Preserving immunity in sickle cell disease patients after stem cell transplantation

Preservation and Transfer of Hepatitis B Virus Immunity After Non-Myeloablative Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Adult Sickle Cell Disease Patients (Protect Study)

Not applicable Interventional Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA) · NCT05200338

This study is testing if sickle cell disease patients can keep their immunity to hepatitis B after getting a stem cell transplant and whether receiving immune support from vaccinated donors helps.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment30 (estimated)
Ages16 Years to 60 Years
SexAll
SponsorAcademisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA) Academic / other
Drugs / interventionsalemtuzumab, cyclophosphamide, fludarabine
Locations1 site (Amsterdam)
Trial IDNCT05200338 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This study investigates whether sickle cell disease (SCD) patients who undergo non-myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with alemtuzumab and total body irradiation can maintain their immune response to hepatitis B vaccinations given before the transplant. Additionally, it explores the potential benefits of adoptive immunity transfer from vaccinated haploidentical donors. The study will evaluate the immune response of patients post-transplantation to determine if they require revaccination. The research is conducted at the Amsterdam Medical Centre.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 18 or older with a confirmed diagnosis of sickle cell disease who are scheduled for matched sibling or haploidentical donor HSCT.

Not a fit: Patients with a history of hepatitis B infection or autoimmune diseases, or those on immunosuppressive drugs, may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could eliminate the need for revaccination against hepatitis B in SCD patients after transplantation.

How similar studies have performed: While the approach of preserving immunity post-transplantation is promising, it is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested in similar studies.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Age 18 or older
* High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) confirmed diagnosis of SCD (not applicable to participating donors).
* An indication for and a planned matched sibling or haploidentical donor non-myeloablative HSCT at the Amsterdam UMC, location AMC (not applicable to patients in cohort 2 (control group) and participating donors)
* Written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of either cleared, chronic or active HBV infection (positive HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc and/or HBV DNA)
* History of auto-immune diseases and/or use of immunosuppressive drugs
* History of HIV infection
* Known hypersensitivity to yeast of any vaccine constituent
* Donor with a history of HBV infection

Where this trial is running

Amsterdam

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 Sickle Cell DiseaseAllogeneic stem cell transplantationMixed chimerismPreservation of immunityAdoptive transfer of immunityHepatitis B virus vaccination
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 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.