Intraglandular Treatment With Adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Patients With Xerostomia Due to Sjögren's Disease

NCT06805448 | Recruiting Phase 1 DMC

• 2 other identifiers: EU CT: 2024-516715-25-002024-516715-25-00
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Living with dry mouth significantly impacts daily life, causing constant discomfort. It makes it harder to talk, eat solid food (increasing the risk of malnutrition), swallow, and sleep well. It also raises the risk of tooth decay. One common cause of dry mouth is Sjögren's Syndrome. Sjögren's Syndrome is a common chronic autoimmune disease. In this disease, the immune system attacks the body's own saliva glands, reducing saliva production and leading to severe dry mouth and its associated symptoms. Current treatments for dry mouth are temporary and only last a short time (from a few minutes to a few hours). Therefore, new treatment options are needed. Research has shown that mesenchymal stem cells can be used to treat dry mouth with promising results. These stem cells can be injected into a vein or directly into the saliva glands. Although the exact mechanism is not fully understood, studies suggest that stem cells can positively affect the immune system, reduce inflammation, regenerate tissue, and reverse scarring. This research group has been studying stem cell treatment for dry mouth for over 10 years and is internationally recognized. The group have conducted three studies where we injected stem cells into the saliva glands of patients with dry mouth due to radiation therapy for head or neck cancer. Results showed a 30%-50% increase in saliva production and a significant reduction in dry mouth symptoms. No studies have yet investigated injecting stem cells into the saliva glands of patients with dry mouth due to Sjögren's Syndrome. One study did inject stem cells into tear glands with promising results. Therefore, this study aim to investigate injecting stem cells into the saliva glands of patients with dry mouth due to Sjögren's Syndrome. For this study, mesenchymal stem cells harvested from the fat tissue of healthy adult donors is used. This type of stem cell is better at reversing scarring and forming new blood vessels. The procedure is quick and has few side effects, and donors benefit from the fat removal. The fat is typically taken from the abdominal area. Donors are tested for various diseases to ensure they are healthy. Previous studies have shown that the treatment is safe with only a few temporary side effects. The hypothesis is that injecting stem cells into the saliva glands of patients with dry mouth due to Sjögren's Syndrome will improve saliva production and reduce dry mouth symptoms. The study aims to determine if this treatment increases saliva production and reduces symptoms caused by dry mouth. To test these hypotheses, the study will include:

1. 1.The treatment itself with either stem cells or a placebo (sterile saline).
2. 2.Multiple saliva tests to measure saliva production.
3. 3.Saliva samples stored for later analysis to see if the saliva's ability to protect teeth and aid digestion changes after stem cell treatment.
4. 4.A blood test to examine the immune system's response to the stem cell treatment.
5. 5.A clinical examination to see if the stem cell treatment affects Sjögren's Syndrome symptoms elsewhere in the body.
6. 6.Questionnaires to assess participants' perceptions of changes in dry mouth symptoms after treatment.

Conditions

Sjorgren's Syndrome

Keywords

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cell; MSC; Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP),; xerostomia; dry mouth; Sjogren's disease; Sjogren's syndrome; randomized clinical trial (RCT)

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in unstimulated whole saliva flow rate by sialometry

  From baseline to 4 months after treatment

Secondary Outcomes (11)

• Change in stimulated whole saliva flow rate by sialometri

  From baseline to 4 and 12 months after treatment

• • Safety evaluated by number of serious adverse events (SAE), adverse advents (AE), and deaths

  From baseline to 4 and 12 months after treatment

• Quality of the whole saliva measured as changes in percentages in the concentration of electrolytes, total protein, alpha-amylase, and salivary IgA with Elisa assays

  From baseline to 4 and 12 months after treatment

• Immune response measured by the development of donor specific antibodies

  From baseline to 4 and 12 months after treatment

• Lacrimal secretion measured by the Schirmers Test

  From baseline to 4 and 12 months after treatment

Study Arms (2)

Placebo

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Isotone sterile saline water

Drug: Saline Water (Control)

MSC

EXPERIMENTAL

Allogeneic adipose-derived stem / stromal cells in 10% DMSO

Drug: MSC

Interventions

MSC DRUG

Allogeneic adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal / stem cells in 10% DMSO

MSC

Saline Water (Control) DRUG

Isotonic sterile saline water

Placebo

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Patients diagnosed with SS according to the American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism (ACR-EULAR) classification criteria for primary SjD (2)
• Age equal or above 18 years
• Persistent xerostomia for at least 3 months
• Unstimulated whole saliva flow rate (UWS) of minimum 0.05 ml/min and maximum 3.0 ml/min
• Capable and willing to receive proper information and to give written informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• Current intake of xerogenic medications such as anticholinergics, tricyclic antidepressants, opioids, and certain antihypertensive agents (23)
• Presence of any other diseases of the salivary glands, e.g. xerostomia due to radiation
• Previous submandibular gland surgery
• Previous treatment with any type of stem cells in the salivary glands
• Pregnancy or planned pregnancy within the 12 months study period
• Breastfeeding
• Tobacco smoking within the previous 6 months from screening visit
• Have a current alcohol abuse (consumption must not exceed 10 units per week (Danish National board health alcohol guidelines (24))

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Rigshospitalet, Denmark: lead

Study Sites (1)

Rigshospitalet

Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Xerostomia; Sjogren's Syndrome

Interventions

Saline Waters

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Salivary Gland Diseases; Mouth Diseases; Stomatognathic Diseases; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Arthritis; Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Rheumatic Diseases; Dry Eye Syndromes; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases; Eye Diseases; Connective Tissue Diseases; Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases; Autoimmune Diseases; Immune System Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Environment; Ecological and Environmental Phenomena; Biological Phenomena

Central Study Contacts

Joachim Hansen, M.D, PhD-fellow

CONTACT

+4523312552; joachim.hansen.01@regionh.dk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 1
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: QUADRUPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Primary Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 21, 2025
• First Posted: February 3, 2025
• Study Start: January 21, 2025
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2025
• Study Completion: December 1, 2025
• Last Updated: February 3, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP
• Time Frame: Full protocol in available through CTIS (https://euclinicaltrials.eu/). IPD will be available after last patient's last visit
• Access Criteria: Access to participant level-data and statistical code can be granted through a reasonable request to the corresponding author and subsequent approval from the relevant authorities.

Locations

DK (1)