View clinical trials related to Aplastic Anemia.
Filter by:This study will explore the role of oral contraceptive pills in managing uterine bleeding in women who have low blood platelet counts as a result of aplastic anemia. Oral contraceptive pills have been shown to be effective in managing uterine bleeding in healthy women, but the effects have not been thoroughly studied in women who have low platelet counts. The purpose of the study is to determine whether oral contraceptive pills are a useful complement to platelet transfusions in women with aplastic anemia and uterine bleeding. Volunteers for this study must be women between 12 and 55 years of age who have been diagnosed with aplastic anemia (with a platelet count of less than 50,000/microliter) and currently have active uterine bleeding. Candidates must not be pregnant or breastfeeding, must have a uterus and at least one functioning ovary, and must be willing to use nonhormonal methods of birth control (such as condoms or a diaphragm) for the duration of the study. On the first visit, candidates will be screened with a complete medical history (including obstetric and gynecological history) and will undergo a physical examination, a pelvic exam and a pelvic ultrasound. Blood and urine samples will also be taken on this first visit. The study will last approximately two weeks. Participants will be asked to monitor their medication doses and severity of bleeding during the course of the study. After the first visit, participants will be separated into two randomized groups and will receive either one tablet of oral contraceptive or a placebo twice daily, to be taken 12 hours apart at the same times each day. Participants will also receive platelet transfusions as needed to ensure that their platelet counts remain over 20,000/microliter. After seven days, researchers will assess participants' uterine bleeding and all participants will be given oral contraceptives in the second week of the study. Participants whose bleeding has decreased will receive only one tablet; participants who still have moderate to severe uterine bleeding will receive two tablets. A final assessment will be performed on day 14 of the study.
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation may provide long-term remissions for some patients with hematological malignancies. However, allogeneic transplantation is associated with a significant risk of potentially life threatening complications due to the effects of chemotherapy and radiation on the body and the risks of serious infection. In addition, patients may develop a condition called Graft versus host disease that arises from an inflammatory reaction of the donor cells against the recipient's normal tissues. The risk of graft versus host disease is somewhat increased in patients who are receiving a transplant from an unrelated donor. One approach to reduce the toxicity of allogeneic transplantation is a strategy call nonmyeloablative or "mini" transplants. In this approach, patients receive a lower dose of chemotherapy in an effort to limit treatment related side effects. Patients undergoing this kind of transplant remain at risk for graft versus host disease particularly if they receive a transplant from an unrelated donor. The purpose of this research study is to examine the ability of a drug called CAMPATH-1H to reduce the risk of graft versus host disease and make transplantation safer. CAMPATH-1H binds to and eliminates cells in the system such as T cells that can cause graft versus host disease (GvHD). As a result, earlier studies have shown that patients who receive CAMPATH-1H with an allogeneic transplant have a lower risk of GvHD. In the present study, we will examine the impact of treatment with CAMPATH-1H as part of an allogeneic transplant on the development of GvHD and infection. In addition, we will study the effects of CAMPATH-1H on the immune system by testing blood samples in the laboratory.
The primary objective of this study is to examine transplant related mortality (TRM) at 100 days <30%. A TRM of >50% is considered unacceptable. This study also seeks a TRM at 12 months that is <50%, engraftment >90% (defined as donor cells >80% at 6 months), and 1 year overall survival >50%.
The goal of this clinical research study is to find out the best dose of cyclophosphamide that can be given with fludarabine, antithymocyte globulin (ATG), and low-dose total body irradiation (TBI) to patients before a bone marrow transplant to decrease the risks related to the transplant while not decreasing the effectiveness of the transplant from an unrelated donor.
To assess the tolerability and effectiveness of rabbit antithymocyte globulin (ATG, Thymoglobuline) with ciclosporin in the first line treatment of patients with acquired severe aplastic anaemia, and patients with non-severe aplastic anaemia and who are transfusion dependent.
Transplantation with stem cells is a standard therapy in many centers around the world. Previous experience with stem cell transplantation therapy for leukemias, lymphomas, other cancers, aplastic anemia and other non-malignant diseases, has led to prolonged disease-free survival or cure for some patients. However, the high doses of pre-transplant radiation and chemotherapy drugs used, and the type of drugs used, often cause many side effects that are intolerable for some patients. Slow recovery of blood counts is a frequent complication of high dose pre-transplant regimens, resulting in a longer period of risk for bleeding and infection plus a longer time in the hospital. Recent studies have shown that using lower doses of radiation and chemotherapy (ones that do not completely kill all of the patient's bone marrow cells) before blood or bone marrow transplant, may be a better treatment for high risk patients, such as those with Dyskeratosis Congenita (DC) or Severe Aplastic Anemia(SAA). These low dose transplants may result in shorter periods of low blood counts, and blood counts that do not go as low as with traditional pre-transplant radiation and chemotherapy. Furthermore, in patients with Dyskeratosis Congenita or SAA, the stem cell transplant will replace the blood forming cells with healthy cells. It has recently been shown that healthy marrow can take and grow after transplantation which uses doses of chemotherapy and radiation that are much lower than that given to patients with leukemia. While high doses of chemotherapy and radiation may be necessary to get rid of leukemia, this may not be important to patients with Dyskeratosis Congenita or SAA. The purpose of this research is to see if this lower dose chemotherapy and radiation regimen followed by transplant is a safe and effective treatment for patients with Dyskeratosis Congenita or SAA.
Primary Objectives: 1. To determine the feasibility and toxicity of employing purine-analog based conditioning for allogeneic donor stem cell transplantation in patients with severe aplastic anemia (AA). 2. To determine the engraftment kinetics and degree of chimerism that can be achieved with this strategy.
RATIONALE: Giving chemotherapy and total-body irradiation before a donor umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant helps stop the growth of abnormal cells. It also helps stop the patient's immune system from rejecting the donor's stem cells. When the healthy stem cells from a donor are infused into the patient they may help the patient's bone marrow make stem cells, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can make an immune response against the body's normal cells. Giving cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil before and after transplant may stop this from happening. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of total-body irradiation when given together with cyclophosphamide and antithymocyte globulin in treating patients with severe aplastic anemia undergoing umbilical cord blood transplant.
This clinical trial is studying how well giving cyclophosphamide together with anti-thymocyte globulin followed by methotrexate and cyclosporine works in preventing chronic graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) in patients with severe aplastic anemia undergoing donor bone marrow transplant. Giving low doses of chemotherapy, such as cyclophosphamide, before a donor bone marrow transplant helps stop the growth of abnormal 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 abnormal cells. Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can also make an immune response against the body's normal cells. Giving anti-thymocyte globulin before and methotrexate and cyclosporine after transplant may stop this from happening
This study is for patients with Severe Aplastic Anemia (SAA). A stem cell transplant from a genetically matched sibling donor can help or cure this disease in 85 to 100 percent of patients. Stem cells are immature blood cells that grow to become red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets. A genetic "match" means a brother or sister has same immune type (HLA type) as the patient. Unfortunately, few patients have a matched sibling donor. The chance of negative outcomes is much higher with other types of donors. This study will test the success of a new approach to stem cell transplant for SAA. Patients in this study will receive drugs and radiation treatment to destroy their diseased bone marrow and to prepare them for stem cell transplant. Bone marrow is the tissue inside the bones where stem cells are made.Stem cells will be harvested from the blood or bone marrow of genetically matched unrelated donors or partially matched family donors. The stem cells will be filtered using a new device that is currently under study. The patients will receive large doses of the filtered stem cells (stem cell graft). Researchers want to find out how the study treatment affects patients, the disease, and the chances for survival.