Pittsburgh, PA Paid Clinical Trials

The primary endpoint is to determine if ECP induces a decrease in % of tumor cells after treatment. 15 patients with Sezary Syndrome will receive ECP weekly x4, then bi-weekly for 5 months. Each patient will donate 5 samples to determine immune responses in peripheral blood. Additional clinical assessments will be a modified skin weighted assessment and flow cytometry at baseline and months 3 and 6. A CT scan will be obtained at baseline and only repeated if pathology is present at baseline. The tumor microenvironment will be studied by comparing transcriptomics of the blood samples before, 1 day after first ECP treatment, cycle 1, 1, 3 and 6 months after ECP treatment by scRNAseq (5 samples total per patient ). Read Less

The purpose of this study is to test a new method of experimental treatment for cutaneous squamous cell skin cancer, using small adhesive-like patches (a micro-needle applicator or MNA for short), which have dozens of very small micro-needles loaded with extremely low doses of doxorubicin, a chemotherapy agent. The overall goal of this study is to test the safety and effectiveness of these patches. The investigators have established the highest tolerated dose at 50 micrograms in a previous study for a different type of cancer that affects the skin. The investigators will thoroughly evaluate the skin where the patches are applied. Read Less

The participants are being asked to take part in this clinical trial, a type of research study, because the participants are scheduled to receive or have recently received a hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) or a solid organ transplant (SOT). Primary Objective To determine if pre-transplant screening for respiratory viral load predicts RVI within 1- year post-transplant among survivors. Secondary Objectives: * To develop and validate a classifier based on pre-transplant immunological profile predictive of developing an acute respiratory viral infection (aRVI), with RSV/PIV3/HMPV/SARS-CoV-2 through one-year post-transplant among survivors. * To develop and validate a classifier based on Day +100 post-transplant immunological profiles predictive of developing an acute respiratory viral infection (aRVI),with RSV/PIV3/HMPV/SARS-CoV-2 through one-year post-transplant among survivors . Read Less

The investigators aim to examine the effect of the ketogenic diet on brain activity, metabolism, and emotions in adults with Bipolar Disorder (BD). Read Less

Centering gender Affirming Resources in higher Education (CARE) project is nested within the parent study "Reducing Alcohol Involved Sexual violence in higher Education" (RAISE; R01 AA023260; NCT05185440). CARE is a pilot cluster-randomized trial that centers trans and gender diverse (TGD) students who are at elevated risk for SV and hazardous drinking. CARE tests a novel college health and counseling center (CHC) training program designed to improve provider knowledge about TGD individuals, increase their self-efficacy and use of trans-inclusive practices. This includes an evaluation of the feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, and usability of CARE's training intervention for college health and counseling center providers. This research will produce the first rigorously evaluated TGD-focused CHC provider training which has the potential to increase the accessibility of CHC's for TGD university students- ultimately lowering rates of alcohol use and SV among this disproportionately impacted population. Read Less

The study will assess the immunogenicity, safety and preliminary clinical efficacy of the glioma associated antigen (GAA)/tetanus toxoid (TT) peptide vaccine and poly-ICLC in HLA-A2+ children with unresectable low-grade gliomas that have received at least two chemotherapy/biologic regimens. Radiation therapy counts as one biologic regimen, but patients may not have received radiation to the index lesion within 1 year of enrollment. Read Less

This study will investigate if modulating the tumor microenvironment with biologic agents like XL-092 will have synergistic effect when combined with checkpoint based immunotherapeutic treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Read Less

The SOAP registry is a prospective, multicenter, electronic registry. The goal is to investigate the indications, mode of airway management, predisposing factors, and obstetric and anesthetic outcomes of pregnant patients who receive general anesthesia for cesarean delivery. Read Less

In this longitudinal prospective natural history study of multiple sclerosis (MS), the overarching goal is to understand the factors that influence individual variation in disease trajectory and treatment response and pave the way for realizing precision medicine in MS. Because MS is a chronic neurological disorder, this observational cohort study will span a 30-year time frame. Read Less

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is advocating that Veterans with serious mental illness (SMI) receive recovery-oriented, rehabilitation approaches that target real-world functioning. One such approach is Cognitive-Behavioral Social Skills Training (CBSST). Unlike traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy, CBSST is a more recovery-oriented psychosocial rehabilitation intervention that teaches Veterans with SMI to correct errors in thinking and build social skills. While effective, CBSST has only been tested when facilitated by masters- or doctoral-level therapists, which limits its use in VHA. However, the investigators' pilot data shows that Peer Specialists-individuals with SMI who are hired and trained to use their own recovery experience to assist others with SMI-can also provide CBSST (called CBSST-Peer). Stand-alone social skills training (SST) is also a recovery-oriented program that VHA is attempting to rollout nationwide for Veterans with SMI. A few Peer Specialists have been trained to co-lead SST with professionals. However, SST is not widely implemented because professionals are busy and Peer Specialist delivered SST has not been tested. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of Peer Specialist-delivered CBSST and SST, which would increase access Veterans with SMI have to effective treatment. The investigators' aims are: Aim 1 (Effectiveness): To compare the impact of CBSST-Peer on outcomes in Veterans with SMI to Veterans receiving Peer Specialist-delivered SST groups of equal duration and to treatment as usual. The investigators will also assess fidelity of SST and CBSST. Aim 2: (Helpfulness of CBSST/SST--Peer and implementation barriers and facilitators): To use focus groups with patients and interviews with Peer Specialists and other staff to assess perceptions of SST- and CBSS Peer and identify potential barriers and facilitators to future implementation. Methods: This is a randomized, Hybrid 1 trial involving 252 Veterans with SMI (n=126 each from Pittsburgh, San Diego) comparing 3 treatment arms: CBSST-Peer vs. SST-Peer vs. treatment as usual. Hybrid 1 trials test the effectiveness of an intervention and collect implementation data that could inform its future adoption. At each site, across 6 waves (a wave = 1 CBSST-Peer and 1 SST-Peer group), 2 Peer Specialists will co-lead 12 groups, each lasting 20 weeks. Peer Specialists will be trained and receive an hour of supervision weekly by the CBSST developers. Master trainers from the SST rollout will train and supervise Peer Specialists in each site. All three arms' sessions will be taped and 25% rated for fidelity on standardized measures. A survey battery that assesses functioning, quality of life, recovery, and symptoms will be administered to the Veterans in each wave at: baseline, mid-intervention (10 weeks), end-of-intervention (20 weeks), and follow-up (32 weeks, 3 months post intervention). The investigators will examine all outcomes using Hierarchical Linear Models (HLM), with treatment condition included as a time-invariant covariate, and random intercepts for person and random slopes for time. Relevant covariates will include site, treatment attendance, symptom severity, service use, and demographic variables. The investigators will evaluate the effect for treatment conditions (CBSST-Peer vs. SST-Peer vs. treatment as usual group) in the expected direction and the time X group effect. Qualitative data on SST- and CBSST-Peer helpfulness and implementation factors will be collected from 8 focus groups, audio-recorded from a random sample of Veterans who participated in SST- and CBSST-Peer. Interviews will be conducted with participating Peer Specialists (n=approximately 8 per site), and key mental health staff (n=3-4 per site). The qualitative interviews and focus groups will be analyzed using rapid assessment, a team-based, iterative data collection and analysis approach providing data on the barriers and facilitators to future implementation of SST- and CBSST-Peer. Innovation: No study has tested peer-delivered SST or CBSST, or compared the two, in a rigorous trial. Significance/Expected Results: CBSST and SST are not widely available. If SST- or CBSST-Peer is effective, it could greatly increase the delivery of evidence-based services Veterans receive and enhance the services by VHA Peer Specialists. Read Less

This is a prospective, double-blind, sham-controlled, multicenter, randomized clinical trial is to study the effects of remote ischemic preconditioning on contrast-associated acute kidney injury, functional capacity, and major adverse kidney events in in patients with congestive heart failure undergoing cardiac catheterization and/or percutaneous coronary intervention. Read Less

The Conduit cages are intended to restore the intervertebral height and to facilitate the intervertebral body fusion in the cervical and lumbar spine in skeletally mature patients with degenerative disc disease and instabilities at one or more levels of the spine. The Fibergraft Bioactive Glass (BG) is engineered to mimic the body's natural bone healing process. While previous studies have described the use of conduit cages in interbody fixation procedures, these studies did not specifically study the clinical and radiographic outcomes of patients who have received these implants in addition to Fibergraft. We aim to recruit patients with degenerative disc disease, and instabilities at one to multilevel contiguous levels between C2-T1 and 1-2 contiguous levels between L2-S1 of the spine with accompanying radicular symptoms, ruptured or herniated discs, and pseudarthrosis and spondylodesis. We will then follow these patients for a duration of two years to report their clinical and radiographic outcomes to determine fusion, complication rate, and revision surgeries if any. Read Less