined with specific acupoint regimens (e.g., ST36, Sanyinjiao) have effectively alleviated cancer-related pain, chemotherapy-induced side effects, and fatigue. This study will evaluate the safety and immunosensitization effects of ST36 EA combined with PD-1 inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer patients, employing 1 mA electroacupuncture for 3 consecutive days to activate immune responses. By leveraging acupuncture-induced immune remodeling, this approach aims to provide a novel integrative medicine strategy to overcome resistance to immunotherapy.

Intestinal Low Dose Radiotherapy Combined With Immunotherapy in Immune-resistant Metastatic Solid Tumors

Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that intestinal low dose radiotherapy (ILDR) can enhance antitumor immunity and response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Therefore, the investigators launch a phase Ⅱ trial to evaluate the clinical value of combining ILDR and programmed cell death-1/ -ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitors in patients with ICB refractory metastatic solid tumor. This study is designed as a researcher-initiated, two-stage and prospective clinical trial. The target population is patients with advanced metastatic malignant solid tumors who have progressed after immunotherapy. The primary endpoints include objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression free survival while receiving ILDR combined therapy (PFS2), and lesion-based abscopal response rate. The secondary endpoints include incidence of adverse events (AEs), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall response rate (OS). In the treatment stage Ⅰ, sixteen subjects will be enrolled in this trial. The primary objective of this stage is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 1Gy ILDR combined with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in immune-resistant metastatic malignant solid tumors, and biomarker exploration for response prediction. The inclusion criteria, exclusion criteria and sample size for treatment stage Ⅱ will be modified on the basis of results from Stage Ⅰ. The objective of the stage Ⅱ is to determine effects and safety of various dosage regimen of ILDR combined with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in target patients. Eligible patients will be subjected to 1-3Gy ILDR. Tumor response will be assessed according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 as well as Immune related RECIST (iRECSIST). The extent or severity of adverse reactions will be assessed using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) (version 5.0). Furthermore, tissue samples, stool samples, and peripheral blood samples will be collected for biomarker exploration.

SBRT Combined With Adbelimumab and Apatinib for Perioperative and Conversion Therapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

This is a Phase II , Open-label , Investigator-initiated Trail of SBRT in Combination With Adbelimumab and Apatinib in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma(HCC).This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SBRT in Combination With Adbelimumab and Apatinib as a preoperative and conversion treatment of HCC.