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Filter by:This study will test whether rituximab (RITUXAN (Trademark)) can relieve symptoms of stiff person syndrome (SPS), a progressive disease that causes stiffness of the muscles and muscle spasms induced by unexpected noises, touches, or stressful events. People with SPS may have certain proteins in their blood called anti-GAD antibodies that may cause some of the symptoms of the disease. Rituximab, a drug approved to treat lymphomas, targets certain white blood cells that produce antibodies. This study will see if rituximab can also be effective in patients with SPS who have high anti-GAD antibodies. Patients between 25 and 80 years of age with SPS may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history, physical examination, and blood tests. Participants undergo the following tests and procedures: - Rituximab or placebo treatment: Patients are randomly assigned to receive two infusions by vein of either rituximab or placebo (a look-alike solution with no active ingredient) 2 weeks apart. The infusions last from 3 to 4 hours, but may take as long as 16 hours if the rate must be slowed for any reason. Patients are followed monthly for up to 6 months and then every 2 months for up to 1 year after treatment. - Medical history and interview, physical and neurological examinations: Patients are questioned about their vaccination history, medical, surgical, and psychiatric history, exposure to environmental toxins or viruses, and family and social history, including habits and employment. - Blood drawing: Blood samples are collected before the two infusions and at all follow-up visits. - Apheresis: For this procedure, which is used to collect white blood cells, blood is collected through a needle in an arm vein, similar to donating blood. The blood flows from the vein through a catheter (plastic tube) into a machine that separates it into its components by centrifugation (spinning). The white cells are removed and the rest of the blood (red cells, plasma and platelets) is returned to the body through a second needle in the other arm. The procedure takes about 60 to 90 minutes. - Lumbar puncture (spinal tap): Lumbar puncture is done to sample a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF, the fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord), for analysis. For this procedure, the patient is given a local anesthetic and a needle is inserted into the space between the bones in the lower back where the CSF circulates below the spinal cord. A small amount of fluid is withdrawn through the needle.
The purpose of this study is to see if early INTEGRILIN® (eptifibatide) therapy in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (ACS) reduces the occurence of death, heart attack and urgent cardiac intervention (surgery) compared to placebo (with delayed provisional use of eptifibatide).
This study will examine whether he drug ranibizumab can slow or stop the growth of angiomas (blood vessel tumors) in patients with Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome (VHL). Angiomas commonly develop in the back of the eye on the retina and the optic nerve in patients with VHL. Although these tumors are not cancerous, they may cause significant vision loss. Current treatments, including laser therapy, cryotherapy, and vitrectomy, may not be successful or possible for all patients. Ranibizumab decreases production of VEGF, a growth factor that is important for the formation of new blood vessels and that is elevated in patients with VHL. Preliminary findings from other studies suggest that ranibizumab can reduce retinal thickening caused by vessel and tumor growth and improve vision. Patients 18 years of age and older with retinal angiomas due to VHL in one or both eyes and central vision loss of 20/40 or worse may be eligible for this study. Participants undergo the following tests and procedures: - Medical history, physical examination, electrocardiogram (EKG) and blood tests. - Eye examination, including eye pressure measurement and dilation of the pupils to examine the retina. - Fluorescein angiography to evaluate the eye's blood vessels. For this test, a yellow dye is injected into an arm vein and travels to the blood vessels in the eyes. Pictures of the retina are taken using a camera that flashes a blue light into the eye. The pictures show if any dye has leaked from the vessels into the retina, indicating possible blood vessel abnormality. - Optical coherence tomography to measure retinal thickness. The eyes are examined through a machine that produces cross-sectional pictures of the retina. These measures are repeated during the study to determine changes, if any, in retinal thickening. - Stereoscopic color fundus photography to examine the back of the eye. The pupils are dilated with eye drops to examine and photograph the back of the eye. - Electroretinogram (ERG) to measure electrical responses generated from within the retina. For this test, the patient sits in a dark room for 30 minutes with his or her eyes patched. Then, a small silver disk electrode is taped to the forehead, the eye patches are removed, the surface of the eye is numbed with eye drops, and contact lenses are placed on the eyes. The patient looks inside an open white globe that emits a series of light flashes for about 20 minutes. The contact lenses sense small electrical signals generated by the retina when the light flashes. - Ranibizumab injections to treat ocular angiomas. Ranibizumab is injected through a needle into the eye's vitreous (gel-like substance that fills the inside of the eye). Seven injections are given over a 28-week period. Before each injection, the surface of the eye is numbed with anesthetic eye drops. This is followed by injection of another anesthetic into the lower portion of the eye in the clear tissue surrounding the white of the eye. After a few minutes, the ranibizumab is injected into the vitreous. Patients receive ranibizumab injections at the first visit (during enrollment) and again at 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 weeks after the first injection. At the 28-week visit, the doctor will determine if further treatment is needed. Patients can continue to have injections every 4 weeks until 1 year of follow-up (54 weeks). At each injection visit, participants repeat most of the tests described above to evaluate the response to treatment and return a week later for another eye examination.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether terlipressin is safe and effective in the treatment of patients with hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) type 1 when compared to placebo.
This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of 17-DMAG in treating patients with metastatic or unresectable solid tumors or lymphomas. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as 17-DMAG, work in different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die
This phase II trial studies how well tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil works in preventing graft-versus-host disease in patients who have undergone total-body irradiation (TBI) with or without fludarabine phosphate followed by donor peripheral blood stem cell transplant for hematologic cancer. Giving low doses of chemotherapy, such as fludarabine phosphate, and TBI before a donor peripheral blood stem cell transplant helps stop the growth of cancer cells. It also stops the patient's immune system from rejecting the donor's stem cells. The donated stem cells may replace the patient's immune system and help destroy any remaining cancer cells (graft-versus-tumor effect). Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can also make an immune response against the body's normal cells. Giving tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil after the transplant may stop this from happening.
This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of rebeccamycin analog in treating patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or chronic myelogenous leukemia in blast phase. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as rebeccamycin analog, work in different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die
Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is a rare disease with broad clinical signs and symptoms which is diagnosed based on a persistent blood eosinophil count of greater than 1500 cells, various end-organ damages (including skin, heart, lung, nervous system and digestive system etc.), and with exclusion of known secondary causes of hypereosinophilia. HES has a high morbidity/mortality rate. The major treatment of HES has been systemic corticosteroid and other chemotherapeutic drugs (for example, hydroxyurea and interferon) with the intention to lower eosinophil counts and therefore to slow down the progression of disease. Even though corticosteroid and other therapies can effectively reduce eosinophilia in some patients, some may eventually become nonresponsive and intolerable to the amount of side effects of the long-term therapy with these medications. Mepolizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to human interleukin 5 (hIL-5) and inhibits its activity. Previous human experience has shown it has been effective in reducing blood eosinophilia in atopic and HES patients and has alleviated some HES clinical signs and symptoms. This study intends to further evaluate the corticosteroid-sparing and clinical benefit of mepolizumab in HES.
RATIONALE: Giving low doses of chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, and radiation therapy before a donor peripheral blood stem cell transplant helps stop the growth of cancer cells. It also stops the patient's immune system from rejecting the donor's stem cells when they do not exactly match the patient's blood. The donated stem cells may replace the patient's immune system and help destroy any remaining cancer cells (graft-versus-tumor effect). Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can also make an immune response against the body's normal cells. Giving cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil before transplant may stop this from happening. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects of alemtuzumab, fludarabine, and melphalan with or without cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, and total-body irradiation before donor peripheral blood stem cell transplant and to see how well they work in treating patients with relapsed or refractory hematologic cancer.
Drugs used in chemotherapy such as CCI-779 work in different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. This phase II trial is studying how well CCI-779 works in treating patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, or chronic myelogenous leukemia in blastic phase