All Clinical Trials

This study collects specimens from volunteers for use in studies by NIAID's Vaccine Research Center. A number of different types of specimens or samples can be collected, including blood, urine, body fluids or secretions, skin swabs, or skin biopsies. The samples are used for medical research, including the study of HIV, hepatitis, and other diseases; immune system responses, such as responses to vaccinations or infections; and for research on vaccine development. Blood samples may be collected either by ordinary blood drawing (phlebotomy) or by apheresis, a procedure for collecting a larger quantity of blood cells or plasma than would be possible through simple blood drawing. For this procedure, the participant lies on a recliner or couch. Blood is removed through a needle in the vein of one arm and spun in a machine that separates out the desired component (plasma or white blood cells). The remainder of the blood is returned either through the same needle or through a needle in the other arm. The procedure takes about 1 to 3 hours. Volunteers who are 18 years of age and older, including participants in other NIH research protocols, may be eligible. Individuals who have a condition that the research staff considers a reason not to make a sample donation will be excluded from the study. Participants may have only one sample collected or may be asked to undergo repetitive sample collection procedures, depending upon the requirements of the particular research project for which the samples are being collected. Each individual's enrollment is for a 1-year period, which can be extended. Read Less

The purpose of this research study is to collect and store brain tumor tissue samples for future research. The samples will become part of the University of Florida Brain Tumor Tissue Bank/Florida Center for Brain Tumor Research. The goal is to find improved treatments and cures for brain tumors. Read Less

This study will collect fluid and tissue specimens from the lungs and nose of healthy people and people with a history of lung infections. The specimens will be examined for differences between the two groups that may be associated with susceptibility to certain infections. Healthy normal volunteers and people with a history of lung infections between 18 and 75 years of age who are followed at NIH may be eligible for this study. Participants undergo the following procedures: Medical history and physical examination. Blood and urine tests. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and chest x-ray. Treadmill exercise stress test (for people over 45 years old with a history of chest pain or ECG abnormalities). Bronchoscopy: The subject s nose and throat are numbed with lidocaine and a sedative is given for comfort. A thin flexible tube called a bronchoscope is advanced through the nose or mouth into the lung airways to examine the airways carefully. Fluid collection during the bronchoscopy using one of the following methods: * Bronchoalveolar lavage: Salt water is injected through the bronchoscope into the lung and immediately suctioned out, washing off cells lining the airways. * Bronchial brushings: A brush-tipped wire enclosed in a sheath is passed through the bronchoscope and a small area of the airway tissue is gently brushed. The brush is withdrawn with some tissue adhering to it. * Endobronchial biopsies: Small pinchers on a wire are passed through the bronchoscope and about 1 to 2 millimeters of tissue is removed. * Nasal scrape: A small device is used to scrape along the inside of the nose to collect some cells. * Sputum induction * Exhaled breath condensate to obtain specimens for in vitro investigations and comparisons of both the cellular and acellular components. * Nasal nitric oxide production * Nasal potential difference * Exhaled aerosol mask sample collection * Cough aerosol collection * Exhaled particle collection * Lung Clearance Index (LCI) Read Less

Increased numbers of white blood cells called eosinophils can cause disease. To investigate this disease, researchers need blood, urine, sputum, stool, cerebrospinal fluid, skin and/or bone marrow samples to compare to samples from patients with this problem. Some of the samples will be used for genetic testing or future research. This study will last for about 10 years and will include a maximum of 50 paid volunteers ages 18 to 65. Read Less

There is evidence that early and aggressive treatment with antiretroviral drugs can prevent the loss of immune cell function that accompanies HIV infection. This study will use leukapheresis (drawing blood, separating out the white cells and returning the blood to the patient) to obtain blood cells from HIV-infected patients in either the acute or chronic stage of infection who are being treated with early highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Leukapheresis is necessary to obtain enough cells to delineate the response of B cells to CD4+ T cell help, the CD8 factors associated with suppression of viral replication and normalization of immune function, and natural killer function relative to HIV disease. Study participants will be adult (older than 18 years) HIV primary or acutely affected patients (those with a history of exposure to HIV but not yet showing chronic symptoms of HIV disease) and HIV chronically infected patients (those infected with HIV for longer than 12 months or showing other symptoms of HIV disease) who are not receiving HAART at the beginning of the study. The study seeks to enroll 30 primary and 30 chronic patients. Pregnant women will not be enrolled in the study; women who become pregnant will be dropped from the study. Leukapheresis will be performed on each patient before HAART therapy begins and then three times a year. Each session will take between 1 and 3 hours. This longitudinal study will enable researchers to examine the function of certain B cells, natural killer cells, and CD8+ T cells in people who do not have chronic HIV disease and in those who do have the disease and are treated with HAART. Read Less

Background: Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a rare chronic liver disease. It affects the bile ducts of the liver. It can result in bile duct infections, cirrhosis, cancer, and end stage liver disease. Researchers want to learn more about this disease. Objective: To understand the biological causes of primary sclerosing cholangitis. Eligibility: Adults age 18 and older who have primary sclerosing cholangitis. Design: Participants will be screened with a medical history, physical exam, and blood tests. Participants will give blood, saliva, urine, and stool samples. They will have nasal swabs. They will complete surveys. Participants will get an intravenous (IV) catheter. A plastic tube is inserted into an arm vein. Participants will have a colonoscopy. A tube with a video camera at the end is inserted into the rectum. Participants will have an upper endoscopy. A scope with a light and camera at its tip is used to look inside the upper digestive tract. Participants will have a liver biopsy, entering through the chest wall or a neck vein. Blood is drawn from a blood vessel that carries blood to the liver. A liver tissue sample is taken. Participants will have magnetic resonance imaging or spectroscopy. They will get a contrast agent through an IV. Participants may have an optional bone marrow aspiration. A large needle is inserted into the hip to withdraw marrow. Participants will have a liver ultrasound. Participants will complete a 3-day food diary. They will have a nutrition assessment. Participants may give contact details for people who live with them, to also take part in this study. Participation will last for 12 months. Read Less

The purpose of this Phase 3, open label, single dose imaging study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of I-124 evuzamitide (radioactive dye) for diagnosing Cardiac Amyloidosis in participants with suspected Cardiac Amyloidosis. The imaging test that will be used in this study is a Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography (PET/CT) scan. Read Less

The need to obtain human tissue for methods development and disease correlation is frequent in Biomedical Research Center laboratories. This protocol is designed to create the opportunity to obtain such tissue samples including: blood, urine, saliva, sweat, feces, hair and nail clippings, nasal scraping, muscle, fat, skin and taste buds. It may also include samples taken during a surgical procedure, including: fluid from around the spinal column, heart, lungs and abdomen; fat, muscle, connective tissue and organs (liver, bladder, heart, kidney and skin). Information derived from such studies is for research purposes only and is not provided to the participants or their health care provider. Samples will be coded (no names) and identifying information linking the participant to the sample will be maintained in a secure location by the P.I. and Study Coordinator. Participants will be 18 years or older and have been identified by the investigator and/or physician to have a condition of interest for exploratory studies related to the participant s illness or other feature that offers the possibility of creating information that leads to scientifically useful and important studies. Participants could also be healthy volunteers, willing to provide their samples. These samples could be requested by an investigator to be used as age, gender, race and/or ethnicity-matched controls or to calibrate or compare and contrast across lab equipment. Participants will be excluded if obtaining the sample would be over and above usual clinical care, would result in excessive blood loss, or the individual is unable to provide informed consent. The expected outcome is to provide investigators with the opportunity to obtain tissues of interest for laboratory evaluation.... 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

Researchers want to learn more about the way stigma affects children with cancer and their caregivers. They want to develop two clinical tools to identify and measure stigma in the pediatric cancer population within culturally diverse global settings of the United States, Guatemala, and Jordan. Primary Objectives * Develop two clinical tools that can be used to identify and measure stigma as experienced by (1) pediatric oncology patients/survivors and (2) their guardians/caregivers in culturally diverse global settings. * Pilot new stigma tools in geographically and culturally diverse cancer referral settings in the United States, Guatemala, and Jordan. Read Less

Background: -Patients who are being evaluated and/or treated at the NIH Clinical Center and adult patients at participating sites will be entered onto this tissue procurement protocol for collection of tissue specimens. Objectives: * To obtain samples from adult and pediatric patients for research purposes from tests and procedures that are done as required by the primary research protocol(s) to which a patient is enrolled or as part of their standard-of-care treatment. * To obtain samples for research purposes from non-surgical procedures, such as percutaneous biopsies, performed for the sole purpose of obtaining tissue specimens or biological fluids for this protocol. Eligibility: -Adult patients (18 years of age and older) and pediatric patients (younger than 18 years of age) who are being evaluated for and/or treated for cancer at the NIH Clinical Center participating sites. Design: * This is a multicenter tissue procurement protocol with NCI as the coordinating center. * For adult patients: specimens for research purposes, as outlined in this protocol, will be obtained from tests and procedures that are done as required by the primary research protocols to which a patient is enrolled or as part of their standard-of-care treatment. Non-surgical procedures, such as percutaneous biopsies, may also be performed for the sole purpose of obtaining tissue specimens or biological fluids for this protocol. Tissues and biological fluids to be procured may include but are not limited to blood, serum, urine, tumor tissue, normal tissue, pleural fluid, CSF, saliva, bronchial alveolar lavage (BAL), circulating tumor cells, hair follicles, and bone marrow. These specimens will be stored with unique identifiers and used to perform only those research studies that are outlined in this protocol. * For pediatric patients: tumor biopsy/resection tissue used for pediatric preclinical model development will only be from tissue already being obtained as part of a procedure necessary for the patient s clinical care or as part of a primary research protocol; blood specimens will be collected as part of a blood collection already scheduled for the patient s clinical care or as part of the planned pre-procedure bloodwork; volumes collected will not exceed institutional research limits. * Given the risks associated with any invasive procedure, such as tumor biopsy, the procedure will be discussed in detail with the patients and their parents/guardian (as indicated), including the side effects, prior to obtaining a separate consent for each procedure. A separate consent will not be signed prior to obtaining samples by minimally invasive measures, such as venipuncture. * This study has two separate consent forms at the NIH Clinical Center: one for adult patients to donate specimens for ongoing research on assay development and studies of molecular pathways, and one for adult and age-appropriate pediatric patients to donate samples for the generation of preclinical models. The study also has consent form templates for adult and pediatric patients at participating sites to donate specimens to create preclinical models. * Patients may remain on study for the duration of their consent or completion of the planned procedure, whichever comes first. Read Less

Background: Genes are the instructions a person s body uses to function. Genome sequencing reads through all of a person s genes. Everyone has many gene variants, and most do not cause disease. Some gene variants called secondary findings may be important for a person s health even if they are not related to the reason why a person had genome sequencing done. Researchers want to learn more about what it means to have a secondary finding. Objectives: To learn about how gene variants may affect a person s health. To learn about how people understand their genetic test results. Eligibility: People with secondary findings from genetic testing done as part of a research study, clinical care, or other methods. Design: Participants may be asked to do an online survey and phone interview to ask what they think about their results, their healthcare, and if they talk with their family about the result. Eligible participants may be offered a visit to the NIH Clinical Center where they will be evaluated for health problems related to the secondary finding. DNA samples that were already collected may be studied. Participants may be asked to send in a second DNA sample (blood or saliva). These will be used to verify any findings. Participants who have a secondary finding can get genetic counseling.... Read Less