Autologous Decidual-like Natural Killer Cells Therapy for Infertility or Adverse Pregnancy History

November 13, 2025 updated by: The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School

Clinical Study of Autologous Decidual-like Natural Killer Cells Therapy for Infertility or Adverse Pregnancy History Caused by Abnormal Uterine Natural Killer Cells

The aim of this study is preliminary exploration of the effectiveness and duration of autologous decidual-like NK cells therapy in improving uterine NK cells dysfunction.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Menstrual blood analysis will be performed on patients with infertility or a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes who have fertility needs. Those with abnormal uterine NK cells function will be screened and given informed consent forms pre-treatment. Collecting peripheral blood from the patients, isolating and inducing in vitro culture to obtain autologous decidual like NK cells which will be perfused into their uterine. Perform continuous menstrual blood analysis within 6 months after the first treatment to assess the improvement of uterine NK cell function. If the function of uterine NK cells improves, enter the stage of attempting pregnancy and follow up pregnancy outcomes; If the function of uterine NK cells does not improve, then autologous decidual like NK cells uterine cavity perfusion therapy will be performed again. NK cells intrauterine infusion will be treated up to 2 times.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
14

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • China
    • Jiangsu
      • Nanjing, Jiangsu, China, 210006
        • Recruiting
        • The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University
        • Contact:
          • Yali Hu

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • abnormal uterine NK cell function;
  • have one of the following medical history: unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortions (≥2 spontaneous abortions, including biochemical pregnancy), repeated implantation failure (failure of implantation of good-quality embryos in at least two IVF cycles), unexplained infertility, early-onset severe gestational hypertension or early-onset fetal growth restriction;
  • have clear fertility desires;
  • normal ovarian function or with frozen embryos;
  • edometrium thickness measured by vaginal ultrasound before ovulation or at mid-luteal phase >= 7mm;
  • 18kg/m^2 < Body mass index < 30kg/m^2;

Exclusion Criteria:

  • using progesterone receptor modulator;
  • chromosomal karyotype abnormalities in one spouse;
  • severe endometriosis, uterine fibroids affecting the shape of the uterine cavity or the size of the whole uterus more than 2 and a half months of pregnancy, uterine malformation, uterine adhesion or thin endometrium;
  • uncontrolled autoimmune diseases;
  • abnormal blood coagulation function, abnormal liver and kidney function, or other uncontrolled basic diseases (hypertension, diabetes, thyroid disease, etc.) that the researcher access which may affect the progress of the study;
  • history of pelvic malignant tumors;
  • currently participating in other clinical studies;
  • allergic to blood products.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: autologous decidual-like NK cells
Autologous decidual like NK cells will be isolated and induced in vitro culture from the patients' peripheral blood and perfused into their uterine.
Biological: autologous decidual-like NK cells
intrauterine infusion

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Improvement rate of NK cells
Time Frame: 6 months after the first intrauterine infusion therapy
Improvement rate of NK cells in menstrual blood of patients after intrauterine infusion of autologous decidual like NK cells
6 months after the first intrauterine infusion therapy

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Duration of improvement in NK cells
Time Frame: 6 months after the first intrauterine infusion therapy
Duration of improvement in NK cells in menstrual blood of patients after intrauterine infusion of autologous decidual like NK cells
6 months after the first intrauterine infusion therapy
Clinical pregnancy
Time Frame: 1 year after completion of NK cells therapy
Ultrasound indicates the presence of a gestational sac and fetal heartbeat in the uterine cavity
1 year after completion of NK cells therapy
Ongoing pregnancy
Time Frame: 1 year after completion of NK cells therapy
At least 12 weeks of pregnancy, ultrasound indicates that the fetus has cardiac activity and the size of the fetus matches the gestational age
1 year after completion of NK cells therapy
Live birth
Time Frame: 1 year after completion of NK cells therapy
Delivery of any number of neonates born at 26 or more weeks' gestation with signs of life
1 year after completion of NK cells therapy
preeclampsia
Time Frame: 1 year after completion of NK cells therapy
The occurrence of preeclampsia during successful ongoing pregnancy after cell therapy
1 year after completion of NK cells therapy
fetal growth restriction
Time Frame: 1 year after completion of NK cells therapy
The occurrence of fetal growth restriction during successful ongoing pregnancy after cell therapy
1 year after completion of NK cells therapy

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
The University of Science and Technology of China

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Yali Hu, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University
  • Principal Investigator: Hui Zhu, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 13, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 6, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 6, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 12, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 17, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 13, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2024-LCYJ-PY-50

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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