Healthy Clinical Trials in Los Angeles, CA

The rationale for this study is to observe the effect of a consumer-grade commercially available product called Mimio Biomimetic Cell Care on metabolic health in overweight individuals. Additionally, the study aims to observe the effects of the study product on hunger and satiety, as well as effects on cognitive function, sleep, stress, pain, mood, gastrointestinal symptoms and metabolic and inflammatory blood markers via activities that can successfully and effectively be completed in a home setting. Because this product is currently available in the OTC market across the United States, a consumer-driven, decentralized observational clinical research study is well-suited for examining the effects of this study product in this population. The study will examine outcomes in a broad age range of adults who have chosen to try this product. The study will incorporate participant reported outcome questionnaires and surveys, blood sample collection for NMR lipoprofile, oxidized LDL, hsCRP, HbA1c, Insulin and plasma glucose and a saliva sample collection for biological age test. There is no "doctor-patient" relationship as part of this research since the participant as a consumer is making the informed choice to take the product and take part in the observational process with self-reported measures, saliva sample collection and blood sample collection at their local laboratory. Findings from this study will contribute knowledge toward the design of future studies and important knowledge on metabolic health. Read Less

This study is researching an experimental drug called ALN-PNP (called "study drug"). This is a first in human study. The study drug is not approved by any public health agency such as the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for any kind of treatment. Part A is focused on healthy participants. Part B of the study is focused on participants who are known to have NAFLD and a specific variant of the PNPLA3 gene. The aim of the study is to see how safe, tolerable and effective the study drug is. Part A is looking at several other research questions, including: * What side effects may happen from taking the study drug * How much study drug is in the blood at different times * Whether the body makes antibodies against the study drug (which could make the study drug less effective or could lead to side effects) * Explore impact of Japanese ethnicity on safety and PK (pharmacokinetics, or study of what the body does to the drug) of single doses of ALN-PNP over time Part B is looking at several other research questions, including: * What side effects may happen from taking the study drug * How the study drug works to change liver fat content in NAFLD * How much study drug and study drug metabolites (byproduct of the body breaking down the study drug) are in your blood at different times * Whether the body makes antibodies against the study drug (which could make the drug less effective or could lead to side effects) * Better understanding of the study drug and NAFLD Read Less

This research trial collects and stores blood, tissue, and bone marrow specimens from patients with cancer or blood disorders, and healthy volunteers to study the immune system in a variety of different types of experiments, as well as associated clinical data as appropriate, focused on understanding mechanisms of immunotherapy. Read Less

This study is being conducted to investigate risk factors for disability progression in Multiple Sclerosis and related disorders (MSRD). The primary goal is to assess whether combining information from visual assessment, blood markers, as well as historical and ongoing longitudinal MRIs of the brain, orbit (the part of the skull where eyes are located), and/or spinal cord can predict changes in quantitative disability measures related to MSRD and neurological disease. Read Less

All participants will undergo baseline biopsies of subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue for cellular/molecular profiling via snRNA-seq and metabolic/physiological assessments (insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, and β-cell function). Older obese participants will be randomized into three arms: lifestyle intervention (n=24), senolytics (n=24), or placebo (n=24). Read Less

The purpose of this research is to understand how to apply cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) to women with small artery heart disease by looking at the CMRs of women without heart disease. The investigators will study 40 women with no heart disease to learn more about the usefulness of CMR. Women suffer more than men from this disorder of the small vessels compared to the large vessels. This results in delays in diagnosis, missed opportunities for treatment, and likely contributes to the increased death rate from heart disease in women compared to men. Current testing for small vessel disease is invasive and not performed routinely and women are often not initiated on appropriate lifesaving treatment. New imaging and noninvasive technology exists that may improve this situation. Imaging techniques such as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) can now show the inner layers of the heart where the small vessel abnormality and myocardial ischemia exist. These techniques, while promising, have not been tested to determine if they can be used to diagnose and treat the small vessel coronary heart disease condition. They also have not been studied extensively in women without heart disease. Gadolinium, the contrast agent that will be given Intravenously to all study participants during the cardiac MRI procedure, is contraindicated to patients with renal impairment. Even though it will only be given once to each of our patients, the investigators still wanted to establish the fact that these study participants have "normal" or good renal functioning by doing BUN and Creatinine blood tests prior to the administration of this contrast agent to their system. By adding these lab tests, the investigators will be more cautious to the well-being and safety of the study participants. The investigators will be recruiting women aged 35-65 years with no known heart disease or heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Participants will discuss the cardiac magnetic resonance procedure with a research doctor and if they agree, will fill out questionnaires related to their health, have blood draw and then undergo the CMR procedure. This can be completed in 1 or 2 visits. No follow up is needed. Read Less

The purpose of this research is to determine the effects of low-load blood flow restriction (BFR) training compared to conventional strengthening using dynamic force plate and isometric force frame analyses in healthy subjects. Read Less