View clinical trials related to Von Hippel-Lindau Disease.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to determine whether PTK787/ZK 222584 is effective in treating hemangioblastoma of the brain and/or retina in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease. The study will also assess safety and tolerability of PTK787/ZK 222584, and changes in markers of angiogenesis (new blood vessel growth).
The purpose of this study is to learn more about the growth of brain and spinal cord tumors and cysts that develop in association with them in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease. It will examine how fast the tumors grow and try to determine what factors (for example, puberty , pregnancy, menopause, blood proteins, etc.) affect their growth. Patients between the ages of 8 and 75 years who are enrolled in NIH s study of von Hippel-Lindau disease may be eligible for this 5-year study. Participants will have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and spinal cord and a thorough neurological history and examination at the start of the study. A blood sample will be taken for analysis of factors (hormones or other proteins) that may predict tumor growth. Follow-up clinic visits every 6 months will include a physical and neurological examination, blood tests, and MRI scans of the brain and spine. If symptoms or tumor growth requires more frequent follow-up, scans will be done at 3-month intervals. Surgical removal of brain and spinal cord tumors is currently the treatment of choice when these lesions cause neurological problems. A better understanding of which tumors are likely to grow and which will remain stable may help guide physicians in treatment decisions and avoid unnecessary procedures.
The Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) Disease Genetic Epidemiology Study is a family-based case-control study to be conducted by the National Cancer Institute. The study subjects are 603 individuals who were determined to belong to families with VHL disease confirmed through screening under NIH protocol #89-C-0086 between 1988 and 1998. There are 293 patient volunteers with VHL disease and 310 volunteer patients free of VHL disease, most of whom have already had genetic testing for mutations in the VHL gene. Adults as well as children aged 13 - 17 will be included. All subjects will give informed consent prior to participation; for minor subjects, assent will be obtained from the minor and consent from the parent/guardian. This protocol provides the potential to benefit people with VHL disease (although not necessarily the study subjects themselves) and possibly people with sporadic (non-hereditary) forms of the tumors which occur in VHL disease. The risks and discomfort associated with this study are minor. The present protocol is a new epidemiologic component to VHL research at NIH which will relate the expression of VHL tumors to lifestyle factors (tobacco and alcohol use; physical activity), occupational exposures, reproductive and hormonal factors, demographic factors, medication use, diet, and putative susceptibility genes. Information will be collected by telephone interview and a written, self-administered diet questionnaire. A cheek cell sample will be obtained for analyses of genetic polymorphisms. Medical records will be obtained to document events reported by the subject at interview. Primary comparisons will be between VHL patients with a particular manifestation and VHL patients who are free of that condition. Additional comparisons may be made with unaffected family members who lack a mutation in the VHL gene, as appropriate.
The von Hippel Lindau (VHL) gene has recently been identified as the genetic defect resulting in a syndrome of multiple neoplasias. Patients with VHL disease develop retinal angiomata, renal cysts and/or carcinomas, CNS hemangioblastomas as well as pancreatic cysts and pheochromocytomas. Investigators have shown the gene to be a tumor suppressor type proto-oncogene located at chromosomal locus 3p26. The gene includes three exons whose gene product targets a cellular transcription factor Elongin SIII. Binding of the VHL proteins to two subunits of this elongation factor inhibits transcription and may play a crucial role in the clinical development of the von Hippel Lindau phenotype.
We will investigate the clinical manifestations and molecular genetic defects of heritable urologic malignant disorders. Families with urologic malignancy with known or suspected genetic basis will be enrolled. Affected individuals or individuals suspected of having a germline urologic malignant disorder will undergo periodic clinical assessment and genetic analyses for the purpose of: 1) definition and characterization of phenotype, 2) determination of the natural history of the disorder, and 3) genotype/phenotype correlation. Genetic linkage studies may be performed in situations in which the genetic basis of the disorder has not been elucidated. ...