Micro-CART
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating molecular microbiology and infectious disease in blood cancer patients following CD19 CAR-T therapy
IRAS ID
348968
Contact name
William Hamilton
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
People with blood cancer can be vulnerable to infections because of an impaired immune response. CAR-T therapy is a breakthrough new cancer treatment, in which the patient’s immune system is modified to kill cancer cells. CAR-T patients are susceptible to serious infections in the first month after starting treatment, such as bacteria in the blood, and can remain prone to infections long-term, such as respiratory tract infections caused by viruses. Reducing the risk of CAR-T patients catching these infections and becoming unwell, and selecting the best treatments, is a key priority.
The aim of this study is to better understand the infections that adults with lymphoma get in the first 12 months following CD19 CAR-T therapy, and how this relates to their individual health, cancer treatments, risk factors, immune system, and microbiome. The microbiome refers to all the microbes (tiny bugs) - bacteria, viruses, and other bugs - that live on and inside the body.
We will recruit a group of adult patients with lymphoma undergoing CD19 CAR-T therapy from several UK centres, who will provide informed consent to participate. Participation will not change their treatment. We will collect detailed information about the patients using their electronic medical records, and collect stool samples, swabs of their nose and throat and a blood sample at three time points. We will also collect leftover samples collected as part of their routine NHS care. We will analyse the microbes in these samples using a range of techniques, focusing on antibiotic resistance and viruses such as flu and Covid-19.
The study will produce a detailed picture of the microbes that cause infections in CAR-T patients and how this changes over time. We hope this will make us better informed to prevent and treat infections in CAR-T patients, in a way that is tailored to individual patients.
REC name
London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/LO/0278
Date of REC Opinion
5 May 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion