9 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The human BK polyomavirus is a significant risk factor for renal transplant dysfunction and allograft loss. The prevalence of BK viremia (BKV) following kidney transplantation is estimated to be 10-20%.
This phase I/II trial studies the side effects and how well localized radiation therapy or recombinant interferon beta and avelumab with or without cellular adoptive immunotherapy works in treating patients with Merkel cell carcinoma that has spread to other parts of the body. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Interferon beta is a substance that can improve the body's natural response and may interfere with the growth of tumor cells. Monoclonal antibodies, such as avelumab, may help T lymphocytes kill tumor cells. For cellular adoptive immunotherapy, specific white blood cells are collected from the patient's blood and treated in the laboratory to recognize Merkel cell carcinoma. Infusing these cells back into the patient may help the body build an effective immune response to kill Merkel cell carcinoma. Giving localized radiation therapy or recombinant interferon beta and avelumab with or without cellular adoptive immunotherapy may be a better treatment for Merkel cell carcinoma.
This phase II trial studies how well donor cytotoxic T lymphocytes work in treating patients with malignancies with BK and/or JC virus. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes are made from donated blood cells that are grown in the laboratory and are designed to kill viruses that can cause infections in transplant patients and may be an effective treatment in patients with malignancies with BK and/or JC virus.
This is a pilot study using cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) manufactured with the Miltenyi CliniMACS Prodigy Gamma-capture system will be effective in decreasing specific viral load in patients with BK virus viremia and BK virus-associated symptoms post-allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), renal transplantation, and chemotherapy.
BK infection is an important cause of graft dysfunction and graft loss after renal transplantation. It has been widely accepted that emergence of BK virus correlates with the more potent immunosuppressive agents used to lower acute rejection rates. In contrast to other opportunistic infections after transplantation, for which routine prophylactic agents are administered, there is no effective agent for the prevention of BK infection. Some data, however, suggests that quinolone antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin may have activity against BK virus. This has led us to investigate whether routine, short-term ciprofloxacin administration post-transplant can lower the incidence of BK infection.
This research study is evaluating the reactivation of BK virus in patients who have undergone allogeneic hematopoietic-cell transplantation.
The subjects eligible for this trial have a type of blood cell cancer, other blood disease or a genetic disease for which they will receive a stem cell transplant. The donor of the stem cells will be either the subject's brother or sister, or another relative, or a closely matched unrelated donor. The Investigators are asking subjects to participate in this study which tests if blood cells from the subject's donor that have been grown in a special way, can prevent or be a effective treatment for early infection by five viruses - Epstein Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), adenovirus, BK virus (BKV) and human herpes virus 6 (HHV6). The Investigators have grown T cells from the subject's stem cell donor in the laboratory in a way that will train them to recognize the viruses and control them when the T cells are given after a transplant. This treatment with specially trained T cells (also called cytotoxic T cells or "CTLs") has had activity against three of these viruses (CMV, EBV and Adenovirus) in previous studies. In this study the Investigators want to see if they increase the number of viruses that can be targeted to include BKV and HHV6 using a simple and fast approach to make the cells. The Investigators want to see if they can use a kind of white blood cell called T lymphocytes (or T cells) to prevent and treat adenovirus, CMV, EBV, BKV and HHV6 in the early stages of reactivation or infection.
The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if adding cidofovir to the standard of care can improve symptoms of hemorrhagic cystitis caused by the BK virus as compared to standard of care alone. The safety of cidofovir will also be studied.
The increase immunosuppression in our transplant population has led to an unacceptable rate of patients at risk for BK virus nephropathy. Reducing induction immunosuppression by switching from Thymoglobulin to Simulect will reduce the incidence of serum positivity for BK by PCR.