View clinical trials related to Neuromyelitis Optica.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to determine the ability of STRATUS OCT and high resolution OCT to detect and to quantify the neural loss in multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica and its subtypes.
The purpose of this study is to determine if the drug eculizumab reduces the attack rate and improves outcome in patients with neuromyelitis optica.
This study is designed to examine whether treating Devic's disease patients with high dose cyclophosphamide together with rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG)/rituximab (drugs which reduce the function of the immune system), followed by return of previously collected patient's stem cells will result in improvement in Devic's disease. Stem cells are undeveloped cells that have the capacity to grow into mature blood cells, which normally circulate in the blood stream. The purpose of the intense chemotherapy is to destroy the cells in patient's immune system, which may be causing his/her disease. The purpose of the stem cell infusion is to produce a normal immune system that will no longer attack patient's body. The purpose of study is to examine the safety and efficacy of this treatment. The drugs used in this study treatment are drugs for commonly used for immune suppression.
This phase II trial studies the side effects and how well carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine and melphalan together with antithymocyte globulin before a stem cell transplant works in treating patients with autoimmune neurologic disease that did not respond to previous therapy. In autoimmune neurological diseases, the patient's own immune system 'attacks' the nervous system which might include the brain/spinal cord and/or the peripheral nerves. Giving high-dose chemotherapy, including carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, melphalan, and antithymocyte globulin, before a stem cell transplant weakens the immune system and may help stop the immune system from 'attacking' a patient's nervous system. When the patient's own (autologous) stem cells are infused into the patient they help the bone marrow make red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets so the blood counts can improve.
The goal of this research study is to investigate whether Rituximab is safe to use in patients suffering from NMO, or who are at high risk for developing NMO. It is thought that NMO is caused by the immune system reacting against the optic nerves and spinal cord. B cells are a part of the immune system that may contribute to the illness. Rituximab is an antibody that depletes B cells. Depletion of these B cells with Rituximab may induce remission of the disease. Because pathological and serological studies suggest that NMO appears to be, at least in part, a B-cell mediated disease Rituximab, is an attractive treatment candidate for this disease.
To establish a large, longitudinal collection of high quality samples and data from subjects with MS, selected other demyelinating diseases (Transverse Myelitis (TM), Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) or Devic's, Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM), and Optic Neuritis (ON)), and related and unrelated unaffected controls. Samples and data will be available as a shared resource to scientists researching the causes, sub-types, and biomarkers of MS and related demyelinating diseases.
Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a severe demyelinating disease that selectively involves the optic nerves and the spinal cord but usually spares the brain. NMO is considered to have a B cell induced pathogenesis. Mitoxantrone (MITO, Novantrone®), a synthetic anthracenedione approved for worsening relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) and secondary progressive MS, has been shown to primarily suppress the humoral response. We conducted a prospective 2-year study to evaluate the benefit of MITO in five relapsing NMO patients.
OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate the effectiveness of plasma exchange in the treatment of acute severe attacks of inflammatory demyelinating disease in patients who have failed intravenous steroid therapy.