Active clinical trials for "Paraproteinemias"

To see if it is possible to use short-duration tacrolimus after a peripheral blood stem cell transplant in certain malignancies that are considered difficult to engraft.

This phase II trial studies how well lenalidomide and ofatumumab work in treating participants with previously treated chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as lenalidomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Monoclonal antibodies, such as ofatumumab, may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving lenalidomide and ofatumumab may work better in treating participants with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma

We postulate that the combination of IL-2 and GM-CSF immunotherapy will efficiently mobilize autologous peripheral blood stem cells and activated immune effector cells in patients with a hematologic malignancy. These activated effector cells will improve the immune function of the graft. These hypotheses will be tested using this proposed clinical trial to mobilize autologous peripheral blood stem cells pre-transplantation.

Patients with monoclonal gammopathies either benign or malignant may develop inflammatory symptoms such as Schnitzler syndrome. We proposed to name those cases as monoclonal gammopathy of inflammatory significance, or MGIS. The aim of the study is to search for inflammatory pathway that may be activated in case MGIS and to search if the genetic of tumoral cell could explain those activations.

To assess the treatment related mortality of allogeneic stem cell transplantation with non-myeloablative therapy incorporating the lymphodepleting MAb CAMPATH-1H, in patients with hematological diseases and renal cell carcinoma not eligible for conventional (myeloablative) therapy. To assess the time to engraftment and incidence of graft failure in patients receiving this transplant regimen. To assess the safety, pharmacokinetics and immunologic activity of CAMPATH-1H when used as part of a subablative conditioning regimen.

The purpose of this study is to determine if siltuximab has an effect on the heart function measured by ECG recordings and more specifically to determine if siltuximab has an effect on the QT interval in patients with Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS), Smoldering Multiple Myeloma (SMM) or Indolent Multiple Myeloma (IMM). The study will also look to see if siltuximab may be useful in treating patients with MGUS, SMM or IMM.

Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of imatinib mesylate in treating patients who have advanced cancer and liver dysfunction

Chronic Inflammatory Demylinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) is an autoimmune condition affecting the nervous system. Researchers believe the immune system begins attacking the cells covering nerves called myelin. The destruction of myelin causes muscle weakness, loss of sensation, abnormal levels of protein in the fluid surrounding the brain (CSF), and slowing of the nervous system. The disease progresses slowly and disables patients suffering from it. CIDP is treated with steroids, plasmapheresis, and immunosuppressive drugs. Many patients initially respond to these treatments, but develop resistance to the therapy or experience side effects causing the treatments to be stopped. Researchers believe that intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) may provide patients with CIDP a safer and more effective alternative to standard therapies for the disease. IVIg is a drug that has been used successfully to treat other immune-related diseases of the nervous system. However, because IVIg is so expensive, researchers believe it should first be proven effective on a small group of patients. The study will take 60 patients with CIDP and divide them into two groups. Group one will receive 2 injections of IVIg once a month for three months. Group two will receive 2 injections of placebo "inactive injection of sterile water" once a month for three months. Following the three months of treatment, group one will begin taking the placebo and group two will begin taking IVIg for an additional 3 months. The drug will be considered effective if patients receiving it experience a significant improvement (>25%) in muscle strength.

Screening study to determine incidence of MGUS in this patient population

The purpose of the study is to learn about the effects of the drug, lenalidomide (Revlimid®), on neuropathy (damage to the nerves that affect feelings and strength) associated with Nonmalignant Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS).