Exploratory Study With Parallel Controls on the Safety and Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Low Branched-Chain Amino Acid Diet in Combination With Anti-PD-1 Monoclonal Antibody for Stage III Melanoma

May 7, 2026 updated by: Xijing Hospital

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Single-Center, Exploratory Study With Parallel Controls on the Safety and Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Low Branched-Chain Amino Acid Diet in Combination With Anti-PD-1 Monoclonal Antibody for Stage III Melanoma

  1. Primary Objective:

    To evaluate the safety of a low branched-chain amino acid diet (60% of the normal dietary BCAA content) combined with anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody as neoadjuvant therapy in patients with stage III melanoma, by documenting the incidence of all adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs), and analyzing changes from baseline in physical examinations, vital signs, and laboratory test results.

  2. Secondary Objectives:

    To assess the pathological response rates (including pCR, near-pCR, pPR, and pNR) of the combination therapy in stage III melanoma; to evaluate the objective response rate (ORR) according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST v1.1) and the immune-related RECIST (irRECIST) criteria; and to estimate event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) through long-term follow-up.

  3. Exploratory Objectives:

To investigate the quality of life (QoL) in patients receiving the low BCAA diet combined with anti-PD-1 therapy; and to identify predictive biomarkers for treatment outcome differences, such as immune-related gene signatures (e.g., PD-L1 expression) and driver gene mutations in somatic variants.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

80

Phase

  • 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 Locations

  • China
      • Xi'an, China
        • Recruiting
        • Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University
        • Contact:

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with histopathologically or cytologically confirmed Stage III malignant melanoma. Stage III is defined as the presence of at least one clinically accessible lymph node metastasis or in-transit metastasis. Patients with mucosal or ocular melanoma are excluded; those with melanoma of unknown primary are also excluded.
  • No prior radiotherapy or systemic chemotherapy. No treatment with anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, anti-PD-L2 monoclonal antibodies, anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody, interferon (IFN), or targeted agents within the last month.
  • Life expectancy ≥ 6 months.
  • At least one measurable lesion as defined by RECIST version 1.1.
  • Patients must have provided written informed consent to participate voluntarily in this trial and must be between 18 and 75 years of age on the day of signing the consent form.
  • ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status score of 0 or 1.

  • Adequate organ function as assessed by the following laboratory values (within 4 weeks prior to the start of study drug treatment):

    1. Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L
    2. Platelets ≥ 100 × 10⁹/L
    3. Hemoglobin ≥ 90 g/L (no transfusion within 14 days prior to enrollment)
    4. Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 × upper limit of normal (ULN)
    5. Serum total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 × ULN
    6. AST (SGOT) and ALT (SGPT) ≤ 2.5 × ULN or ≤ 5 × ULN (for patients with liver metastases)
    7. Prothrombin time (PT)/International Normalized Ratio (INR) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) ≤ 1.5 × ULN (unless the patient is on anticoagulant therapy, in which case PT or aPTT must be within the therapeutic range intended for the anticoagulant).
  • For women of childbearing potential, a negative urine or serum pregnancy test within 7 days prior to receiving the first dose of the study drug.
  • Female patients of childbearing potential who enroll in the study must be willing to use adequate contraception for up to 12 months after the last dose of the study drug.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • The patient is currently participating, or has participated in a clinical trial of an investigational drug or medical device within 4 weeks prior to the first dose of the study drug.
  • The patient has received any anti-tumor therapy within the past month, including but not limited to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy (such as anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, or anti-CTLA-4 antibodies, or any other antibody targeting T-cell co-regulatory pathways), etc.
  • The patient has received systemic corticosteroid therapy (>10 mg/kg prednisone or equivalent) within two weeks prior to the first dose, or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy.
  • The patient has a known history of hematologic malignancies, primary brain tumors, sarcoma, or other primary solid tumors, unless the patient has been cured and has had no evidence of recurrence for 5 years. Exceptions include cured basal cell carcinoma of the skin and carcinoma in situ of the cervix.
  • The patient has known central nervous system (CNS) metastases and/or carcinomatous meningitis.
  • The patient has a history of severe hypersensitivity reaction to another monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy.
  • The patient has an active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 2 years (e.g., with corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs). Replacement therapies (such as thyroxine, insulin, or physiologic corticosteroid replacement for adrenal or pituitary insufficiency) are not considered systemic treatments and are allowed. Exceptions include patients with vitiligo, type I diabetes mellitus, or childhood asthma/atopy.
  • Any other severe, uncontrolled co-morbid condition that may compromise protocol compliance or interfere with the interpretation of results, including metabolic diseases, active opportunistic or advanced (severe) infections, cardiovascular disease (e.g., Class III or IV heart failure as defined by the New York Heart Association classification, second-degree or greater heart block, myocardial infarction within the past 6 months, unstable arrhythmias or unstable angina, cerebral infarction within 3 months), or pulmonary disease (interstitial lung disease, obstructive pulmonary disease, history of symptomatic bronchospasm). Also included are HIV positivity; HCV positivity; HBsAg or HBcAb positivity with detectable HBV DNA (quantitation limit: 500 IU/mL); or a known history of tuberculosis.
  • The patient has received a live vaccine within 4 weeks prior to the first dose. The patient has received hematopoietic growth factors (e.g., colony-stimulating factors, erythropoietin) within 2 weeks prior to treatment initiation. The patient has undergone major surgical procedures (excluding diagnostic surgery) within 2 weeks prior to treatment initiation.
  • The patient has a known psychiatric or substance abuse disorder that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the trial.
  • The patient is pregnant or breastfeeding, or plans to conceive or father children during the study period.
  • Any other severe, acute, or chronic medical or psychiatric condition, or laboratory abnormality that, in the investigator's judgment, may increase the risk associated with study participation or may interfere with the interpretation of study results.

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: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control Group
Standard diet，anti-PD-1 and other essential drugs
Experimental: Experimental Group
Low BCAA diet, anti-PD-1 and other essential drugs
Dietary supplement: Low Branched-Chain Amino Acid Diet
The experimental group receives a low branched-chain amino acid diet

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Systolic blood pressure
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 3 months
Systolic blood pressure
through study completion, an average of 3 months
respiratory rate
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 3 months
respiratory rate
through study completion, an average of 3 months
body temperature
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 3 months
body temperature
through study completion, an average of 3 months
heart rate
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 3 months
heart rate
through study completion, an average of 3 months
Left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD)
Time Frame: Baseline and every 8 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
LVEDD assessed by echocardiography
Baseline and every 8 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Cardiac output
Time Frame: Baseline and every 8 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Cardiac output estimated by echocardiography
Baseline and every 8 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
PR interval
Time Frame: Baseline and every 8 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
PR interval assessed by 12-lead electrocardiography
Baseline and every 8 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
QRS duration
Time Frame: Baseline and every 8 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
QRS duration assessed by 12-lead electrocardiography
Baseline and every 8 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)
Time Frame: Baseline and every 8 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
LVEF assessed by echocardiography.
Baseline and every 8 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Hemoglobin concentration
Time Frame: Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Hemoglobin concentration assessed by complete blood count
Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
White blood cell count
Time Frame: Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
White blood cell count assessed by complete blood count
Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Platelet count
Time Frame: Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Platelet count assessed by complete blood count
Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level
Time Frame: Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
ALT level measured from clinical biochemistry panel
Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level
Time Frame: Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
AST level measured from clinical biochemistry panel
Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Creatinine level
Time Frame: Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Creatinine level measured from clinical biochemistry panel
Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Blood glucose level
Time Frame: Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Blood glucose level measured from clinical biochemistry panel (fasting or as specified in protocol)
Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level
Time Frame: Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
LDH level measured from clinical biochemistry panel
Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Triiodothyronine (T3) level
Time Frame: Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
T3 level measured from blood sample.
Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level
Time Frame: Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
TSH level measured from blood sample.
Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Percentage of residual viable tumor cells in lymph nodes
Time Frame: Perioperative (after 3 months of treatment)
Proportion of viable tumor cells in lymph node tissue assessed by histopathological analysis.
Perioperative (after 3 months of treatment)
Lymph node target lesion short-axis diameter
Time Frame: Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)
Short-axis diameter of target lesions in lymph nodes, assessed by imaging (e.g., ultrasonography, CT, or MRI per schedule of assessments)
Baseline and every 3 weeks through study completion (up to 3 months)

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Xijing Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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)

July 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 18, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 7, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 14, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 7, 2026

Last Verified

October 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • XJPF-LCY-V202511

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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