Maryland Paid Clinical Trials

Background: Stem cells are found in body tissues. They can regenerate into more of the same cells or become other types of cell. Researchers want to use stem cells from taste buds to try to make cells that secrete insulin. Taste buds are found mostly on the tip and sides of the tongue. Researchers also want to study if the number of taste buds and stem cells decrease as people age. They will remove small pieces of tongue tissue (about the size of a pen tip). The taste buds will grow back. It is hoped that studying taste bud stem cells can lead to new diabetes treatments. Objectives: To see if stem cells from taste buds can be isolated in humans. Eligibility: Healthy adults at least 18 years old Design: Participants will be screened with: * Medical history * Physical exam * Blood and urine tests * Tongue photograph and mouth inspection. Food coloring will be applied to the tongue. Participants will have 1 study visit. They will not eat or drink anything 8 hours before. * They will give blood and urine samples. * They will have a tongue biopsy. Vital signs will be checked. The inside of the mouth will be examined. The tongue may be cleaned. The tongue will be numbed. Five small pieces of tissue will be taken with a small scissor. Any bleeding will be blotted with cotton and should stop in minutes. * Participants will be monitored for about 30 minutes. They will get a snack or meal. * They will be told how to take care of the tongue for the rest of the day. Participants will be called a week later to see how the Read Less

Background: People s bodies need to break down food into the chemicals. These chemicals are used for energy and growth. Some people cannot process all chemicals very well. Too much of some chemicals can cause diseases. One of these diseases is called propionic acidemia (PA). People with PA can have problems with growth, learning heart, abdomen, and other organs. Researchers want to better understand how these problems happen. Objective: To learn more about propionic acidemia and the genes that might contribute to it. Eligibility: People at least 2 years old with PA who can travel to the clinic Some unaffected family members Design: Participants will have a 3 to 5-day hospital visit every year or every few years. Family members may have just 1 visit. During the family member visit, they may have: Medical history Physical exam Samples of blood and urine Questions about diet and a food diary Doctors and nurses may do additional studies: Samples of saliva, skin and stool Fluid from a gastronomy tube, if participants have one Dental and eye evaluations A kidney test - a small amount of dye will be injected and blood will be collected. Consultations with specialists A test of calories needed at rest. A clear plastic tent is placed over the participant to measure breathing. Stable isotope study. Participants will take a nonradioactive substance then blow into a bag. Photos taken of the face and body with underwear on Ultrasound of the abdomen Heart tests Hand x-ray Brain scan Participants may have other tests if study doctors recommend them. They will get the results of standard medical tests and genetic tests. Read Less

Background: People with Williams Syndrome (WS) and supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS) have less elasticity in their blood vessels. This is called blood vessel stiffness. Blood vessels may have focal narrowings called stenoses or may just be globally more narrow. Objectives: Researchers want to see how blood vessel differences in people with Williams Syndrome and supravalvular aortic stenosis affect organs in the body including the heart, gut, kidneys, and brain. Eligibility: People ages 3-85 who have WS or SVAS Healthy volunteers ages 3-85 Design: * Participants will have yearly visits for up to 10 years. All participants will be offered the same tests. * Participants will give consent for the study team to review their medical records. If the participant is a child or an adult with WS, a parent or guardian will give the consent. * Participants will visit the NIH where they will have a physical exam and medical history. Based on their health history, participants will undergo a series of imaging tests and measures of blood vessel function over the course of 2-4 days. Tests of cognitive abilites will also be performed. Blood will be drawn and an IV may be placed for specific tests. Read Less

Background: In a new cancer therapy, researchers take a person s blood, select a certain white blood cell to grow in the lab, and then change the genes of these cells using a virus. The cells are then given back to the person. This is called gene transfer. For this study, researchers will modify the person s white blood cells with anti-CD70. Objectives: To see if a gene transfer with anti-CD70 cells can safely shrink tumors and to be certain the treatment is safe. Eligibility: Adults age 18 and older diagnosed with cancer that has the CD70-expressing cancer. Design: Participants will be screened with medical history, physical exam, scans, and other tests. They may by admitted to the hospital. Leukapheresis will be performed. For this, blood is removed through a needle in the arm. A machine separates the white blood cells. The rest of the blood is returned through a needle in the other arm. Eligible participants will have an intravenous catheter placed in their upper chest. Over several days, they will get chemotherapy drugs and the anti-CD70 cells. They will recover in the hospital. Participants will take an antibiotic for 6 months after treatment. They will repeat leukapheresis. Participants will visit the clinic every 1-3 months for the first year after treatment, every 6 months for the second year, and then as determined by their physician. Follow-up visits will take 1-2 days. At each visit, participants will have lab tests, imaging studies, and a physical exam. Throughout the study, blood will be taken and participants will have many tests to determine the size and extent of their tumor and the treatment s impact. Read Less

Background: Genes are the basic units of heredity. When genes are changed, certain cells don t work like they should. Researchers want to try to better understand the genetic conditions that are linked with inherited eye diseases. Objective: To try to identify the genes linked to the development of inherited eye diseases. Eligibility: People ages 4 and older who have or have a family member with an inherited eye disease Design: Participants will be screened with medical history and medical records. Participants will have one visit that will take 3-4 hours. This will include: Medical and family history Eye exam: This includes the pupil being dilated. Electroretinography: A small electrode is taped to the forehead. Participants sit in the dark with their eyes patched for 30 minutes. Then numbing drops and contact lenses are put in the eyes. They will watch flashing lights. Blood tests Saliva sample: They will spit into a container or have the inside of their cheek swabbed. Genetic testing will be done on participants blood or saliva. Participants may meet with the researchers to discuss their genetic tests. Read Less

Background: Cancer has a major impact in the United States and across the world. In 2015, over 1.5 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the U.S. Researchers want to study samples from people with cancer or a pre-malignant condition. They hope to develop more effective treatments. Objective: To better understand the biology of malignancies and why certain cancers respond differently to treatment. Eligibility: Adults at least 18 years old with cancer or a pre-cancerous condition. Design: Participants will be screened with a medical history, physical exam, and blood tests. Their diagnosis will be confirmed by the NCI Laboratory of Pathology. Participants will send tissue blocks or slides from their original tumor biopsy. At least once, participants will have a medical history, physical exam, and blood and urine tests. Participants may have the following tests. They may have them more than once: Apheresis. A needle in one arm removes blood. Blood is run through a machine and the sample cells are taken out. The rest of the blood is returned by a needle in the other arm. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. The hipbone will be numbed. A needle will be put into the hipbone. Bone marrow will be taken out through the needle. Piece of cancer tissue taken by a needle and syringe. Computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or positron emission tomography (PET) scan or ultrasound to help locate their tumor. For the scans, they lie in a machine that takes pictures. A small piece of skin removed. Participants will be contacted by phone once a year to find out how they are doing. Read Less

Background: Malaria is a serious infection caused by a parasite. People get malaria when an infected mosquito bites them. Malaria can cause major health and social problems in places were malaria is common, such as Africa but can also affect travelers who have never been exposed to malaria. Researchers at the NIH want to find a safe and effective malaria vaccine, antimalarial drugs, or prevention regimen. To do this, healthy volunteers are recruited under a general screening study in order to see if are qualified to join a future malaria study. Objective: To screen healthy volunteers to see if they are eligible to join investigational malaria studies. The studies will be trials of investigational antimalarial drugs, malaria vaccines, or prevention regimens. They may also involve controlled human malaria infection trials. Eligibility: Healthy people ages 18 50 Design: Participants will first be prescreened by phone. Participants will be screened with: Medical history Physical exam Blood and urine tests Participants may go more than 1 year without joining a clinical trial. If this happens, they may be re-contacted to see if they still want to be part of this screening protocol. Those who still want to participate and have had relevant medical changes will be rescreened. ... Read Less

Background: - Biomarkers are substances in people s blood and tissues. They help researchers understand diseases and signs of aging. Scientists want to do more research on biomarkers to find ways to improve quality of life in old age. Objective: - To learn more about biomarkers and their relationship to aging. Eligibility: - Adults at least 20 years old who weigh at least 110 pounds and have a body mass index below 30. They must agree that their genetic samples can be collected, studied, and stored. Design: * Participants will be screened with medical history, physical exam, and blood and urine tests. They will have heart tests and nurse will assess their veins. They will fill out a questionnaire. * Participants will have a 2-day baseline visit. Then they will return every 2 years for up to 10 years. These follow-up visits will repeat the baseline visit: * Repeat of screening procedures. * Physical performance tests like balance and walking tests. * Leg and grip strength tests. * Health and mental state questions. * Memory and problem solving tests. * Cytapheresis. Blood will be removed through a needle in the vein of one arm and run through a machine. The blood will be returned through a needle in a vein of the other arm. * Visits may also include: * Magnetic resonance imaging scans. Participants will lie on a table that slides in and out of a machine that takes pictures. * Diabetes test. After fasting, participants will drink a sweet drink and give blood. * Breathing and walking tests. * Wearing a device that record physical activity. * Scan of the abdomen and the right leg. * A small amount of muscle tissue and/or skin removed. Read Less

Background: - The third molars (wisdom teeth) normally grow in during late adolescence or early adulthood. Many people need or choose to have these teeth removed with oral surgery. Normally, the removed teeth and tissue are thrown away as medical waste. However, oral health researchers want to collect the teeth and tissue for research. They also want to encourage dentists at the National Institutes of Health to improve their skills in oral surgery. This study will collect the teeth and tissue of people who need to have oral surgery to remove their wisdom teeth. Objectives: * To provide continued dental skills training for dentists at the National Institutes of Health. * To collect teeth and tissue samples following wisdom tooth removal surgery. Eligibility: - Individuals between 16 and 50 who need to have their wisdom teeth removed. Design: * This study will involve a minimum of three visits. There will be a screening visit, a surgery visit, and at least one follow-up visit. * Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. A full dental exam with x-rays will be given to evaluate the need for surgery. * At the second visit, participants will have oral surgery to remove their wisdom teeth. The teeth and tissue removed during the surgery will be collected for study. * Participants will receive drugs to control the pain after surgery. They will also be able to contact a dentist if there are any problems. * Between 7 and 21 days after surgery, participants will have a followup visit to check the healing. If they are having no problems, this will be the last visit. If there are any postsurgery issues, they will be scheduled for additional visits as needed. Read Less

Background: - The way that the body burns calories is known as energy expenditure. Some studies show that when we are cold, we burn more calories to keep our bodies warm. Brown fat is a special kind of fat that can use energy to keep the body warm. Small animals and infants have been known to have brown fat for many years. Recently, it has been suggested that adult humans also have brown fat. If brown fat becomes active (burns calories) in adult humans when exposed to cold, then these people would tend to burn off more calories and might not gain weight easily. Learning more about the relationship between energy expenditure, brown fat, environmental temperature, and body temperature may help explain why some people become obese and other people do not. Objectives: * To better understand how the body burns calories when exposed to different temperatures. * To study brown fat and how it burns calories in cold temperatures. Eligibility: * Healthy men between 18 and 35 or 55 and 75 years of age. * Healthy women between 18 and 35 years of age. * To control for ethnicity, participants must be non-Hispanic whites or African Americans. Design: * Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. Blood and urine samples will be collected. * Participants will stay in the Metabolic Unit of the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center as inpatients for no more than 14 days. The length of the hospital stay will depend on how participants respond to the different study temperatures. * Every afternoon, participants will walk for 30 minutes on a treadmill. All meals will be provided. * Participants will stay up to 5 hours per day in a specialized room with different temperature settings. Temperatures will range from about 61 degrees to 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Body temperature, activity, calorie burning, and cold/hot sensations will be monitored. On the study day of the coldest temperature, participants will have an imaging study to look for brown fat activity. * Participants will be compensated for their time and participation at the end of the study.... Read Less

Background: - Imaging tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), can provide information about heart and blood vessels. The tests let doctors can see the amount of blood vessel narrowing and vessel wall thickness. This information may help diagnose and treat heart disease and other conditions that lead to heart attacks. Better MRI methods are needed to improve heart disease diagnosis, especially by avoiding the use of radiation. Researchers are testing new techniques to improve the quality of heart MRI, compared with more complex studies like catheterization or angiography. Objectives: - To compare heart MRI techniques with other tests used to diagnose heart disease. Eligibility: - People at least 18 years of age who either have or may have heart disease, or are healthy volunteers. Design: * Participants will be screened with a physical exam, medical history, and blood tests. * They will have an angiography to study the inside of blood vessels. This test is an x-ray study of the blood vessels. It will be done either separately or as part of a set of tests to diagnose possible heart disease. * Participants will have at least one and up to five MRI scans. The scans will involve different methods of studying the heart and blood vessels. Participants may also have a computed tomography scan to confirm the findings of an MRI scan. * No treatment will be provided as part of this protocol.... Read Less

Background: - Drug resistant epilepsy is the term used to describe epilepsy that cannot be controlled by medication. Many people whose seizures do not respond to medication will respond to surgical treatment, relieving seizures completely or almost completely in one-half to two-thirds of patients who qualify for surgery. The tests and surgery performed as part of this treatment are not experimental, but researchers are interested in using the data collected as part of routine standard epilepsy care to better understand epilepsy and its treatment. Objectives: - To use surgery as a treatment for drug resistant epilepsy in children and adults. Eligibility: - Children and adults at least 8 years of age who have simple or complex partial seizures (seizures that come from one area of the brain) that have not responded to medication, and who are willing to have brain surgery to treat their medically intractable epilepsy. Design: * Participants will be screened with a medical history, physical examination, and neurological examination. Imaging studies, including magnetic resonance imaging and computer-assisted tomography (CT), may also be conducted as part of the screening. Participants who do not need surgery or whose epilepsy cannot be treated surgically will follow up with a primary care physician or neurologist and will not need to return to the National Institutes of Health for this study. * Prior to the surgery, participants will have the following procedures to provide information on the correct surgical approach. * Video electroencephalography monitoring to measure brain activity during normal activities within a 24-hour period. Three to four 15-minute breaks are allowed within this period. * Electrodes placed directly in the brain or on the surface of the brain to measure brain activities and determine the part of the brain that is responsible for the seizures (seizure focus). * Participants will have a surgical procedure at the site of their seizure focus. Brain lesions, abnormal blood vessels, tumors, infections, or other areas of brain abnormality will be either removed or treated in a way that will stop or help prevent the spread of seizures without affecting irreplaceable brain functions, such as the ability to speak, understand, move, feel, or see. * Participants will return for outpatient visits and brain imaging studies 2 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery. Read Less