Role of Gut Microbiome and Fecal Transplant on Medication-Induced GI Complications in Patients With Cancer
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03819296 |
Recruitment Status :
Recruiting
First Posted : January 28, 2019
Last Update Posted : September 25, 2023
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Clinical Stage 0 Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Clinical Stage I Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Clinical Stage IA Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Clinical Stage IB Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Clinical Stage II Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Clinical Stage IIA Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Clinical Stage IIB Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Clinical Stage IIC Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Clinical Stage III Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Clinical Stage IV Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Colitis Lung Non-Small Cell Carcinoma Malignant Genitourinary System Neoplasm Malignant Solid Neoplasm Pathologic Stage 0 Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Pathologic Stage I Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Pathologic Stage IA Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Pathologic Stage IB Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Pathologic Stage II Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Pathologic Stage IIA Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Pathologic Stage IIB Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Pathologic Stage IIC Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Pathologic Stage III Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Pathologic Stage IIIA Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Pathologic Stage IIIB Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Pathologic Stage IIIC Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Pathologic Stage IIID Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Pathologic Stage IV Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8 Stage 0 Lung Cancer AJCC v8 Stage I Lung Cancer AJCC v8 Stage IA1 Lung Cancer AJCC v8 Stage IA2 Lung Cancer AJCC v8 Stage IA3 Lung Cancer AJCC v8 Stage IB Lung Cancer AJCC v8 Stage II Lung Cancer AJCC v8 Stage IIA Lung Cancer AJCC v8 Stage IIB Lung Cancer AJCC v8 Stage III Lung Cancer AJCC v8 Stage IIIA Lung Cancer AJCC v8 Stage IIIB Lung Cancer AJCC v8 Stage IIIC Lung Cancer AJCC v8 Stage IV Lung Cancer AJCC v8 Stage IVA Lung Cancer AJCC v8 Stage IVB Lung Cancer AJCC v8 | Other: Best Practice Other: Biospecimen Collection Procedure: Endoscopic Procedure Procedure: Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Biological: Infliximab Other: Laboratory Biomarker Analysis Drug: Prednisone Biological: Vedolizumab | Phase 1 Phase 2 |

Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 800 participants |
Allocation: | N/A |
Intervention Model: | Single Group Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Role of Microbiome in the Realm of Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitor Induced GI Complications In Cancer Population |
Actual Study Start Date : | February 21, 2021 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | October 31, 2025 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | October 31, 2025 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Experimental: Supportive Care (standard of care, sample collection, FMT)
PROJECT 1: Patients receive standard of care and undergo collection of stool and blood samples. PROJECT 2: Patients receive prednisone, infliximab, or vedolizumab per standard of care and undergo standard of care endoscopy 2 months after treatment. Patients also undergo collection of stool, blood, and tissue samples. PROJECT 3: Patients undergo FMT. |
Other: Best Practice
Receive standard of care
Other Names:
Other: Biospecimen Collection Undergo collection of stool, blood, and tissue samples Procedure: Endoscopic Procedure Undergo endoscopy
Other Names:
Procedure: Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Undergo FMT
Other Names:
Biological: Infliximab Given intravenously (IV)
Other Names:
Other: Laboratory Biomarker Analysis Ancillary studies Drug: Prednisone Given orally
Other Names:
Biological: Vedolizumab Given IV
Other Names:
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- Difference in stool microbiome pattern [ Time Frame: Up to 1 year ]The primary endpoint is alpha diversity of bacteria species (measured using inverse Simpson index). It is a measure of diversity which takes into account the number of species present, as well as the relative abundance of each species. As species richness and evenness increase, so diversity increases.
- Incidence of adverse events (AE) of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) (Project 3) [ Time Frame: Up to 1 year ]Adverse events will be recorded by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5 as well as FMT-specific events. All events will be recorded with grade and attribution to FMT. Adverse events that are related to fecal microbiota transplantation will be summarized using frequency and percentage by AE grade, type and attributions.
- Immune profile factors associated with onset of ICPI-related colitis in blood and colon tissue [ Time Frame: Up to 1 year ]Immunohistochemistry study for inflammatory markers will be performed on colon biopsies to measure the change in pattern after treatment. Blood and stool samples will be compared before and after immunosuppressive treatment longitudinally and also horizontally between quick response patients and slow/refractory patient.
- Genetic factors associated with onset of ICPI-related colitis in blood and colon tissue [ Time Frame: Up to 1 year ]Genomic bacterial DNA will be extracted from fecal samples, with the addition of a bead-beating lysis step. Genomic 16S ribosomal-RNA V4 variable region will be amplified and sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform to obtain the microbiome structure and composition.
- Endoscopic and histologic features of ICPI-related colitis before and after medical treatment [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 1 year ]
We will assess the resolution of the following endoscopic presentations of ICPI-related colitis including large, deep ulcerations, erosions, diffuse or patchy erythema, inflammatory exudate, loss of vascular pattern, aphthae, and edema after medical treatment.
We will assess the resolution of the following histological features of acute colitis and lymphocytic colitis including neutrophilic infiltration, cryptitis, crypt abscess, eosinophilia, intraepithelial apoptosis, and increased intraepithelial lymphocytic infiltration after medical treatment.
- Changes of ICPI-related symptoms [ Time Frame: Up to 1 year ]We will use MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI)-Colitis module to capture ICPI-related symptoms, which include 22 physical, psychological, and cognitive symptoms and colitis related symptoms. The ratings are on 0-10 numeric scales, ranging from "not present" to "as bad as you can imagine.
- Changes of quality of life (QoL) [ Time Frame: Up to 1 year ]MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI)-Colitis module includes 6 symptom interference items which could capture the impact of therapy on patient's physical and affective functioning. The ratings are on 0-10 numeric scales, ranging from "did not interfere " to "interfered completely ".
- Cytokine features that are associated with good response to FMT [ Time Frame: Up to 1 year ]We will compare the levels of many cytokines/chemokines by Luminex assays including IL-6, IL-17A, TNF-α, etc. between patients with good response and poor response to FMT.
- Genetic factors associated with onset of ICPI-related colitis in blood and colon tissue [ Time Frame: Up to 1 year ]Genomic bacterial DNA will be extracted from fecal samples, with the addition of a bead-beating lysis step. Genomic 16S ribosomal-RNA V4 variable region will be amplified and sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform to obtain the microbiome structure and composition. We will evaluate these factors between patients with good response and poor response to FMT.
- Changes of endoscopic and histologic features of ICPI-related colitis before and after fecal microbiota transplantation [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 1 year ]
We will assess the resolution of the following endoscopic presentations of ICPI-related colitis including large, deep ulcerations, erosions, diffuse or patchy erythema, inflammatory exudate, loss of vascular pattern, aphthae, and edema after FMT.
We will assess the resolution of the following histological features of acute colitis and lymphocytic colitis including neutrophilic infiltration, cryptitis, crypt abscess, eosinophilia, intraepithelial apoptosis, and increased intraepithelial lymphocytic infiltration after FMT.

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosis of any stage melanoma, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer or genitourinary (GU) malignancies (Project 1).
- Diagnosis of any cancer type (Projects 2 and 3)
- Treatment with any ICPI agent
- Ability to understand and willingness to sign an informed consent form and rate surveys
- Life expectancy > 4 months (Project 3)
- ICPI-related diarrhea and/or colitis of any grade with or without concurrent non- GI toxicity as the toxicity group (project 1)
- Patients with no organ toxicity as the control group (project 1)
- ICPI-related colitis and/or diarrhea of grade ≥ 2 as GI toxicity (initial episode or recurrence) receiving standard treatment of immunosuppressive agents (steroid, infliximab, vedolizumab, or ustekinumab) any time during the colitis disease course until sustained resolution of GI toxicity, or one- year time point after enrollment (Project 2)
- ICPI-related colitis and/or diarrhea of grade ≥ 2 as GI toxicity without involvement of non- GI toxicity within 45 days prior to FMT (Project 3)
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ICPI-related colitis and/or diarrhea of grade ≥ 2 within 45 days prior to FMT with ANY of the following characteristics (project 3):
(i) refractory to treatment of steroid and two doses of non-steroidal immunosuppressants e.g. infliximab, vedolizumab or ustekinumab,
(ii) contraindication for immunosuppressive treatment,
(iii) recurrence after successful initial treatment,
(iv) recurrent symptoms once steroid is tapered down/off or diarrhea/colitis symptoms are steroid dependent, or
(v) patients with a history of refractory ICPI-related colitis and/or diarrhea to medical treatment, even if they have improved symptoms from supportive care within 45 days prior to FMT
- No concern for active concomitant GI infection for the ICPI diarrhea/colitis work up at the time of protocol therapy initiation as confirmed by stool tests or as per the treating physician based on clinical presentation (project 3)
- Patient who has been cleared for enrollment by Infectious Diseases consultant or treating physician if positive infection workup or screening tests (e.g. lifelong positive T-spot due to BCG inoculation, chronic colonization) prior to initiation of diarrhea/colitis treatment (project 3)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Age younger than 18 years
- History of inflammatory bowel disease, and/or radiation enteritis or colitis with active disease status at the time of study treatment initiation
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women
- Women of child-bearing potential who have positive urine or serum pregnancy test or refuse to do pregnancy test unless last menstrual cycle was > 1 year prior to consent and/ or clear documentation states that patient is peri- or post-menopausal or there was recent supporting objective evidence of 'no pregnancy' status (e.g. blood or imaging) within 30 days prior to date of study treatment
- Patients who develop concurrent non- GI toxicity at the time of FMT treatment (project 3)
- Patients with active bacterial or fungal infection (Project 3)
- Donors at risk for monkeypox infection and/ or exposure as determined by a questionnaire (Project 3)
Withdrawal Criteria
- Patients may withdraw from the trial at any time
- Patients who develop GI perforation or toxic colitis that require surgery from ICPI colitis
- In project 3, if the first 30% of cases fail the fecal transplant treatment, then project 3 will be terminated

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT03819296
Contact: Krishna Rajalu, MD | 713-563-6086 | kvaratharajalu@mdanderson.org |
United States, Texas | |
M D Anderson Cancer Center | Recruiting |
Houston, Texas, United States, 77030 | |
Contact: Yinghong Wang 713-563-4382 ywang59@mdanderson.org | |
Principal Investigator: Yinghong Wang |
Principal Investigator: | Yinghong Wang | M.D. Anderson Cancer Center |
Responsible Party: | M.D. Anderson Cancer Center |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT03819296 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
2018-0383 NCI-2018-03437 ( Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program) ) 2018-0383 ( Other Identifier: M D Anderson Cancer Center ) |
First Posted: | January 28, 2019 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | September 25, 2023 |
Last Verified: | September 2023 |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | Yes |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Lung Neoplasms Neoplasms Melanoma Skin Neoplasms Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung Respiratory Tract Neoplasms Thoracic Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Lung Diseases Respiratory Tract Diseases Neuroendocrine Tumors Neuroectodermal Tumors Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal Neoplasms by Histologic Type Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue |
Nevi and Melanomas Skin Diseases Carcinoma, Bronchogenic Bronchial Neoplasms Prednisone Infliximab Cortisone Vedolizumab Immunoglobulins Immunoglobulin G Anti-Inflammatory Agents Glucocorticoids Hormones Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists Physiological Effects of Drugs |