Intra-arterial (IA) therapy is generally used to treat HCC tumors that are too extensive
to excise or treat with potentially curative local therapy. IA therapy takes advantage of
the fact that the blood supply of HCC comes predominantly from the hepatic artery
compared with the surrounding normal liver which is predominantly supplied by portal
venous blood. The intent is to deprive the HCC of its blood supply, leading to the death
of the tumor. Traditionally, various methods have been used to block the HCC blood
supply, but improvements are needed. This study will investigate a new agent designed in
the laboratory to block only tumor blood vessels, not blood vessels in the normal liver.
Additional locations may be listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for NCT04601428.
See trial information on ClinicalTrials.gov for a list of participating sites.
Genetic testing was done to identify differences between HCC tumors and normal liver, and
a protein, PLVAP, was shown to be present on the blood vessels of HCC but not on the
blood vessels of normal liver. An antibody, CSR02, was made that recognizes PLVAP and
then the Fab portion of that antibody was combined with tissue factor, a normal human
protein that initiates the clotting cascade. The result is a manufactured (recombinant)
protein called CSR02-Fab-TF. Preclinical studies in a mouse model showed that infusion of
an equivalent mouse protein resulted in the necrosis (death) of a transplanted human HCC.
The current study is designed first, to identify a safe and optimal dose of CSR02-Fab-TF
in patients , and then second, to determine the response rate of HCC tumors to the IA
administration of CSR02-Fab-TF.
Lead OrganizationKoo Foundation Sun Yat-Sen Cancer Center