Intrahepatic Reinfusion of CD133+ Stem Cells in Cirrhotic Patients (Cirrhosis133)

OBJECTIVE(S): Primary:

To assess the safety of the intrahepatic reinfusion of increasing numbers of autologous highly purified CD133+ stem cells (SCs) to patients with end-stage liver disease. Safety will be evaluated as the incidence of adverse event (graded according to WHO) and clinically significant abnormal laboratory value following reinfusion of SCs.

Secondary:

To assess the feasibility of the immunomagnetic selection of autologous CD133+ cells collected with leukapheresis from the peripheral blood (PB) of patients with end-stage liver disease, previously mobilized with G-CSF. To assess the effects of the intrahepatic reinfusion of highly purified CD133+ cells on residual hepatic function of the patients.

STUDY DESIGN:

Twelve patients will be enrolled. At first, G-CSF at 7.5µg/Kg/b.i.d. will be administered subcutaneously (sc) from day 1 until the completion of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) collection. Harvest of bone marrow (BM)-derived PBSC will begin on day + 4 only if the concentration of CD133+ cells is > 8/uL and will be continued until the collection of the target cell dose: 0.5 x 106 CD133+ cells/Kg for the first 2 cohorts of patients; 1 x 106 CD133+ cells/Kg for cohort 3 and 2 x 106 CD133+ cells/Kg for cohort 4 (see below for definitions). PB mononuclear cells obtained from mobilized standard-volume leukapheresis will be incubated with Macs colloidal superparamagnetic CD133 microbeads and CliniMacs device will be used for the positive selection of CD133+ cells under good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions. Cryopreservation and storage in liquid nitrogen will be performed according to standard procedures. At least 4 weeks after SC mobilization and collection, up to 40 mL of single cell suspension of highly purified autologous CD133+ cells, obtained after rapid thawing, will be infused through the hepatic artery by transfemoral or transbrachial arteriography. Infusion time will be lower than 15ml/min to avoid thrombi formation. The entire procedure will be performed under anesthesiological control. According to modified Fibonacci's increment rule, highly purified G-CSF-mobilized CD133+ cells will be administered to patients starting from 5x104/Kg patient's body weight and increased every 3 patients. The maximum infused cell dose will be 1x106/kg. G-CSF at 5µg/Kg/day will be administered sc for 3 days after the reinfusion of SCs (day 0 to day +2).