Subcutaneous Injections of Autologous ASC to Heal Digital Ulcers in Patients With Scleroderma. (ADUSE)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04356755 |
Recruitment Status :
Recruiting
First Posted : April 22, 2020
Last Update Posted : March 16, 2022
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Systemic Sclerosis | Procedure: Adipose tissue harvest Drug: Autologous ASC Drug: Placebo | Phase 2 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 32 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Subcutaneous Injections of Autologous Cultured Adipose-derived Stroma/ Stem Cells to Heal Refractory Ischemic Digital Ulcers in Patients With Scleroderma |
Actual Study Start Date : | September 22, 2020 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | March 2023 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | March 2023 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: autologous cultured ASC
Subcutaneous injections of autologous cultured adipose-derived stroma/stem cells to heal refractory ischemic digital ulcers in patients with scleroderma
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Procedure: Adipose tissue harvest
An adipose tissue harvest (1) will be performed at D-14±1 for patient from arm ASC. Patients from placebo arm will have a sham adipose tissue harvest. Drug: Autologous ASC At day 0, patients will have ASC injections(3) in their ischemic DU. Patients will be followed-up for 16 weeks |
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Subcutaneous injections of placebo comparator to heal refractory ischemic digital ulcers in patients with scleroderma
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Drug: Placebo
At day 0, patients will have placebo injections(3) in their ischemic DU. Patients will be followed-up for 16 weeks |
- Proportion of refractory active ischemic digital ulcers healed (complete or partial) [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]Partial healing is defined as > 50% reduction of the DU area or > 50% re epidermisation of the DU.
- Composite endpoint combining healing (complete or partial) without recurrence and without local or general complications [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]
Partial healing is defined as > 50% reduction of the DU area or > 50% re epidermisation of the DU.
Local complications resulting from DU worsening:
- Critical ischemic crisis necessitating hospitalization,
- Gangrene, (auto) amputation,
- Failure of conservative management: Surgical and chemical sympathectomy, vascular reconstructions, or any unplanned surgery in the management of hand SSc manifestation(s),
- Use of parenteral prostanoids after treatment injection,
- Requiring class II, III or IV narcotics or increase in existing dose of > 50 % as compared to baseline,
- Initiation of systemic antibiotics for the treatment of infection attributed to digital ulceration.
General complications will be assessed by:
- Clinical examination
- Patient reported-outcomes
- Laboratory assessments
- Percentage of participants with Digital Ulcer complete healing [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]Number of complete ulcer Healing. Complete healing is defined as 100% re-epidermisation.
- Percentage of participants with Digital Ulcer partial healing [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]Number of partial ulcer Healing. Partial healing is defined as > 50% reduction of the DU area or > 50% re epidermisation of the DU.
- Percentage of participants with wound surface reduction <50% [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]the wound surface reduction is defined by analysis photography
- Percentage of participants with new Digital Ulcer [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]Number of patients who do not develop any new DU.
- Percentage of participants with Digital Ulcer complication [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]A complication is an infection, gangrene, amputation or a DU requiring IV prostanoids.
- Change from Baseline in Pain Scores [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]Evaluation of pain on a Visual Analog Scale. The visual scale measures the intensity of pain on a scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (maximum pain).
- Change from Baseline in severity of Raynaud's phenomenon [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]Change in severity of Raynaud's phenomenon on a Visual Analog Scale. The visual scale is in a form of plastic ruler and measures the severity of Raynaud's phenomenon on a scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 100 (maximum pain).
- Change from Baseline in Digital ischaemia [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]Change in digital ischaemia of the treated fingers on Digital arterial pressure.
- Change from Baseline in cutaneous ischaemia [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]Change in cutaneous ischaemia of the treated fingers on transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2).
- Change from Baseline in Digital microvascular organisation [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]Change in digital microvascular organisation of the treated fingers on nailfold capillaroscopy.
- Change from Baseline in hand functional disability [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]Evaluation of hand functional disability by the Cochin Hand Function Scale.
- Change from Baseline in quality of life in systemic sclerosis [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]Evaluation of quality of life in systemic sclerosis by scleroderma health assesment (SHAQ).
- Change from Baseline in quality of life [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]Evaluation of quality of life by the SF36.
- Change from Baseline in health status [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]Evaluation of health status by the EQ5D.
- Vascular biomarkers [ Time Frame: 16 weeks ]Endothelin-1, Endostatin, Endogline, Angiotensin I and II, Tie 1 and 2, V-EGF, sICAM-1, sVCAM, E-selectin, CXCL4 plus anti-AT1R, anti-ETAR, anti Annexin V will be measured out in blood samples by Luminex

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Male or female patient ≥18 years of age,
- Patient with systemic sclerosis according to the 2013 ACR/EULAR classification criteria9,
- SSc patient with at least one refractory active ischemic digital ulcer at "inclusion visit" (see below the eligibility conditions of a DU),
- Age > 50 years and not treated with any kind of hormone replacement therapy for at least 2 years prior to screening, with amenorrhea for at least 24 consecutive months prior to screening. An assessment of serum follicle stimulating hormone showing a level of > 40 TU/L at screening may be used to exclude childbearing potential, based on the discretion of the investigator,
- Patient must have provided written informed consent prior to enrolment,
- Patient must be able to understand their requirements of participating in the protocol,
- Patient affiliated to a social security system.
- Relative to each DU :
The DU at " inclusion visit " must show all the following characteristics:
- Located beyond the proximal interphalangeal joint, on finger surface (included periungual ulcers),
- Of ischemic origin according to the physician,
- Not over subcutaneous calcifications or bone relief,
- Active DU,
- Refractory after 10±2 weeks of standard of care according to EULAR recommendations26 (that is either still active (chronic) or new occurrence despite standard of care)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Current smoker or tobacco consumption stopped for less than 3 months prior to inclusion, - Patient participating in a clinical trial or having participated in a clinical trial within the previous 3 months,
- Patients on statins, who have received treatment for less than 3 months prior to Screening or whose treatment has not been stable during this period,
- Patients on vasodilators, such as endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs), PDE5 inhibitors (e.g. sildenafil, tadalafil), calcium channel blockers, ACE-inhibitors, nitroglycerin, alpha adrenergic blockers, or angiotensin II receptor antagonists, N-acetylcysteine, antiplatelet aggregation therapy and low molecular weight heparin who have received treatment if present for less than 3 months prior to "inclusion visit" or whose treatment has not been stable for at least 1 month prior to "inclusion visit",
- Treatment with disease modifying agents such as methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, tacrolimus, Interferons and cyclophosphamide, those drugs should be stop at least 1 month prior study entry.
- Treatment with oral corticosteroids (> 10 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent),
- Systemic antibiotics (oral and TV) to treat infected DU(s) within 4 weeks prior to "inclusion visit",
- Use of topical growth factors, hyperbaric oxygen,
- Local injection of botulinum toxin in an affected finger within 4 weeks prior to "inclusion visit",
- Surgical sympathectomy of the upper limbs or surgical wound debridement within 1 month prior to "inclusion visit",
- Liposuction technically impossible,
- Patient who underwent autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) within less than 1 year,
- Patients with an indication for intensification by autologous HSCT (according to EBMT guidelines and national RCP MATHEC),
- History of cancer in the last five years, except for successfully excised basal cell/squamous cell carcinoma, or successfully excised early melanoma of the skin. Subjects, who had successfully tumor resection or radiation or chemotherapy more than 5 years from inclusion and no recurrence, may be enrolled in the study, - Subjects who have active proliferative retinopathy,
- Positive HIV-1 or 2, HTLV-1 or 2, HBV or HCV,
- Patients with a history of stroke, myocardial infarction or severe arrhythmia in the last 6 months
- Patient who had severe cardiac failure in the last 6 months,
- Females who are pregnant or breastfeeding or plan to do so during the course of this study,
- Patient under judicial protection, - Refusal of the patient to participate in the study.
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Relative to each DU:
- Digital ulcer due to conditions other than scleroderma,
- Non ischemic digital ulcer,
- Ulcers with osteomyelitis, or clinically uncontrolled infection,
- Infected digital ulcer requiring systemic antibiotherapy,
- Digital ulcer requiring urgent surgery.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT04356755
Contact: Grégory PUGNET, MD, PHD | 05 61 77 71 26 ext +33 | pugnet.g@chu-toulouse.fr |
France | |
Grenoble Hospital | Not yet recruiting |
Grenoble, France | |
Contact: Bernard IMBERT | |
Lille Hopsital | Not yet recruiting |
Lille, France | |
Contact: Eric Hachulla | |
Marseille Hospital | Not yet recruiting |
Marseille, France | |
Contact: Brigitte Granel | |
Montpellier Hospital | Not yet recruiting |
Montpellier, France | |
Contact: Philippe GILPAIN | |
Nantes Hospital | Not yet recruiting |
Nantes, France | |
Contact: Christian AGARD | |
Poitiers Hospital | Not yet recruiting |
Poitiers, France | |
Contact: Mathieu Puyade | |
CHU de Toulouse - Hôpital PURPAN-TSA | Recruiting |
Toulouse, France, 31059 | |
Contact: Grégory PUGNET, MD, PHD 05 61 77 71 26 ext +33 pugnet.g@chu-toulouse.fr |
Principal Investigator: | Grégory PUGNET, MD, PHD |
Responsible Party: | University Hospital, Toulouse |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT04356755 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
RC31/17/0447 |
First Posted: | April 22, 2020 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | March 16, 2022 |
Last Verified: | March 2022 |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Scleroderma, Systemic Scleroderma, Diffuse Connective Tissue Diseases Skin Diseases |