Active clinical trials for "Inflammation"

According to scientific literature, oils containing omega-3 fatty acids may decrease certain risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as blood pressure, blood level of triglycerides (TGs) and cholesterol. The omega-3 index (amount of EPA + DHA in the blood) is a recognized biomarker for assessing risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Its optimal value is 8% compared to the Canadian population average of only 4.5%. The scientific literature contains several good studies on omega-3 fatty acids, however, it is difficult to compare dose-response relationships between studies since formulations are not similar and markers of exposure to treatment are not standardized. The AA/EPA ratio, combined with the omega-3 index, is a good way to monitor the increase in omega-3 levels in the blood, but especially to determine the inflammatory status of a patient. Indeed, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is a fatty acid with inflammation-resolving properties, while arachidonic acid (AA) is a pro-inflammatory agent. A high AA/EPA ratio therefore indicates a high inflammatory status while a low ratio indicates a better balance between active inflammation and its resolution. Moreover, it was published in 2018 that a AA/EPA ratio of around 3 was directly associated with a 25% reduction in the relative risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the investigator wants to determine the minimum MAG-EPA dose needed to achieve an AA/EPA ratio equivalent to 4g of EPA in the form of ethyl ester (EE-EPA). It is reasonable to estimate that 2g of MAG-EPA should be sufficient to produce an average AA/EPA ratio around 3.1.

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) leads to alterations in brain structure and function by spinal nerve damage, secondary inflammatory responses, and by the consequences of living with paralysis and neuropathic pain. Physical inactivity due to lower body paralysis rapidly leads to loss of muscle, and risk of heart disease. The leading cause of death after a spinal cord injury is cardiovascular disease, and just a year after injury, those with SCI have a peak exercise capacity half that of the unfit general population. The good news is that aerobic exercise reduces the risk of chronic metabolic and cardiorespiratory diseases, reduces inflammation and pain, and increases mood and quality of life. Exercise can also reduce brain inflammation, enhance endogenous analgesia, and increases the size of the hippocampus. The issue is that muscle paralysis in SCI restricts the ability to achieve the levels of exercise that is necessary for broad analgesic, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective benefits. Arm exercise can have some effects on heart and lung capacity, but the small muscle mass is insufficient to produce more than modest aerobic work. With functional electrical stimulation (FES), leg muscles that are paralyzed can be made to contract, thereby allowing more of the body to be exercised. The full rowing stroke is produced by both the (stimulated) legs and arms, increasing the active muscle mass and resulting in an aerobic work-out that is intensive enough to improve heart, lung, and - maybe - brain function. In this clinical trial of sub-acute spinal cord injured subjects, the investigators will study how 12 weeks of FES-RT, in comparisons to 12 weeks of wait-list, changes pain, brain structure, endogenous opioid function and brain inflammation. The investigators will measure changes using positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The investigators hypothesize a decrease in pain interference, an increase in hippocampal volume, increased endogenous opioid transmission in the periaqueductal gray, and decreased hippocampus neuroinflammation.

The Trial Assessing Light-Intensity Exercise on the Health of Older Breast Cancer Survivors pilot randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of a home-based, light-intensity physical activity intervention among 56 obese, older adult breast cancer survivors, in comparison to a usual care control condition.

This study examines how a fermentable dietary fibre known to promote butyrate production impacts intestinal barrier function, intestinal microbiota, intestinal inflammation, and gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with microscopic colitis.

Platelets are primarily known for their central role in primary hemostasis. However, they are increasingly recognized for their participation in various non-hemostatic processes, such as cancer progression and clinical expression. Experimental and clinical data indicate that the involvement of platelets in the pathophysiology of cancer goes far beyond the realm of cancer-associated thrombosis. Several experimental studies have shown that platelets can promote the metastatic process by various mechanisms. However, while it has been shown in vitro that direct contact with platelets initiates tumor cells for metastasis, it remains unclear whether such contacts occur in solid tumors. In addition to their ability to promote metastasis, platelets have been shown to stimulate angiogenesis and play a crucial role in lymphangiogenesis. Considering that blood vessels, lymphatics and immune cells are major components of the tumor ecosystem, our hypothesis is that platelets contribute to the development and / or regulation of the tumor microenvironment. This is because platelets stabilize tumor blood vessels by permanently repairing vascular damage caused by immune cells infiltrating tumors. Targeting platelets destabilizes tumor vessels, causing intra-tumor hemorrhage, which allows intra-tumor accumulation of intravenously administered anti-tumor drugs such as paclitaxel and improves their efficacy. Studies have also reported the role of platelets in several pathogenic mechanisms of cancer: thrombocytosis is a paraneoplastic syndrome which suggests a poor prognosis in patients with solid tumors; a negative correlation between the platelet count and the response to chemotherapy has been reported in several types of cancer; histological analyzes of esophageal cancer suggested a possible association between the presence of platelets in the tumor stroma and the level of tumor lymphangiogenesis and lymphovascular invasion; finally, a recent study reported the expression of one of the main targets of immunotherapies, PD-L1, on the platelets of patients suffering from different types of solid cancers. All of these data support our hypothesis that platelets are components and / or regulators of the tumor microenvironment and therefore potential targets for the improvement of anti-tumor therapies. In this context, the objectives of our project are to determine whether platelets are components of the microenvironment of tumors of the central nervous system, and to study the possible correlations between the intratumoral presence of platelets and the evolution of patients with central nervous system tumors

Almonds are a good source of beneficial compounds. This study will investigate if eating almonds everyday for 12 weeks can affect gut health and inflammation in persons with metabolic syndrome. Investigators will measure changes in metabolism, heart health, and the levels of vitamins and other compounds from almonds.

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the influenza vaccine will shed important light on how the immune system responds to different positive and negative social experiences. Building on the nuanced animal literature showing that, while animals exposed to an inflammatory challenge show reductions in social exploration consistent with the sickness behavior of social withdrawal, they actually show increases in social engagement behavior during interactions with a cage mate or pair-bonded animal. The present study will examine if a mild inflammatory challenge (receipt of the influenza vaccine) leads to change in actual social behavior in interactions, specifically toward a stranger and separately, toward a close friend. This study will also build on foundational animal research showing that an inflammatory challenge leads to social defeat behaviors in animals.

A randomized, double blind, study of dronabinol as a palliative agent in the treatment of pain, inflammation, and other complications of sickle cell disease (SCD).

The immune system helps prevent illness, fights off infections, and repairs damaged tissues following an injury. However, when immune cells remain active for prolonged periods of time - a state known as "chronic inflammation" - they can contribute to the development and progression of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Exercise can reduce the risk of developing many of these diseases and at least part of the health benefits of exercise are due to the ability of exercise to reduce "chronic inflammation". The inflammation-lowering effects of exercise are typically captured by measuring hormone-like molecules released from immune cells called "cytokines" in the blood. In addition to changes in circulating cytokine levels, exercise may also alter how immune cells respond to these cytokines. How exercise intensity (i.e., how hard you are working during exercise) and pattern (i.e., exercising as a long continuous bout or in short intervals) impact the ability of immune cells to respond to cytokines is not well understood. A better understanding of how exercise intensity and pattern of exercise for reducing chronic inflammation may help determine the best types of exercises for improving health and preventing chronic diseases.

A large body of evidence on depression heterogeneity point to an "immunometabolic" subtype characterized by the clustering of immunometabolic dysregulations with atypical behavioral symptoms related to energy homeostasis. Motivational and motor impairments reflected by symptoms of anhedonia and psychomotor retardation in major depression are closely related to alterations in energy homeostasis, are associated with increased inflammation, and may be a direct consequence of the impact of inflammatory cytokines on the dopamine system in the brain. In the proposed project, the investigators will examine the effect of dopamine stimulation on motivation and motor function in patients with major depression and healthy controls and the role of inflammation using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over design. If successful, this study would provide crucial evidence that pharmacologic strategies that increase dopamine may effectively treat inflammation-related symptoms of anhedonia and psychomotor retardation in major depression.