Analyzing immune biomarkers in salivary gland tumors

Immune Biomarker Study for Salivary Gland Carcinoma

Observational University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Medical School · NCT06047236

This study is trying to see if analyzing the immune features of salivary gland tumors can help improve diagnosis and treatment for patients with these tumors.

Quick facts

Study typeObservational
Enrollment300 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorUniversity of Erlangen-Nürnberg Medical School Academic / other
Drugs / interventionsimmunotherapy
Locations2 sites (Erlangen, Bavaria and 1 other locations)
Trial IDNCT06047236 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This observational study focuses on analyzing the tumor metabolome, transcriptome, and proteome of salivary gland tumors, alongside assessing immune infiltration based on histological types. The study aims to compare these tumor characteristics with the immune status determined from patients' peripheral blood and saliva using advanced machine learning techniques. The goal is to create a biomarker cluster that can be utilized in clinical practice for better diagnosis and treatment of salivary gland tumors. Additionally, a subset of patients will undergo mechanistic investigations using freshly resected tumor organoids.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates include adults aged 18 and older with a primary diagnosis of salivary gland carcinoma or benign salivary gland tumors.

Not a fit: Patients with squamous cell carcinomas or those unable to provide the necessary biological samples may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could lead to improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for patients with salivary gland tumors.

How similar studies have performed: While similar studies have explored tumor biomarkers, this specific approach combining multiple omics analyses and machine learning is relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Observational group

   * Initial diagnosis of a primary salivary gland carcinoma in the head and neck region (no squamous cell carcinomas)
   * Specimen collection from the center of the tumor when the primary tumor is sufficiently large without that the pathological assessment is impaired
2. Control group 1

   * Initial diagnosis of a benign salivary gland tumor in the head and neck region
   * Specimen collection from the center of the tumor when the primary tumor is sufficiently large without that the pathological assessment is impaired
3. Control group 2

   * functional diseases of the nose or ear (patients with the indication for functional ear surgery and rhinoplasty)
   * Specimen collection with sufficiently large resectate during a functional nose surgery

for all groups:

* Willingness of patients to collect blood, saliva and stool and consent to the preservation of all samples for study purposes.
* Age ≥ 18 years
* sufficient cognitive ability of the patients to understand the purpose of the study and to understand the purpose of the study and agree to it

Exclusion Criteria:

* Distant metastasis at the time of diagnosis and simultaneous second cancers, i.e. at study inclusion
* Malignancy in the last 5 years regardless of location (except basal cell carcinoma or cis of the uterine cervix)
* Carcinomas for which specimen collection is not possible or likely without compromising the compromise the pathological evaluation
* Persistent drug or medication abuse
* Patients who are unable or unwilling to comply with protocol and to be treated
* Patients who are represented by a legal guardian
* Patients who are not suitable for participation in the study due to a language barrier

Where this trial is running

Erlangen, Bavaria and 1 other locations

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Salivary Gland TumorBenign Salivary Gland Tumor
Last reviewed 2026-06-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.