Active clinical trials for "Fibrosis"

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the safety, tolerability and pharmacodynamics of SB656933 in patients that have cystic fibrosis

This is a pilot study including 20 cirrhotic patients that will be randomized to receive during 3 months leucine vs leucine plus a programme of physical exercise specially designed for cirrhotic patients. The hypothesis is that physical exercise in cirrhotic patients could increase muscle mass (and therefore glutamine synthetase activity leading to a higher blood ammonium clearance) and quality of life. Safety of physical exercise in cirrhotic patients will be strictly assessed.

This study investigated the effectiveness and safety of oltipraz therapy in treating patients with cirrhosis induced by chronic hepatitis type B or C.

The purpose of this study is to test the safety and efficacy of the final commercial formulation of an antioxidant enriched multivitamin supplement in softgel capsule form (AquADEKs) in increasing the plasma levels of certain nutrients and antioxidants in individuals with cystic fibrosis. Hypothesis: An oral antioxidant-rich multivitamin supplement (AquADEKs), which uses a Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) molecule to form micelle-like vehicles, will safely increase systemic levels of beta-carotene, coenzyme Q10, and gamma-tocopherol, decrease PIVKA-II levels, while maintaining levels of vitamins A and D in the normal range in persons with CF > 10 years of age.

Acute systemic hyperglycemia causes oxidative stress and a pro-inflammatory response. The pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by hyperglycemia are toxic to islet insulin producing cells, and thus worsen glucose intolerance. Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) have a high prevalence of CF related diabetes (CFRD) and up to 40% of CF adults develop CFRD. During the prediabetic phase in CF, there is progression from normal glucose homeostasis to high risk prediabetes characterized by episodes of acute hyperglycemia after meals and during respiratory exacerbations. The mild hyperglycemia seen in CF patients with high risk prediabetes following a meal would be expected to induce a degree of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. These repetitive episodes, if left unchecked, could lead to progression of glucose impairment, worsening severity of oxidative stress and inflammation, and ultimately the development of CFRD, all via hyperglycemia-induced toxicity to beta cells. Furthermore, this process may be accelerated in CF because lung disease and resultant respiratory exacerbations are associated with oxidative stress and inflammation and this will further contribute to beta cell damage. Sitagliptin is a recently approved agent for type 2 diabetes and markedly enhances insulin secretion in the presence of hyperglycemia and has been shown to be effective in preventing postprandial hyperglycemia. The hypothesis to be tested in this project is that sitagliptin will prevent the development of CFRD in CF subjects with high risk prediabetes by blocking postprandial hyperglycemia. The investigators propose a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, 15-month longitudinal study in 118 CF subjects with high risk prediabetes to test this hypothesis. Specifically, the investigators aim to show that chronic treatment with sitagliptin: prevents the conversion to diabetes; results in preservation of beta cell function; reduces systemic measures of oxidative stress and inflammation; and slows the rate of progression of lung disease. Funding Source - FDA Office of Orphan Products Development

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ivacaftor in subjects with cystic fibrosis aged 6 to 11 years who have the G551D mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Ivacaftor is a potent and selective potentiator of wild-type, G551D, F508del, and R117H forms of human CFTR protein. Potentiators are pharmacological agents that increase the chloride ion transport properties of the channel in the presence of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) activation.

Cirrhosis is a diffuse lesion characterized by architectural distortion of the liver because of collagen deposition and development of nodules of regenerating hepatocytes. It is an irreversible change that results from diseases characterized by chronic liver injury (Fujimoto, 2000). Cirrhosis alters the pattern of blood flow through the liver and results in impaired perfusion of hepatic lobules with intrahepatic and extrahepatic shunting of blood. This deprives hepatocytes of uniform perfusion by arterial and portal venous blood resulting in both portal hypertension and other consequences of cirrhosis including impaired protein synthesis and altered drug metabolism. The histologic diagnosis of cirrhosis requires the presence of regenerative nodules or pseudolobules completely encircled by fibrosis such as congenital hepatic fibrosis can result in portal hypertension in the absence of cirrhosis (Anthony et al., 1977). The events leading to the development of cirrhosis are generally those of chronic injury with hepatocyte destruction. Acute severe liver injury as in fulminant viral hepatitis does not result in cirrhosis and the liver generally returns to normal after recovery. Cirrhosis can be classified by macroscopic appearance, by cause, and by histologic appearance and location of liver damage. Micronodular cirrhosis is composed of uniform nodules less than 3 mm in diameter, whereas macronodular cirrhosis has varying size nodules greater than 3 mm diameter. Mixed nodular cirrhosis has nodules of both sizes. Some liver diseases such as alcoholic liver disease may present as micronodular cirrhosis and develop larger nodules with subsequent regeneration of hepatocytes. For this reason, many prefer etiologic classification (e.g., alcoholic cirrhosis). The designation of cirrhosis as post necrotic, biliary and portal are still commonly used and imply predominant histologic location of fibrosis. Cirrhosis is an irreversible disease, and attempts should be made to stabilize the patient and to control the cause. Factors that indicate a poor outcome include an elevated prothrombin time that does not correct itself with parenteral vitamin K, upper gastrointestinal bleeding caused by varices, ascites refractory to therapy, increased age of the patient, sever malnutrition, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, a pronounced increase of serum bilirubin in the absence of haemolysis, and heptocellular carcinoma (Yeh et al., 2003). In general, all causes of upper GI bleeding are associated with an increased mortality in patients with cirrhosis. For those with alcoholic cirrhosis who lack portal hypertension, survival is similar to an age-matched cohort if alcohol intake is stopped (Nakamura et al., 1991). If ethanol consumption continues, mortality is higher. Cirrhosis can be present without clinically significant complications and be identified only at autopsy or during evaluation of abnormal liver tests (Mendez et al., 2003). However, for many patients the disease is slowly progressive resulting in one or more complications. The clinical manifestations of cirrhosis are a result of altered hepatic blood flow through the liver with intrahepatic shunting causing impaired perfusion of hepatocytes or portal hypertension with shunting of blood around the liver though portosystemic communications. The major complications of portal hypertension include oesophageal or gastric varices, ascites, portosystemic encephalopathy, and hepatorenal-syndrome (Menon & Kamath, 2000). With impairment of hepatocyte perfusion or reduction of hepatocyte number, altered synthetic function can result in hypoalbuminemia, hypoprothrombinemia, and changes in drug metabolism. Vitalliver is a Chinese medicine which is administered in the form of a suppository, which is uncommon for most Chinese medicines. Medications released from the suppositories are absorbed directly from the circulation around the rectum and then reach the liver via the portal vein. Basic pharmacological studies have shown that Vitalliver has good immunomodulating functions, increases the activities of T-cells, B-cells and NK cells, therefore this formulation may have special values in treating liver diseases.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease for which there is no effective treatment. Interferon-gamma is a medication that has been used for other lung diseases to decrease scarring and fibrosis. Studies of interferon-gamma injected under the skin did not show any improvement in survival in patients with IPF. We hypothesize that giving interferon-gamma as a nebulized mist directly into the lungs can affect the immune system in a way that decreases fibrosis.

The primary purpose of the trial is adopted Fuzheng Huayu tablets against posthepatitic cirrhosis, and to build a standard evaluation system for efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The second purpose is according to the international clinical guideline and the specialty of TCM to build a standard clinical trial regulation for traditional Chinese medicine.

The purpose of this research study is to determine if multiple doses of two inhaled drugs will help Cystic Fibrosis patients whose lungs are infected with a bacteria called Burkholderia dolosa. The names of these drugs are tobramycin solution for inhalation and amiloride solution for inhalation. Currently, treating patients with Burkholderia dolosa infections is challenging because the bacteria is resistant to antibiotics. Therefore, researchers are looking for drugs which, when taken with an antibiotic, will help the antibiotic to work more effectively.