ON-treatment Single-cell Analysis for the Identification of Early Tumor Response Biomarkers on Prospective Collected Serial Tumor Biopsies in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patient During Standard Neoadjuvant Chemo-immunotherapy (ONSET)

May 19, 2026 updated by: Giulia Viale, IRCCS San Raffaele

This study explores early breast cancer, focusing on triple-negative and high-risk luminal subtypes. It combines single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial imaging of tumor samples collected at different time points during treatment. The aim is to better understand how cancer cells and immune cells interact and to identify biomarkers that can predict whether a patient will respond to chemo-immunotherapy or develop resistance.

The study assumes that early molecular and spatial changes at the single-cell level can predict treatment response. This knowledge could help doctors adapt therapies, avoiding unnecessary treatment while improving effectiveness. The project seeks to reveal, for the first time, how cellular diversity and spatial relationships contribute to treatment resistance and disease progression.

Tumor samples will be analyzed before treatment, after the first treatment cycle (C1D1), and at surgery. Only the biopsy taken after C1D1 is collected specifically for this study; all other samples come from routine clinical care.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet 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

This exploratory translational study investigates early breast cancer (EBC), focusing on triple-negative (TNBC) and high-risk luminal (ER+/HER2-) subtypes. By integrating single-cell RNA sequencing, using the 10x Genomics platform (or similar technologies if it will be not available at the time of experiment), and spatial imaging analyses from serial tumor biopsies, the project aims to characterize tumor-immune interactions and identify predictive biomarkers of response or resistance to neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy.

We hypothesize that early molecular and spatial features, when detected at the single-cell level, can predict treatment sensitivity or resistance. This would enable adaptive therapeutic strategies that minimize overtreatment while maximizing efficacy in EBC. Our goal is to reveal, for the first time, the cellular heterogeneity and spatial interactions that drive therapy resistance and disease progression.

The analysis will be performed on tumor biopsies collected before the start of treatment, after C1D1 and on surgical material. The only tissue sample collected specifically for the study is the biopsy after C1D1.

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.
55

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.
  • Not Applicable

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 Locations

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
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Female patients aged ≥18 years.
  2. ECOG performance status 0-1.

  3. Histologically confirmed early breast cancer with one of the following molecular profiles:

    • TNBC: ER and PR negative (IHC <10%) and HER2 negative (IHC 0-1+ or FISH non-amplified).
    • High-risk luminal (ER+/HER2-): ER positive (IHC ≥10%) HER2 negative (IHC 0-1+ or FISH non-amplified), with high-risk features (e.g., Grade 3, PR-negative, high proliferation, high TILS).

  4. Clinical indication for neoadjuvant treatment according to standard practice:

    • TNBC: cT1c and/or cN positive, or cT2 (>2 cm) and/or cN positive (stage II,III).
    • High-risk luminal: features as defined above (Grade 3, PR-negative, high proliferation, ER low).
  5. Ability to understand and sign written informed consent for participation in the study, approved by the local Ethics Committee.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. HER2-positive tumors.
  2. Multifocal tumors - exclusion if a single index lesion cannot be identified and sampled; otherwise allowed if a representative lesion can be biopsied.
  3. Known metastatic disease. 4 Clinical contraindications to the planned neoadjuvant therapy.

5. Decision for upfront surgery as determined by the multidisciplinary team. 6. Inability to provide informed consent. 7. Pregnancy or breastfeeding. 8. Prior systemic therapy (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or endocrine therapy) for the current breast cancer before baseline biopsy 9. On-treatment biopsy clinically not feasible or controindicated

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

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
To characterize the dynamic changes in tumor and immune cell populations in TNBC and to prospectively collect serial samples from high-risk luminal (ER+/HER2-) breast cancer patients.
Time Frame: Pre-treatment, on-treatment (after first cycle of therapy), and post-treatment (surgery or residual disease)
Gene expression levels per single-cell and relative cell clustering (%) by comparing pre-treatment, on-treatment (after first cycle of standard of care neoadiuvant therapy), and post-treatment (surgery or residual disease)
Pre-treatment, on-treatment (after first cycle of therapy), and post-treatment (surgery or residual disease)

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
To correlate single-cell gene expression data with pCR and RD to identify predictive signatures of therapy response
Time Frame: Across all collected timepoints (baseline, after C1 of neadiuvant standard of care therapy and at surgery)
pCR and RD will be evaluated across all collected timepoints (baseline, after C1 of neadiuvant standard of care therapy and at surgery)
Across all collected timepoints (baseline, after C1 of neadiuvant standard of care therapy and at surgery)

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.
IRCCS San Raffaele

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 (Estimated)

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.
September 1, 2026

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.
September 1, 2028

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.
March 1, 2029

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).
May 8, 2026

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.
May 18, 2026

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.
May 19, 2026

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.
May 22, 2026

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.
May 19, 2026

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.
May 1, 2026

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.
  • ONSET

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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