ArticleJournal of translational medicine2026
NK cell infusion is well-tolerated and shows preliminary efficacy in patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma post-liver transplantation : a phase I trial.
Article in Journal of translational medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02399735 (Safety Study of Nature Killer Cells From Sibship to Treat the Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Liver Transplantation), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Safety Study of Nature Killer Cells From Sibship to Treat the Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Liver Transplantation
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Natural killer cell-based therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): A literature review.Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 2026Review
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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
16 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundRecurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after liver transplantation remains a formidable challenge. This Phase 1, dose-escalation trial had the primary objectives of evaluating the safety and tolerability of various natural killer (NK) cell infusion regimens in patients with recurrent HCC. As exploratory endpoints, the study also assessed preliminary antitumor activity, with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) being key measures of interest.
methodsBetween December 31, 2014, and March 29, 2017, 18 patients with recurrent HCC after liver transplantation were enrolled in this single-center, Phase I dose-exploration study. Patients were allocated to four treatment groups to receive different frequencies and doses of NK cell infusions alongside conventional treatment. Group A (n = 3) received four low-dose infusions, Group B (n = 5) received four normal-dose infusions, Group C (n = 6) received eight normal-dose infusions, and Group D (n = 4) followed an incremental dosing schedule. Treatment-related adverse events (AEs) and survival outcomes were systematically evaluated, with a maximum follow-up period of 9 years.
resultsThe most common AE was Grade 1 pyrexia, which typically resolved within a day. The median PFS across the cohort was 4.8 months, with significant differences observed among the groups (log-rank P = 0.0008). Specifically, the PFS was 1.6 months for Group A, 2.5 months for Group B, 5.5 months for Group C, and 7.5 months for Group D. The median OS was 17.7 months, with notable differences among the groups (log-rank P = 0.0403). The OS durations were 12.6 months for Group A, 16.1 months for Group B, 18.4 months for Group C, and 31.3 months for Group D.
conclusionNK cell infusions were well tolerated and associated with differences in both PFS and OS in patients with recurrent HCC after liver transplantation. Both the frequency and dosage of NK cell infusions are crucial factors influencing survival outcomes, suggesting a potential dose-frequency response relationship.These findings preliminarily underscore the potential of optimizing NK cell-based immunotherapies to enhance clinical outcomes in this challenging patient population.
trial registrationTrial registration NCT, NCT02399735, Registered 23 March 2015 - Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02399735 .
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