Maryland Paid Clinical Trials

Background: - Best Vitelliform Dystrophy (Best disease), Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration (L-ORD), and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) all affect the retina, the light sensing area at the back of the eye. Doctors cannot safely obtain retinal cells to study these diseases. However, cells collected from hair follicles, skin, and blood can be used for research. Researchers want to collect cells from people with Best disease, L-ORD, and AMD, and compare their cells with those of healthy volunteers. Objectives: - To collect hair, skin, and blood samples to study three eye diseases that affect the retina: Best disease, L-ORD, and AMD. Eligibility: * Individuals affected with ocular condition is one year of age or older. * Individuals affected with Best disease, L-ORD, or AMD is 18 years of age or older. * Unaffected individuals are seven years of age or older. Design: * The study requires one visit to the National Eye Institute. * Participants will be screened with a medical and eye disease history. They will also have an eye exam. * Participants will provide a hair sample, a blood sample, and a skin biopsy. The hair will be collected from the back of the head, and the skin will be collected from the inside of the upper arm. Read Less

Background: - Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a group of bone and joint disorders that may cause back and joint pain and stiffness. In some cases, SpA can lead to abnormal bone growth affecting the joints and spine. Some patients have SpA without ever developing these growths, while others develop them after only a few years. Researchers are interested in studying people with SpA and their relatives to determine which people are more likely to develop more severe conditions. Objectives: - To identify symptoms and medical tests that can help determine whether a person with SpA is at risk for developing more severe forms of the disease. Eligibility: * Individuals of any age who have been diagnosed with SpA. * Healthy volunteer relatives (at least 6 years of age) of the individuals with SpA. Design: * Participants will be screened with medical records and family medical histories, and will be invited to the clinical center for the study. * Participants with SpA will have a physical exam and medical history, including a study of joint movement, blood and urine tests, and questionnaires about pain and quality of life. * Participants with SpA will have imaging studies, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Other samples such as skin tissue and bone marrow may also be collected for study. * Healthy volunteers will provide a blood sample and cheek cell samples. * No treatment will be provided, although treatment options will be discussed. Read Less

Background: - KSHV inflammatory cytokine syndrome (KICS) is a newly recognized disease caused by Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). This virus can cause cancer. People with KICS can have severe symptoms. They include fever, weight loss, and fluid in the legs or abdomen. People with KICS may also be at risk of getting other cancers associated with KSHV. These cancers include Kaposi sarcoma and lymphoma. Because KICS is a newly identified disease, more information is needed on how the disease works and what can be done to treat it. Objectives: - To collect genetic and medical information from people with KSHV inflammatory cytokine syndrome. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age who have Kaposi sarcoma herpes virus and symptoms that resemble those caused by KICS. Design: * Participants will have regular study visits. The schedule will be determined by the study researchers. * Participants will provide a complete medical history and have a full physical exam. Blood and urine samples will be collected as well. * People with KICS that requires treatment may get new experimental treatments. These treatments may include antiviral drugs and chemotherapy drugs, depending on the nature of the disease. * Participants will have imaging studies, such as chest x-rays and computed tomography scans, to study the tumors. * Bone marrow and lymph node biopsies may be done to collect tissue samples for study. * Participants who have Kaposi sarcoma will have photographs taken of their lesions. Read Less

Background: * The Laboratory of Infectious Diseases (LID) Clinical Studies Unit (CSU) enrolls healthy volunteers into clinical studies to study infectious diseases. * Viruses can be highly infectious and contagious. They cause considerable illness in the United States each year and a good example of this is influenza (the flu). The LID CSU performs clinical studies to learn about these viral infections and assist in the development of vaccines and treatments for the infections. These clinical studies include influenza "challenge studies" as well as natural history studies and phase I trials involving vaccines for viruses carried by mosquitos such as Zika or Dengue virus. * In influenza challenge studies studies, doctors expose a person to a flu virus. Then they study the flu through the body's natural healing process. This information will help to find better ways to prevent the flu and may also improve treatments for the flu. * Natural history studies and phase I trials of new vaccines are performed so the researchers can learn how some viral infections occur and if new vaccines are safe and potentially effective in preventing the infections. In some of these studies, participants experience insect bites with special clean (non-infected) insects (such as mosquitos) to better understand the role of insects in these infections. Objectives: - To screen healthy volunteers for future CSU studies. Eligibility: - Healthy people between the ages of 18 and 65 Design: * The 3- to 5-hour screening exam includes the following: * Medical history and physical exam * Standard blood tests including pregnancy, Hepatitis B and C, and HIV tests * Standard urine drug testing * Electrocardiogram (ECG) to test heart rhythm and function * Chest x-ray * Eligible volunteers are enrolled in the study for up to 1 year, until they take part in a CSU study or are found to be ineligible to participate. * Volunteers may withdraw from the study pool at any time. Read Less

Background: - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies provide important information on the structure and function of various body systems, including the brain, muscles, joints, heart, and blood vessels. Scientific applications of MRI scans often use techniques that need to be modified or refined before they are used in clinical studies. To develop and modify these techniques for the new Philips 3T Achieva whole-body MRI scanner, researchers are interested in conducting trial MRI scans on healthy individuals and individuals with conditions that require imaging studies. Objectives: - To conduct preliminary trials of the 3T MRI facility to develop and refine MRI scanning procedures. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age who are able to have magnetic resonance imaging. Design: * Participants will be screened with a full medical history and physical examination, as well as blood and urine tests. * Participants will have an MRI scan using the 3T scanner. Some scans may require the use of a contrast agent or radiotracer, which is a small amount of radioactive substance that will be injected before the start of the scan. Some participants may be asked to perform tasks of thinking and movement while in the scanner, in order to test the procedures required for a functional MRI scan. * No treatment will be provided as part of this protocol. Read Less

This is a Phase I/II non-randomized clinical trial of ex vivo hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene transfer treatment for X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (XSCID, also known as SCID-X1) using a self-inactivating lentiviral vector incorporating additional features to improve safety and performance. The study will treat 35 patients with XSCID who are between 2 and 50 years of age and who have clinically significant impairment of immunity. Patients will receive a total busulfan dose of approximately 6 mg/kg/body weight (target busulfan Area Under Curve is 4500 min\*micromol/L/day) delivered as 3mg/kg body weight on day 1 and dose adjusted on day 2 (if busulfan AUC result is available) to achieve the target dose, to condition their bone marrow, and this will be followed by a single infusion of autologous transduced CD34+HSC. Patients will then be followed to evaluate engraftment, expansion, and function of gene corrected lymphocytes that arise from the transplant; to evaluate improvement in laboratory measures of immune function; to evaluate any clinical benefit that accrues from the treatment; and to evaluate the safety of this treatment. The primary endpoint of the study with respect to these outcomes will be at 2 years, though data relevant to these measures will be collected at intervals throughout the study and during the longer follow-up period of at least 15 years recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Guidance "Long Term Follow-Up After Administration of Human Gene Therapy Products" https://www.fda.gov/media/113768/download for patients participating in gene transfer clinical trials. XSCID results from defects in the IL2RGgene encoding the common gamma chain (yc) shared by receptors for Interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-15 and IL-21. At birth XSCID patients generally lack or have a severe deficiency of T-lymphocytes and NK cells, while their B- lymphocytes are normal in number but are severely deficient in function, failing to make essential antibodies. The severe deficiency form of XSCID is fatal in infancy without intervention to restore some level of immune function. The best current therapy is a T-lymphocyte-depleted bone marrow transplant from an HLA tissue typing matched sibling, and with this type of donor it is not required to administer chemotherapy or radiation conditioning of the patient's marrow to achieve excellent engraftment and immune correction of an XSCID patient. However, the great majority of patients with XSCID lack a matched sibling donor, and in these patients the standard of care is to perform a transplant of T- lymphocyte depleted bone marrow from a parent. This type of transplant is called haploidentical because in general a parent will be only half- matched by HLA tissue typing to the affected child. Whether or not any conditioning is used, haploidentical transplant for XSCID has a significantly poorer prognosis than a matched sibling donor transplant. Following haploidentical transplant, XSCID patients are observed to achieve a wide range of partial immune reconstitution and that reconstitution can wane over time in some patients. That subset of XSCID patients who either fail to engraft, fail to achieve adequate immune reconstitution, or lose immune function over time suffer from recurrent viral, bacterial and fungal infections, problems with allo- or autoimmunity, impaired pulmonary function and/or significant growth failure. We propose to offer gene transfer treatment to XSCID patients\^3 \>= 2 years of age who have clinically significant defects of immunity despite prior haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplant, and who lack an HLA-matched sibling donor. Our current gene transfer treatment protocol can be regarded as a salvage/rescue protocol. Prior successful retroviral gene transfer treatment instead of bone marrow transplant (BMT) in Paris and London for 20 infants with XSCID has provided proof of principle for efficacy. However, a major safety concern is the occurrence of 5 cases of leukemia at 3-5 years after treatment triggered in part by vector insertional mutagenesis activation of LMO2 and other DNA regulatory genes by the strong enhancer present in the long-terminal repeat (LTR) of the Moloney Leukemia Virus (MLV)- based vector. Furthermore, previous studies of gene transfer treatment of older XSCID patients with MLV- based vectors demonstrated the additional problem of failure of adequate expansion of gene corrected T- lymphocytes to the very high levels seen in infants. To reduce or eliminate this leukemia risk, and possibly enhance performance sufficiently to achieve benefit in older XSCID patients, we have generated a lentivector with improved safety and performance features. We have generated a self-inactivating (SIN) lentiviral vector that is devoid of all viral transcription elements; that contains a short form of the human elongation factor 1a (EF1a) internal promoter to expres...... Read Less

Background: Chordoma is a rare, slow growing, often fatal bone cancer derived from remnants of the embryonic notochord. It occurs mostly in the axial skeleton (skull base, vertebrae, sacrum and coccyx), is more frequent in males than females, and has a median age at diagnosis of 58.5 years, with a wide age range. This typically sporadic tumor is often advanced at presentation, and mortality is high due to local recurrence or distant metastases. The usual treatment is surgery, followed by adjuvant radiation therapy. Chemotherapy has not had a significant treatment role. Reports of a small number of families worldwide with two or more relatives with chordoma support a role for susceptibility genes in chordoma etiology. Recently we determined that duplications of the T gene co-segregated with disease in four multiplex chordoma families. The T gene encodes brachyury, a tissue-specific transcription factor that is expressed in notochord cells and is essential for formation and maintenance of the notochord. Some of the other chordoma families that we studied did not have T-gene duplications; the aggregation of chordomas in these families may result from changes in other susceptibility genes or other types of mutations targeting the T gene. We are continuing gene identification studies of multiplex chordoma families at the NIH Clinical Center under protocol 78-C-0039. We also want to determine whether alterations in any identified chordoma susceptibility genes are associated with sporadic chordoma in the general population. Objectives: The major goal of this protocol is to identify sporadic chordoma patients willing to provide germline and tumor DNA for studies to determine the frequency of alterations in chordoma susceptibility genes. Our previous protocols with SEER and Massachusetts General Hospital to identify chordoma patients were limited to residents of specific geographic regions in the U.S. (2 states and 2 metropolitan areas) or to patients with pediatric skull base tumors. This protocol will enroll patients who more broadly represent the age, site and gender distributions of sporadic chordoma in the general U.S. population. Eligibility: Eligible patients are males and females in the U.S. with chordoma diagnosed at any age and at any primary site. Because we want to obtain saliva from all participants, eligibility is limited to patients who will be greater than or equal to age 6 years at the time of enrollment. Design: The study description and contacting information including an e-mail link to the study contact person will be posted on web sites of two chordoma support groups. We will mail study information to be given to patients to colleagues at major medical centers that treat chordoma. The components of the study will be carried out in subjects' homes using materials mailed to them. Up to 100 participants will: 1) complete a self-administered Personal and Family Medical History Questionnaire, 2) collect saliva using a saliva collection kit, and 3) provide permission to obtain medical/pathology records, and paraffin blocks or slides on each primary chordoma. Parents will serve as proxies for minor children. We will recontact patients who report chordoma in at least one blood relative. If we confirm the relative's chordoma diagnosis, we will invite the study subject and selected family members to participate in clinical and gene mapping studies under protocol 78-C-0039. We may also recontact study participants to tell them about any new studies on chordoma etiology. They can decide at that time whether they want to participate in them. Read Less

Background: -DOCK8 deficiency is a genetic disorder that affects the immune system and can lead to severe recurrent infections and possible death from infections or certain types of cancers, including blood cancers. A stem cell transplant is a life-saving treatment for this condition. In this study we are evaluating the efficacy and safety of transplant from different donor sources for DOCK8 deficiency. The donors that we are using are matched siblings, matched unrelated donors, and half-matched donors, so called haploidentical related donors, such as mothers or fathers or half-matched siblings. Objectives: -To determine whether transplant of bone marrow cells from different types of donors corrects DOCK8 deficiency. Eligibility: * Donors: Healthy individuals between 2 and 60 years of age who are matched with a recipient. * Recipient: Individuals between 4 and 35 years of age who have confirmed DOCK8 deficiency, have suffered at least one life-threatening infections, or have had certain viral related cancers of cancer and have a stem cell donor. Design: * All participants will be screened with bloodwork, a physical examination and medical history. * DONORS: --Donors who have donate bone marrow cells or blood stem cells will have a sample of blood/bone marrow stored to be compared with the recipients sample after transplant. * RECIPIENTS: * Recipients receiving 10/10 matched related or unrelated donors will receive 4 days of chemotherapy with busulfan and fludarabine to suppress their immune system and prepare them for the transplant. Donors receiving 9/10 matched related or unrelated donors as well as haploidentical related donors will receive 5 days chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, fludarabine, and busulfan. They will also receive one dose of radiation to suppress their immune system and prepare them for the transplant. * After the initial chemotherapy and radiation (if indicated), recipients will receive the donated stem cells as a single infusion. * After the stem cell transplant, recipients will receive two days of a chemotherapy called cyclophosphamide on day's + 3 and + 4 followed by two drugs tacrolimus and mycophenolate to prevent graft versus host disease where the donor cells attack the patient's body. All patients will remain in the hospital for at least approximately 1 month, and will be followed with regular visits for up to 3 years with periodic visits thereafter to evaluate the success of the transplant and any side effects. Read Less

Background: - Researchers are interested in studying individuals who have known or suspected metabolic, inflammatory or genetic diseases that may put them at a high risk for heart diseases or diseases of their blood vessels. Depending on the condition being studied, both affected and nonaffected individuals may be asked to provide blood and other samples and may undergo tests to evaluate the heart, blood vessels and lung function. The testing is tailored to the individual and/or condition being studied. Nonaffected individuals may include relatives of affected individuals and healthy nonrelated volunteers. Objectives: - To study individuals who have or are at risk for cardiovascular diseases, and in some cases their unaffected relatives and healthy volunteers. Eligibility: - Individuals between 1 and 100 years of age. Participants may be healthy volunteers, individuals with cardiovascular diseases, or unaffected relatives of individuals with cardiovascular diseases. Design: * Participants will have some or all of the following tests, as directed by the study researchers: * Photography of the face and full body * Body measurements * Radiography, including chest or limb x-rays * Metabolic stress testing to study heart and muscle function * Echocardiography to study heart function * Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, including cardiovascular MRI, angiography, and contrast MRI, to study heart function and performance * Computed tomography (CT) angiogram to obtain images of the heart and lungs * Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to study possible fat infiltration of the heart * Six-minute walk test to study heart, lung, and muscle function and performance * Vascular ultrasound to study blood vessel walls * Blood, tissue, and other specimens will be collected for research and testing, and will be taken either as part of the clinical study or during surgical procedures. * Follow-up studies may be performed under separate research protocols. Read Less

Background: - Little is known about how the brain changes during childhood and adolescence, how genes affect this process, or how the brains of people with 7q11.23 genetic variation change during this period. Researchers are interested in using magnetic resonance imaging to study how the brain changes in healthy children and children with 7q11.23 genetic variation, including Williams syndrome and 7q11.23 duplication syndrome. Objectives: - To study developmental changes in the brains of healthy children and children who have been diagnosed with Williams syndrome,7q11.23 duplication syndrome, or other 7q11.23 genetic variation. Eligibility: * Healthy children and adolescents between 5 and 17 years of age. * Children and adolescents between 5 and 17 years of age who have been diagnosed with Williams syndrome, 7q11.23 duplication syndrome, or have other 7q11.23 genetic variation. Design: * Participants will have a brief physical examination and tests of memory, attention, concentration, and thinking. Parents will be asked about their child s personality, behavior characteristics, and social interaction and communication skills. * Both participants and their parents may be asked to complete additional questionnaires or take various tests as required for the study. * Participants will have approximately 10 hours of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning, usually over 4 to 5 days, within a one month period. Some of these tests will require the participants to do specific tasks while inside the MRI scanner. * Participants will be asked to return to the National Institutes of Health clinical center to repeat these procedures every 2 years thereafter until age 18. Read Less

Background: - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans must be performed according to specified sets of parameters that provide optimal images of each organ and each area of the body. These scanning parameters are often specific to the institution or organization at which they are employed, and may also depend on the manufacturer of the MRI scanning equipment. Because MRI scanning equipment is always being updated and upgraded, researchers are interested in developing new and optimized scanning parameters for MRI scans. Objectives: - To improve current methods and develop new techniques for magnetic resonance imaging. Eligibility: * Individuals 18 years of age and older who are either volunteers or current NIH protocol participants. * Participants must not have any medical history factors (e.g., extreme claustrophobia, history of metal implants) that would prevent them from receiving MRI scans. Design: * Participants will have at least one MRI scan that will last from 20 minutes to 2 hours (most scans will last between 45 and 90 minutes). The total time commitment for most visits will be approximately 4 hours from start to finish. * Some MRI techniques require standard monitoring equipment or specific procedures during the scanning, such as an electrocardiogram. * Participants will have blood samples taken at the time of the scan. Some MRI studies will require the use of a contrast agent that will be administered during the scan. * Volunteers may be asked to return for additional MRI scans over the course of a few years. Follow-up scans may be done on the same part of the body or on different parts of the body. No more than one MRI scan will be performed in any 4-week period for this protocol. Read Less

Background: - Researchers are studying types of thyroid cancer that seem to cluster in families. Non-medullary thyroid cancer accounts for the vast majority of all types of thyroid cancer, but little is known about possible genes that may cause the cancer. More research is needed to develop the best ways to screen for familial non-medullary thyroid cancer (FNMTC) so that it can be diagnosed and treated at an early stage. Objectives: * To evaluate the natural history of FNMTC. * To determine the best screening strategy for FNMTC. * To identify genes that may indicate susceptibility to FNMTC. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 7 years of age who have two first-degree relatives (e.g., parents, children, siblings) who have or have had non-medullary thyroid cancer or a documented diagnosis of non-medullary thyroid cancer and one living relative with documented non-medullary thyroid cancer. Design: * Participants will be evaluated by family history pedigree, physical examination, imaging (including possible neck ultrasound and radioactive iodine scans), and laboratory testing. * Participants who agree to have blood or other biological samples collected will be asked to enroll in an additional study to provide the appropriate samples and tissues. * After the initial study evaluation, participants who are not found to have a malignant thyroid tumor will be re-screened every year with non-invasive imaging studies. Participants who are found to have a malignant thyroid tumor will be informed of possible treatment options.... Read Less