Active clinical trials for "Graft vs Host Disease"

This study will provide follow-up evaluation and care of patients who have undergone allogeneic (donor) stem cell transplantation at the NIH Clinical Center. Patients are monitored for their response to treatment, disease relapse, and later-occurring effects of the transplant. Patients between 10 and 80 years of age who received a donor stem cell transplant at the NIH Clinical Center under an NHLBI protocol may be eligible for this study. Candidates must have had their first transplant at least 3 years before entering the current study. Participants are generally seen in the clinic every 12 months for some or all of the following procedures: Periodic physical examinations, eye examinations, and blood and urine tests. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy: A sample of bone marrow is obtained for microscopic examination. The patient is given local anesthesia or conscious sedation. An area of the hipbone is numbed, a thin needle is inserted through the skin into the bone, and a small amount of marrow is withdrawn. Tissue biopsy: A small piece of tissue or tumor is obtained for microscopic examination. Depending on the site of the biopsy, the tissue may be removed using a cookie cutter-like "punch" instrument, a needle, or a knife. The area is numbed and the tissue is removed with the appropriate tool. Imaging tests to visualize organs, tissues, and cellular activity in specific tissues. For these tests, the patient lies on a table that slides into the scanner. They may include the following: Nuclear scans use a sensitive camera to track a small amount of radioactive material (radioisotope) that is given to the patient by mouth or through a vein. The scan may show abnormal areas of tissue in the bones, liver, spleen, kidney, brain, thyroid, or spine. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a magnetic field and radio waves to examine small sections of body organs and tissues. Computerized tomography (CT) uses x-rays and can be done from different angles to provide a 3-dimensional view of tissues and organs. Positron emission tomography (PET) uses a fluid with a radioisotope attached to it to show cellular activity in specific tissues. The fluid is given through a vein and travels to the cells that are most active (like cancer cells), showing if there is an actively growing tumor. Pulmonary (lung) function tests: The patient breathes into a machine that measures the volume of air the person can move into and out of the lungs. Heart function tests may include the following: Electrocardiogram (EKG) evaluates the electrical activity of the heart. Electrodes placed on the chest transmit information from the heart to a machine. Echocardiogram (Echo) is an ultrasound test that uses sound waves to create an image of the heart and examine the function of the heart chambers and valves. Multiple gated acquisition scan (MUGA) is a nuclear medicine test that uses a small amount of radioactive chemical injected into a vein. A special scanner creates an image of the heart for examining the beating motion of the muscle. Disease relapse or progression, or transplant-related problems may be treated with standard medical, radiation, or surgical therapy, or patients may be offered experimental therapy.

Dry eye disease, ocular graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis (SLK) are all ocular surface disorders which mostly involve the outer surface of the eye. Many of the ocular surface disorders may result from or be aggravated by the mechanical stress from eyelid blinking. Specifically, SLK is an inflammatory ocular surface disorder characterizing by redundant superior bulbar conjunctiva. Since redundant superior bulbar conjunctiva can cause a significant mechanical force during eyelid blinking, we found that conjunctival resection with Tenon's capsule excision is helpful in relieving the symptoms of SLK patients. Therapeutic contact lens, protecting the ocular surface from the microtrauma between eyelid and ocular surface, is also an effective treatment for severe dry eye disease, ocular GVHD, and SLK. Although shearing force/mechanical stress has been studied in many different tissues and disease entities, the impact of shearing force over ocular surface is still unclear. While the importance of mechanical stress in ocular surface disorder has been reported, the specific molecule involving the pathogenesis is still unknown. Diadenosine polyphosphates are a family of dinucleotides. They can enhance tear secretion and increase corneal wound healing rate from previous reports. Shear-stress stimuli was also noted to be able to induce diadenosine polyphosphates releasing from human corneal epithelium. In addition, mucin, one of the three components of tear film, has been greatly emphasized in the pathogenesis of dry eye disease. There are also some reports about the shearing force compensating the mucin contents in the inflammatory lung/bowel diseases. If diadenosine polyphosphates or mucin indeed play a role in mechanical stress-related ocular surface disorders, it will be a promising therapeutic targeting in the future.

This study is designed to assess the hypothesis that the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activity index can be quantified early after transplantation, as well as the the PhosphoLipid Transfer Protein (PLTP) activity and these both biological variables are independent variables for predicting the risk of severe Graft versus Host Disease (GVHD).

Acute GVHD following allogeneic HCT is an immune-triggered process, leading to profound immune dysregulation and organ dysfunction. Despite pivotal advances, aGVHD is one of the leading causes of non-relapse mortality in patients undergoing HCT. Placenta-derived DSCs, isolated from the fetal membrane of maternal origin, are a type of stromal cells with well-characterized immunosuppressive properties. The current study is designed to assess the safety and efficacy of 4 intravenous (IV) doses of ASC930 DSC cells in aGVHD patients.

Background: Some children/adolescents who have had a stem cell transplant live with chronic graft-versus-host-disease (cGVHD). cGVHD is a side effect of the transplant that can cause multiple bothersome symptoms and negatively affect a child/adolescent squality of daily life. The questionnaires that measure thesymptoms caused by cGVHD are designed for adults. Children/adolescents may not describe their symptoms in the same way. The goal of this research is to improve the way we measure how bothersome these symptoms are for children/adolescents living with cGVHD. Objective: To develop a questionnaire (The Pediatric cGHVD Symptom Scale) for children/adolescents living with cGVHD to identify the symptoms they are experiencing and describe how bothersome those symptoms are to them. An additional goal is to design a parent/guardian companion questionnaire that can be used to capture the symptom experiences of very young children who may not be able to complete a questionnaire. Eligibility: Children/adolescents ages 5-17 who are receiving treatment for cGVHD after a stem cell transplant, and their parent/guardian.. Design: This study consists of 2 projects. Children/adolescents with cGVHD and their parent/guardianparticipants will be grouped by the child/adolescent s age: 5-7, 8-12, and 13-17. In project 1, participants will complete an age-appropriate questionnaire about cGVHD symptoms. The questionnaire will ask about the child/adolescent s physical functioning and emotional well-being. The parent/guardian will out fill out a companion questionnaire online. The child/adolescent will then review their completed questionnaire during an interview with a researcher and will be asked whether the questions about their symptoms were difficult to understand. The parent/guardian and child/adolescent will then be interviewed together to further explore their responses to the questionnaires. Interviews will be done in person, by phone, and online. . Based on what is learned through these interviews, the wording of the questionnaire will be improved for better comprehension and ease of response. In project 2, participants will complete this revised questionnairefor their age group along with some other questionnaires that ask about quality of life. Both the child/adolescent and parent/guardian will fill out the questionnaires online at three separate time points. In both projects, children/adolescents with cGVHD and their parent/guardian participants will be grouped by the child/adolescent s age: 5-7, 8-12, and 13-17. ...

In children receiving a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), blood levels of TNFalpha (an inflammatory cytokine) at the onset of the acute GVHD (graft-versus-host disease) could be correlated with the severity of the disease. The hypothesis is that the highest infliximab (a biologic drug against TNFalpha) could be associated with a significant reduction in TNFa levels and, subsequently, with a faster remission of the symptoms and prevention of disease progression. Moreover, a rapid drop of infliximab serum concentration, documented by therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), could be related to the active phase of GVHD and higher production of TNFalpha. Therefore, the study is aimed at investigating whether the drop in infliximab plasma concentrations could be associated with clinical response and production of TNFalpha. HSCT children receiving infliximab to control GVHD are enrolled. Blood samples will be collected during treatment and they serve to measure drug and TNFalpha concentrations. Drug levels are analyzed by a population pharmacokinetic modeling and results are compared with plasma concentrations of TNFalfa and clinical response.

This study is a prospective, open-label, multi-center, non-comparative, observational study to assess safety and effectiveness of Jakavi® (ruxolitinib) in the real-world clinical setting in Korean Graft-versus-Host disease (GvHD) patients

The investigators will examine whether a combination of at-home nucleic acid amplification tests, on-demand telemedicine, and delivery of prescriptions such as Paxlovid quickly after testing positive for COVID-19, can reduce severe outcomes and hospitalization of immunocompromised patients and those who are 65 years and older. They will also analyze whether these efforts lower the cost of care compared to standard of care.

The CliniMACS® device is FDA-approved only for one indication (CD34+ selection). Additional use of this device outside of this indication requires the use of feasibility studies. Children, adolescents and young adults with malignant and non-malignant conditions undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplants will have stem cells selected using alpha-beta+/CD19+ cell depletion. This is a single arm feasibility study using this processing of peripheral stem cells with alternative donor sources (haploidentical, mismatched, matched unrelated) to determine efficacy as seen by engraftment and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

Range of motion, antropometric measurements, quality of life questionnaire and 2 minutes walk test will be implemented as an initial assessment. Physical exercise program will take 2 sessions a week for six months, and several follow-ups: before, during and after treatment.