🧬 Treatment Type

Cell Therapy Clinical Trials UK

Find actively recruiting cell therapy clinical trials in the UK. Explore CAR-T, TIL therapy, NK cell therapy, dendritic cell vaccines, and next-generation engineered cell treatments being tested across oncology, haematology, autoimmune disease, and regenerative medicine.

Free to use — Live data from ClinicalTrials.gov — Updated hourly

What Is Cell Therapy?

Cell therapy is a treatment approach that uses living cells to treat disease. These cells may be the patient's own cells, modified in the laboratory to enhance their therapeutic properties, or cells from a healthy donor. Cell therapy encompasses a broad range of approaches — from CAR-T cell therapy that engineers immune cells to hunt cancer, to stem cell transplants that rebuild the blood system, to emerging regenerative therapies that repair damaged organs. The UK is a global leader in cell therapy research, with NHS hospitals, university labs, and specialist manufacturing centres collaborating on hundreds of active clinical trials.

Types of Cell Therapy in Clinical Trials

CAR-T Cell Therapy

The most established engineered cell therapy. T-cells are collected from the patient, genetically modified with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that targets a specific cancer marker, expanded, and infused back. Approved for several blood cancers; trials are expanding into solid tumours and autoimmune conditions like lupus.

Tumour-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL)

Immune cells are extracted directly from a patient's tumour, expanded to large numbers in the lab, and reinfused after lymphodepleting chemotherapy. TIL therapy has shown remarkable results in melanoma and is being tested in cervical, head and neck, and lung cancers.

NK Cell Therapy

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells that can destroy cancer cells without prior sensitisation. Trials explore allogeneic NK cell products (from cord blood or donor blood), CAR-NK cells, and NK cell engagers. Potentially safer than CAR-T with lower risk of cytokine release syndrome.

Dendritic Cell Vaccines

Dendritic cells are antigen-presenting cells that train the immune system. In trials, they are loaded with tumour antigens and reinfused as cancer vaccines. Studied in glioblastoma, prostate cancer, melanoma, and renal cell carcinoma. Some approaches use mRNA to programme dendritic cells in the body.

Stem Cell Transplant

Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (autologous and allogeneic) replaces the blood-forming system. Standard of care for many blood cancers and entering trials for autoimmune reset (MS, lupus, Crohn's). Cord blood stem cells are expanding donor options.

Next-Generation Engineered Cells

Emerging approaches include TCR-engineered T-cells (targeting intracellular antigens via MHC), macrophage therapy (engulfing solid tumours), gamma-delta T-cells (bridging innate and adaptive immunity), and universal 'off-the-shelf' allogeneic products using gene editing (CRISPR/Cas9) to prevent rejection.

Conditions Using Cell Therapy in Trials

Cell therapy is investigated in trials across many disease areas. Select a condition to explore relevant trials:

🩸 Leukaemia 🔴 Lymphoma ⚫ Melanoma 🫁 NSCLC 🧠 Multiple Sclerosis 🐺 Lupus (SLE) 🩸 Sickle Cell Disease 🩸 Haemophilia 🧠 Glioblastoma 🫁 Cystic Fibrosis 💉 Type 1 Diabetes 🫀 Crohn's Disease

FAQs About Cell Therapy Trials

What is cell therapy and how does it differ from other treatments?
Cell therapy involves transplanting or engineering living cells to treat disease. Unlike drugs (which are chemical molecules), cell therapy uses actual human or animal cells — either the patient's own (autologous) or from a donor (allogeneic). These cells may be genetically modified (like CAR-T cells), expanded in the lab (like TIL therapy), or used to replace damaged tissue (like stem cell transplants).
What conditions can cell therapy treat in clinical trials?
Cell therapy is studied in clinical trials for blood cancers (leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma), solid tumours (melanoma, lung cancer, breast cancer), autoimmune diseases (lupus, multiple sclerosis), genetic disorders (sickle cell disease, beta-thalassaemia), and regenerative medicine (heart failure, spinal cord injury, Type 1 diabetes). The scope is rapidly expanding.
What is the difference between autologous and allogeneic cell therapy?
Autologous cell therapy uses the patient's own cells, which are collected, modified or expanded in the lab, and returned. This avoids immune rejection but takes time (weeks). Allogeneic cell therapy uses cells from a healthy donor, enabling 'off-the-shelf' products that can be available immediately. Trials are exploring both approaches, with allogeneic therapies aiming to solve the scalability challenge.
Are cell therapy trials only available at major hospitals?
Currently, most cell therapy trials — especially CAR-T and TIL therapy — are conducted at specialist cancer centres with cell manufacturing facilities (GMP labs). In the UK, this includes major NHS trusts in London, Manchester, Birmingham, and other cities. However, the field is expanding, and some simpler cell therapy approaches are becoming available at more sites.

Related Treatment Types

🧬 CAR-T Cell Therapy

Specialised cell therapy using chimeric antigen receptor T-cells for blood cancers

🔬 Gene Therapy

Treatments that alter genetic material within cells to treat disease at the DNA level

🛡️ Immunotherapy

Broader immune-modulating treatments including cell-based approaches

🩸 Stem Cell Transplant

Replacing damaged bone marrow with healthy stem cells

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