4 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The purpose of this study is to better understand whether and to what extent the activity of immune cells in blood varies over time under normal conditions as assessed in healthy subjects. Results of this study will provide the foundation for helping us evaluate changes in immune cell activities in response to surgery and drugs used in anesthesia. The overall purpose of our research is to understand immune health in the context of anesthesia and surgery.
Background: The immune system defends the body against bacteria and other harmful invaders. But it can overact and attack healthy cells by mistake. The group of drugs called glucocorticoids (GCs) can calm down an overactive immune system. But they often cause negative side effects. Researchers want to learn how human genes respond to GCs. Genes live inside each cell of the body. They tell our cells how to function. Researchers hope the results of this study will show them how to develop better drugs that will have the benefits of GCs without the side effects. Objectives: To study how human genes respond to glucocorticoid drugs. Eligibility: Healthy adult volunteers ages 18-64. Design: Participants will be screened with a medical history and physical exam. They will have a heart test and blood tests. The study visit will last about 6 hours. Participants will have medical history, physical exam, and 3 blood draws. Participants will have a skin biopsy. An injection will numb the skin on one arm. Then a tool will remove a piece of skin about as big as a pencil eraser. A GC cream will be applied to the other arm. Participants will get the GC study drug for 30 minutes. It will be a liquid that will drip through a needle placed in an arm vein. Participants will have a skin biopsy of the arm that had the cream applied. Participants will have follow-up calls 1 and 4 days later. They will be asked about reactions or other health problems.
Background: - One form of the influenza vaccine is a nasal spray. It uses a live but weakened flu virus. Researchers want to better under how the live vaccine interacts with the body s immune system. They will test the nasal spray flu vaccine (called FluMist) against a saline (salt water) nasal spray. They will then look at blood and nasal cell samples to see how the vaccine affects these cells immune response. Objectives: - To look at immune changes in nasal and blood cells in people who receive live flu vaccine. Eligibility: - Healthy volunteers between 18 and 49 years of age. Design: * Participants will have five outpatient visits for this study. Each visit will last up to 2 hours. * At the first visit, participants will have a physical exam and medical history. They will give blood and urine samples. Nasal cell samples will also be collected. * A week later, participants will have either the nasal spray flu vaccine or a saline spray. They will know which spray they will receive. Blood samples will be collected. * Two days after the vaccination, they will have another physical exam. Blood and nasal cell samples will be collected. * At the final two visits (1 week and 1 month after the vaccination), more blood samples will be collected. * Those who had the saline spray will be able to have the actual vaccine spray at the last study visit. * The ratio of participants who receive vaccine to those who receive saline will be 4:1.
This study is designed to collect longitudinal biological samples from patients after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) cared for at multiple bone marrow transplant centers to validate biomarkers of both acute and chronic GVHD as well as for use in future unspecified research. The centers include Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston's Children's Hospital, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Texas Children's Hospital, Children's National Medical Center, and Indiana University Simon Cancer Center.