Background: In the U.S., about 53 million informal, unpaid caregivers provide care to a person who is ill, is disabled, or has age-related loss of function. These caregivers may be adult children, spouses, parents, or others. The stress of providing long-term care affects caregivers health and well-being. Researchers want to learn more about this stress and its effects. Objective: To learn how the caregiving process affects the health and well-being of caregivers over time. Eligibility: Adults aged 18 years and older who are caregivers for a person with a chronic medical condition and who have already given consent to take part in other study activities. Design: Participants will be put in different groups. They will complete some or all of the following tasks over 1 year. They may repeat these tasks once a year for up to 5 years. Participants will fill out 2 online surveys. One will ask about their health and their caregiving experience. The other will ask them to list people in their social network and their care recipient s social network who give them support. Participants will have a 2-part phone interview. It will be audio recorded. In part 1, they will be asked about the people they listed in the survey. In part 2, they will be asked about their caregiving experience and events in the care recipient s life. Participants may fill out a weeklong diary every 3 months. It will ask about their daily social activities, well-being, and stress levels. It will also ask about their thoughts and feelings about caregiving. Participants may give a blood sample each year they are in the study. ...

Type: Observational

Start Date: Sep 2022

open study

Background: RASopathies are a group of conditions caused by a genetic change. People with a RASopathy may have developmental issues, cognitive disability, poor growth, and birth defects. They may also have an increased risk for developing cancer. Researchers want to learn more. Objective: To learn more about RASopathies, how genes and environmental factors contribute to cancer development in people with RASopathies, and the best way to find these cancers and other conditions early or prevent them. Eligibility: People of any age who have or may have a RASopathy, and their family members. Design: Participants will complete questionnaires about their personal and family medical history. Their medical records will be reviewed. Participants will give blood and urine samples. They will give a saliva or cheek cell sample. Some samples will be used for genetic testing. Participants may have a skin biopsy. Participants may have a physical exam by the RASopathies study team. They may also have exams by additional specialists, such as dentists; urologists; ear, nose, and throat doctors; and neurologists. Participants may have computed tomography of the face and mouth. They may have an ultrasound of the abdomen. They may have a bone density scan. They may have skeletal and/or spine x-rays. They may have magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, low back, chest, and/or heart. They may be photographed. Participants may have other tests, such as sleep, brain and heart electrical activity, speech and swallow, metabolism, hearing, eye, and colon function tests. Participants may sign separate consent forms for some tests. Participation will last indefinitely. Participants may be contacted once in a while by phone or mail. They may have follow-up visits.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Apr 2022

open study

Background: Blood, tissue, and tumor cells contain genes. Genes are made up of DNA. DNA is the "instruction book" for each cell. In some people with cancer, the genes that might have slowed the growth of their tumor were "turned off." Researchers want to see if a new drug can turn the genes back on and slow the tumor growth. The drug is called Aza-TdC. Objective: To test the safety of Aza-TdC, and to find out the dose of this drug that can be safely given to humans. Eligibility: People ages 18 and older who have advanced cancer that has gotten worse after standard treatment, or for which no effective therapy exists Design: Participants will be screened with: Medical history Blood and urine tests Scans to measure their tumors Test to measure the electrical activity of the heart Participants will take the study drug by mouth. The drug is given in cycles. Each cycle is 21 days (3 weeks) long. Week 1 and week 2: participants will take the study drug once a day for 5 days. Then they will have 2 days without the drug. Week 3: no study drug is taken. This completes one cycle of treatment. For cycle 1, participants will repeat the screening tests several times. For all other cycles, participants will have blood tests and pregnancy tests. They will have scans of their tumor every 6 weeks. The cycle will be repeated as long as the participant tolerates the drug and the cancer is either stable or gets better. Sponsoring Institute: National Cancer Institute

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2018

open study

Background: Retinal diseases cause the loss of rod and cone photoreceptors. Symptoms include vision loss and night blindness. Researchers want to learn about rod and cone function in healthy people and people with retinal disease. They want to know if how well a person sees in the dark can test the severity of retinal disease. Objectives: To find out if how well a person sees in the dark can test the severity of retinal disease. To find out if this can help detect retinal disease and track its changes. Eligibility: People ages 5 and older with: Retinal disease OR 20/20 vision or better with or without correction in at least one eye Design: Participants will be screened with medical and eye history and eye exam. Those with retinal disease will also have: Eye imaging: Drops dilate the eye and pictures are taken of it. Visual field testing: Participants look into a bowl and press a button when they see light. Electroretinogram (ERG): An electrode is taped to the forehead. Participants sit in the dark with their eyes patched for 30 minutes. Then they get numbing drops and contact lenses. Participants watch lights while retina signals are recorded. Visit 1 will be 3-8 hours. Participants will have up to 6 more visits over 6-12 months. Visits include: Eye exam and imaging Time course of dark adaptation: Participants view a background light for 5 minutes then push a button when they see colored light. Dark adapted sensitivity: Participants sit in the dark for 45 minutes. They push a button when they see colored light. For participants with retinal disease, ERG and visual field testing

Type: Observational

Start Date: Mar 2016

open study

Background: - Best Vitelliform Dystrophy (Best disease), Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration (L-ORD), and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) all affect the retina, the light sensing area at the back of the eye. Doctors cannot safely obtain retinal cells to study these diseases. However, cells collected from hair follicles, skin, saliva, urine, and blood can be used for research. Researchers want to collect cells from people with Best disease, L-ORD, and AMD, and compare their cells with those of healthy volunteers. Objectives: - To collect hair, skin, saliva, urine, and/or blood samples to study three eye diseases that affect the retina: Best disease, L-ORD, and AMD. Eligibility: - Individuals affected with ocular condition is one year of age or older. - Individuals affected with Best disease, L-ORD, or AMD is 18 years of age or older. - Unaffected individuals are seven years of age or older. Design: - The study requires one visit to the National Eye Institute. - Participants will be screened with a medical and eye disease history. They may also have an eye exam. - Participants will provide a hair sample, saliva sample, urine sample, blood sample, and/or a skin biopsy. The hair will be collected from the back of the head, and the skin will be collected from the inside of the upper arm.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Sep 2011

open study

This study will evaluate and gather information in patients with genetic causes of too much androgen (male-like hormone) in order to better understand the effects of too much androgen and describe problems associated with it. Too much androgen in childhood, if untreated, results in rapid growth and early puberty with early cessation of growth and short stature in adulthood. Too much androgen in adulthood may result in infertility, and women may have excess facial hair, acne and a more male-like appearance. Excess androgen may also affect mood and behavior and possibly the secretion of other hormones, such as insulin. Two genetic diseases that result in early childhood androgen excess are congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and familial male-limited precocious puberty (FMPP). Patients with known or suspected CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, 11- hydroxylase deficiency, or 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency and males with known or suspected FMPP may be eligible for this study. Patients with both classic and non-classic CAH are eligible, and patients with androgen excess of unknown cause may be eligible. Participants undergo the following procedures: - Medical history and physical examination. - Fasting blood tests for analysis of hormones, blood chemistries including blood sugar and cardiovascular risk factors such as lipids. - Oral glucose tolerance test for patients with elevated insulin levels. For this test, a catheter (plastic tube) is placed in a vein in the patient's arm. The patient drinks a sugar-containing fluid and blood samples are collected through the catheter at intervals starting with drinking the solution, and then 30, 60 and 120 minutes after drinking the solution. - 24-hour urine collection to measure hormone levels in the urine. - DNA testing for patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency to help identify the type of genetic mutation responsible for the disease. - X-ray of the left hand to measure bone age in growing children. The x-ray is used to determine how far into puberty the child is and how much growth potential is left in the bones. - A pelvic ultrasound in females and testicular ultrasound in males to evaluate the size and development of the gonads (ovaries in females and testes in males). - Cognitive and psychological tests, including an IQ test and evaluation of memory, achievement and behavior. - Other tests and evaluations based on medical need. The schedule for these procedures varies. In a part of the study involving only patients with CAH, growing children are evaluated twice (once in childhood and once after reaching adult height), and adults are evaluated once. In another part of the study involving patients with CAH and FMPP, growing children are seen twice a year, and adults and children who have reached adult height may be seen annually. Additional visits may be scheduled if medically indicated. In this part of the study, females are asked to keep a record of their periods after their first menstrual cycle. ...

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jan 2006

open study

Hypoglycemia is the term used to refer to lower than normal levels of blood sugar. This study will continue to research the causes of hypoglycemia. Patients involved in the study will be admitted to the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health and undergo tests for evaluating blood sugar. Patients will be required to refrain from eating for a set period of time and will undergo blood tests for insulin levels and several other specific diagnostic tests related to insulin secretion. The patients will be under supervision and will be provided with appropriate medical and surgical attention as needed.

Type: Observational

Start Date: May 1991

open study

Participants in this study will be patients diagnosed with or suspected to have a thyroid function disorder. These conditions may include: hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, thyroid hormone resistance, Graves' Dermopathy, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) secreting pituitary adenomas. The main purpose of this study is to further understand the natural history, clinical presentation, and genetics of thyroid function disorders. Many of the tests performed are in the context of standard medical care that is offered to all patients with thyroid function disorders. In addition, blood and tissue samples may be taken for research and genetic studies.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Feb 1977

open study

Background: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) are blood cancers that affect certain white blood cells. Advanced forms of these diseases are difficult to treat. Pirtobrutinib is a drug approved to treat CLL and SLL after 2 previous treatments. Researchers want to know how this drug affects the immune system in those who have not yet started other treatments for CLL or SLL. Objective: To test pirtobrutinib as a first-line treatment for CLL or SLL. Eligibility: People aged 18 years and older with untreated CLL or SLL. Design: Participants will be screened. They will have a physical exam with blood tests. They will have imaging scans and tests of their heart function. They will have a lymph node biopsy: A large needle will be inserted into a lymph node to collect a small piece of tissue. Pirtobrutinib is a tablet taken by mouth. Participants will take 2 to 4 tablets daily in 4-week cycles. Participants will have clinic visits once every 4 weeks for the first 3 months. Then they will be seen once every 3 months. Imaging scans, lymph node biopsy, and other tests will be repeated at various study visits. A bone marrow biopsy (collection of soft tissue from inside a bone) may be done if there is no evidence of disease after 1 year of treatment with the study drug. Participants may opt to have cancer and immune cells collected from their blood. The cells will be used for research. Participants will have a clinic visit 1 month after their last dose of the study drug. Then they will have follow-up visits or phone calls every 6 to 12 months....

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2026

open study

Background: Prostate cancer may return after treatment in 30,000 to 50,000 people each year. There is no clear best way to treat these people. Better treatments are needed. Objective: To test a study drug (enzalutamide), both alone and combined with a second drug (PDS01ADC), in people with prostate cancer that returned after treatment. Eligibility: People aged 18 years and older with prostate cancer that returned after treatment. Design: Participants will be screened. They will have a physical exam, with blood tests. All their urine will be collected for 24 hours. They will have imaging scans of their chest, abdomen, pelvis, and bones. Their ability to perform everyday activities will be assessed. They may opt to give a stool sample. Participants will be treated in 4-week cycles. Enzalutamide is a pill taken by mouth once a day, every day. All participants will be given a supply of this drug to take at home. PDS01ADC is injected under the skin once a month, on the first day of each cycle. Half of the participants will receive both drugs. All participants will visit the clinic once a month. Each visit should last no more than 8 hours. Blood and urine tests will be repeated. All participants will receive the study treatment for 3 cycles. Some participants may need 3 more cycles of treatment with enzalutamide only. This re-treatment can be done only once. Participants will have a follow-up visit 1 month after they finish treatment. After that, they will have visits every 6 weeks for up to 5 years. Imaging scans and blood tests will be repeated. ...

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2024

open study

Background: Scientists have long used simple measures (such as height and weight) to estimate how much a person s body uses food (calories) as energy, as commonly called the metabolic rate. But metabolism varies among people with similar body sizes. Scientists now believe the old formulas for estimating metabolic rates may not work well for all people. Researchers want to find more accurate ways to measure a person s metabolism. Objective: This natural history study will examine the relationships between metabolism, body composition, and body surface area in a wide range of people. Eligibility: Healthy children and adults aged 2 years or older. Also, people aged 2 years or older with conditions that may alter metabolism. These may include diabetes, obesity, renal disease, or cancer. Design: Participants will spend 2 days and 1 night in the hospital. They will provide a medical history and answer questions about their activity levels, the foods they eat, and their lifestyle. They will also eat a special diet. Participants will undergo many tests: They will lie in a bed with a clear hood covering their head for 30 to 45 minutes to measure the gases in their breath. They will lie on a padded table for about 15 minutes while their body is scanned. They will stand on a platform while a 3D scanner measures their body. They will have a test to measure how fast an electric signal moves through their body. They will grip an instrument to measure the strength of their hands. They will drink salty water and provide blood and urine samples. Participants may be invited to return for these 2-day visits up to 8 times per year. Return visits must be at least 2 weeks apart.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Oct 2022

open study

Background: Impulsivity is acting 'without thinking.' Compulsivity is being overly inflexible. People vary in how impulsive or compulsive they are. Extreme versions of these behaviors play a role in mental disorders. Researchers want to study changes in the brain to learn more about these behaviors. Differences in genes may also play a role. Objective: To learn about genetic & brain features that explain why levels of impulsivity and compulsivity vary across people. Eligibility: People ages 6 - 80 Design: Participants will be screened with a medical history and medical record review. Participants will talk about their mental and behavioral development. They may discuss topics like drug use and sexual activity. They will complete surveys about their compulsivity and impulsivity. Parents of child participants may also complete these surveys. Participants may take memory, attention, and thinking tests. They may give blood or saliva samples for gene studies and they may give blood to make induced pluripotent stem cells. Participants may have their face and irises photographs taken. Participants may have a magnetic resonance imaging scan. It will take pictures of their brain. The scanner is shaped like a cylinder. Participants will lie on a table that slides in and out of the scanner. A coil will be placed over their head. They will lie still, watch a movie, and play a game. Participants may ask family members to join the study. Researchers are particularly interested in recruiting twin pairs to the study. Participants under age 25 may repeat these tests every 1-2 years until they turn 25 or until the study ends. For those over age 25, participation will last less than 1 month.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Sep 2022

open study

Background: When people see and hear, the brain changes signals from the eyes and ears into perceptions and thoughts. No one fully understands how this happens. Researchers want to explore how healthy brains process sights and sounds. Objectives: To explore how people understand what they see and hear when the brain processes sights and sounds. Eligibility: Participants aged 13-65 who have at least 20/40 vision in at least one eye and do not use a hearing aid. Design: Some participants will take tests online anonymously. They will do computer tasks related to colors and behavior. In-person participants will be screened with medical history and physical exam. They will complete questionnaires and vision and hearing tests. Off-site participants will be screened with questionnaires about themselves and their vision. If results indicate abnormal color vision, these off-site participants may be asked to provide saliva samples for genetic screening. In-person participants will plan how many testing sessions they will have and when. Sessions last 2-5 hours. They may include: - Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Magnets and radio waves to take pictures of the brain. Participants will lie on a table that slides in and out of a tube. They will do a task during the scan. - Magnetoencephalography: Records magnetic field changes from brain activity. Participants will sit or lie down. A cone will be lowered onto their head. They may do a task during the test. - Electromyography: Electrodes attached to the skin will measure the electrical activity of muscles. - Electroencephalogram: Electrodes on the scalp will record brain waves. - Electrocardiography: Electrodes on the chest will record heart electrical activity. - Tests of memory, attention, thinking, vision, and hearing. - Eye Tracking: Cameras will follow participants eye movements. They may wear a cap with infrared cameras in front of their eyes. During the sessions, participants vital signs may be monitored.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Mar 2019

open study

Background: - Many psychiatric, behavioral, and developmental disorders are genetic. This means that they tend to run in families. Some begin in childhood, while others do not appear until adulthood. Researchers want to look at people of all ages who have these disorders that started in childhood. They will also look at relatives of people with these disorders. This information will allow doctors to learn more about childhood behavioral problems and how they are inherited. It may also help doctors treat those disorders. Objectives: - To study the onset and treatment of childhood behavioral, psychiatric, and developmental disorders. Eligibility: - Individuals of any age who have a psychiatric, autism spectrum, or developmental disorder, or other behavioral problems. - Family members of individuals with the above disorders. This group may include parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles, cousins, and children. Design: - Participants will be screened with a medical history and physical exam. They may have a psychiatric history with tests of thinking, judgment, and behavior.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Dec 2012

open study

Background: The NCI Surgery Branch has developed an experimental therapy that involves taking white blood cells from patients' tumors, growing them in the laboratory in large numbers, and then giving the cells back to the patient. These cells are called Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes, or TIL and we have given this type of treatment to over 200 patients with melanoma. Researchers want to know if TIL shrink s tumors in people with digestive tract, urothelial, breast, or ovarian/endometrial cancers. In this study, we are selecting a specific subset of white blood cells from the tumor that we think are the most effective in fighting tumors and will use only these cells in making the tumor fighting cells. Objective: The purpose of this study is to see if these specifically selected tumor fighting cells can cause digestive tract, urothelial, breast, or ovarian/endometrial tumors to shrink and to see if this treatment is safe. Eligibility: - Adults age 18-72 with upper or lower gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, genitourinary, breast, ovarian/endometrial cancer, or glioblastoma refractory to standard chemotherapy. Design: Work up stage: Patients will be seen as an outpatient at the NIH clinical Center and undergo a history and physical examination, scans, x-rays, lab tests, and other tests as needed. Surgery: If the patients meet all of the requirements for the study they will undergo surgery to remove a tumor that can be used to grow the TIL product. Leukapheresis: Patients may undergo leukapheresis to obtain additional white blood cells. (Leukapheresis is a common procedure, which removes only the white blood cells from the patient.) Treatment: Once their cells have grown, the patients will be admitted to the hospital for the conditioning chemotherapy, the TIL cells and aldesleukin. They will stay in the hospital for about 4 weeks for the treatment. Follow up: Patients will return to the clinic for a physical exam, review of side effects, lab tests, and scans about every 1-3 months for the first year, and then every 6 months to 1 year as long as their tumors are shrinking. Follow up visits will take up to 2 days.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2010

open study

Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome (HPS) is an inherited disease which results in decreased pigmentation (oculocutaneous albinism), bleeding problems due to a platelet abnormality (platelet storage pool defect), and storage of an abnormal fat-protein compound (lysosomal accumulation of ceroid lipofuscin). The disease can cause poor functioning of the lungs, intestine, kidneys, or heart. The major complication of the disease is pulmonary fibrosis and typically causes death in patients ages 40 - 50 years old. The disorder is common in Puerto Rico, where many of the clinical research studies on the disease have been conducted. Neither the full extent of the disease nor the basic cause of the disease is known. There is no known treatment for HPS. The purpose of this study is to perform research into the medical complications of HPS and begin to understand what causes these complications. Researchers will clinically evaluate patients with HPS of all ethnic backgrounds. They will obtain cells, blood components (plasma), and urine for future studies. Genetic tests (mutation analysis) to detect HPS-causing genes will also be conducted.<TAB>

Type: Observational

Start Date: Nov 1995

open study

Background: Some cancers have high levels of proteins called somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) on the surface of the tumors. These tumors can be in the lung, head and neck, digestive tract, kidneys, and in or near the adrenal glands. Researchers want to know if drug treatments that target SSTRs can help shrink these types of tumors. Objective: To test a study drug ([212Pb]VMT-Alpha-NET) in people with tumors that have SSTRs. Eligibility: People aged 18 years and older with tumors of the lung, kidneys, head and neck, digestive tract, or adrenal glands that have SSTRs. Their tumors must have spread to other organs and cannot be removed with surgery. Design: Participants will be screened. They will have a physical exam with blood and urine tests. They will have imaging scans and a test of their heart function. A sample of tumor tissue may be collected if one is not already available. [212Pb]VMT-Alpha-NET is given through a tube attached to a needle inserted into a vein. The drug will be given on the first day of four 8-week cycles. Participants will stay in the hospital for a few nights after each dose. They will have blood tests once a week during each cycle. Some participants will also get a related study drug ([203Pb]VMT-Alpha-NET). They will receive this drug a few days before the first 2 cycles. At 4, 24, and 48 hours after each infusion, they will have whole body scans. These scans will show where the study drug went in their body. Follow-up visits will continue up to 6 years after the last treatment.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2025

open study

Background: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection affects 292 million people worldwide; 887,000 die each year from cirrhosis, liver cancer, and related issues. Treatment options are limited. Objective: To test 2 drugs (VIR-2218 and peginterferon) in people with mild or inactive HBV infection. Eligibility: People aged 18 to 65 years with mild or inactive HBV infection. Design: Participants will be screened. They will have blood tests and an eye exam. They will have imaging scans of the liver to check the health of the liver. Participants will be in the study for over 2 years. VIR-2218 is an injection given under the skin of the stomach, upper arm, or thigh. Participants will come to the clinic to receive this injection once a month for 6 months. Peginterferon is also injected under the skin. Participants will have this shot once a week for 6 months. They may either inject themselves at home or come to the clinic to get the injections. Participants will get just the VIR-2218 for 3 months, then both shots for 3 months, then just the peginterferon for 3 months. Participants will have two 3-day stays in the hospital. Tests will include: Liver biopsy. A sample of tissue will be taken from their liver. After the procedure, participants will lie on their right side for 2 hours and then on their back for 4 hours. Fine needle aspiration. A small needle will be used to collect cells from the liver. After the last injection of peginterferon, follow-up visits will continue in the outpatient clinic every 4 to 12 weeks.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2025

open study

Background: Lipodystrophy is a health problem in which the body does not have enough fat tissue. People with lipodystrophy may not make enough of the hormone leptin. Leptin regulates hunger. Low leptin levels trigger hunger. People with lipodystrophy can have many health problems. They may take a drug (metreleptin) that mimics leptin. Little is known about how taking metreleptin may affect a pregnancy. Metreleptin may be helpful or harmful to pregnant women. It may also affect the health of the child who is born. Objective: This natural history study will collect data about the effects of taking metreleptin while pregnant. Eligibility: Women aged 18 years or older with lipodystrophy who have been pregnant. Women who did and who did not take metreleptin during their pregnancies are needed. Children of women with lipodystrophy who took this drug during pregnancy are also needed. Design: Participants will have 1 study visit. This visit may be by phone, by telehealth, or in-person. Participants will answer questions about their pregnancies. They will discuss any health problems they had. They will be asked about any medicines they took before and during their pregnancies. They will be asked about the health of their children. Participants medical records will be reviewed. Participants may need to provide a blood sample. They may also be asked to provide a sample of breastmilk. Participants children may also be asked to provide a blood sample....

Type: Observational

Start Date: Sep 2022

open study

This study will investigate the genetic cause of Birt Hogg-Dube (BHD) syndrome and the relationship of this disorder to kidney cancer. BHD is a rare inherited condition characterized by papules, or bumps-benign tumors involving hair follicles-on the head and neck. People with BHD are at increased risk of developing kidney cancer. Scientists have identified the chromosome (strand of genetic material in the cell nucleus) that contains the BHD gene and the region of the gene on the chromosome. This study will try to learn more about: - The characteristics and type of kidney tumors associated with BHD - The risk of kidney cancer in people with BHD - Whether more than one gene causes BHD - The genetic mutations (changes) responsible for BHD Individuals with known or suspected Birt Hogg-Dube syndrome, and their family members, may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a family history and review of medical records, including pathology reports for tumors, and films of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Participants may undergo various tests and procedures, including the following: - Physical examination - Review of personal and family history with a cancer doctor, cancer nurses, kidney surgeon, and genetic counselor - Chest and other x-rays - Ultrasound (imaging study using sound waves) - MRI (imaging study using radiowaves and a magnetic field) - CT scans of the chest and abdomen (imaging studies using radiation) - Blood tests for blood chemistries and genetic testing - Skin evaluation, including a skin biopsy (surgical removal of a small skin tissue sample for microscopic evaluation) - Cheek swab or mouthwash to collect cells for genetic analysis - Lung function studies - Medical photography of skin lesions These tests will be done on an outpatient basis in either one day or over 3 to 4 days. When the studies are complete, participants will receive counseling about the findings and recommendations. Individuals with kidney lesions may be asked to return periodically, such as every 3 to 36 months, based on their individual condition, to document the rate of progression of the lesions.

Type: Observational

Start Date: May 2002

open study

The research goal of this study is to obtain CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) from peripheral blood and/or bone marrow, and Mononuclear Cells (lymphocytes and monocytes), and granulocytes (grans) from peripheral blood that will be used in the laboratory and/or in the clinic to develop new cell therapies for patients with inherited or acquired disorders of immunity or blood cells. Development of novel cellular therapies requires access to HSC, Mononuclear Cells and/or granulocytes as the essential starting materials for the pre-clinical laboratory development of gene therapies and other engineered cell products. HSC or blood cells from healthy adult volunteers serve both as necessary experimental controls and also as surrogates for patient cells for clinical scale-up development. HSC or blood cells from patients serve both as the necessary experimental substrate for novel gene therapy and cellular engineering development for specific disorders and as pre-clinical scale up of cellular therapies. Collection of cells from adult patients collected in the NIH Department of Transfusion Medicine (DTM) under conditions conforming to accepted blood banking clinical practice may also be used directly in or cryopreserved for future use in other NIH protocols that have all required regulatory approvals allowing such use. In summary, the research goal of this protocol is the collection of HSC or blood cells that may be used for both laboratory research and/or for clinical treatment in other approved protocols.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Feb 1994

open study

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a cancer of the brain. Current survival rates for people with GBM are poor; survival ranges from 5.2 months to 39 months. Most tumors come back within months or years after treatment, and when they do, they are worse: Overall survival drops to less than 10 months. No standard treatment exists for people whose GBM has returned after radiation therapy. Objective: To find a safe schedule for using radiation to treat GBM tumors that returned after initial radiation treatment. Eligibility: People aged 18 years and older with grade 4 GBM that returned after initial radiation treatment. Design: Participants will be screened. They will have a physical exam with blood tests. A sample of tumor tissue may be collected. Participants will undergo re-irradiation planning: They will wear a plastic mask over their head during imaging scans. These scans will pinpoint the exact location of the tumor. This spot will be the target of the radiation treatments. Participants will undergo radiation treatment 4 times per week. Some people will have this treatment for 3 weeks, some for 2 weeks, and some for 1 week. Blood tests and other exams will be repeated at each visit. Participants will complete questionnaires about their physical and mental health. They will answer these questions before starting radiation treatment; once a week during treatment; and at intervals for up to 3 years after treatment ends. Participants will have follow-up visits 1 month after treatment and then every 2 months for 6 months. Follow-up clinic visits will continue up to 3 years. Follow-ups by phone or email will continue an additional 2 years.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2024

open study

Background: - GATA2 deficiency is a genetic disorder that can cause problems with a person s immune system and other body systems. Some people who have this disorder develop few problems from it. Others can have a wide range of health problems, from skin problems, to hearing loss, to cancer. These problems can happen at any age. Researchers want to study GATA2 deficiency to better understand what types of health problems it can cause, and why it causes problems in some people but not others, and at different ages. Objectives: - To improve understanding of GATA2 deficiency so there can be better diagnostic tests and treatments in the future. Eligibility: - People 2 years of age or older who have a GATA2 gene mutation or certain health conditions that are commonly seen in people with this mutation and their blood relatives. Design: - Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. Blood and urine samples will be collected to see whether participants have the GATA2 genetic mutation. Several other tests may be recommended, but participants can decline to take them. - Participants will be eligible to receive standard care for GATA2 deficiency through this protocol. They may be eligible for other clinical trials at the National Institutes of Health as well. - Participants will have regular study visits once a year to evaluate their GATA2 deficiency. Participants will take part in the study for at least 3 years and up to 15 years. At these follow-up visits, participants will fill out a questionnaire and take a physical exam and blood tests. Other tests may be performed as needed.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Aug 2013

open study

Background: Small cell carcinoma of the bladder (SCCB) and other high-grade neuroendocrine tumors (HGNET) of the urinary tract are rare but aggressive cancers. Average survival for people diagnosed with SCCB or HGNET is about 1 year. Lurbinectedin and avelumab are drugs that are approved to treat other cancers. Researchers want to see if these drugs can help people with SCCB or HGNET. Objective: To test lurbinectedin with or without avelumab in people with SCCB or HGNET. Eligibility: Adults aged 18 years and older with SCBB or HGNET that returned and spread after treatment. Design: Participants will be screened. They will have a physical exam. They will have blood tests and imaging scans. They may need to have a new biopsy: A small needle will be used to collect a tissue sample from the tumor. Both study drugs are given through a tube attached to a needle inserted into a vein. If participants have already received a drug like avelumab they will receive only lurbinectedin. If patients have not been previously treated with a drug like avelumab they will receive both lurbinectedin and avelumab. All participants will receive their treatment once every 3 weeks for up to 10 years. They will also receive other drugs to relieve adverse effects. Biopsies, blood tests, and imaging scans will be repeated during some study visits. Participants may also have urine tests and tests of their heart function. Participants may remain in the study as long as the treatment is helping them. If they stop treatment, they will have safety visits 14, 30, and 90 days after their last dose. Additional follow-up visits will continue 5 to 10 years.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2024

open study

Background: SBMA is an inherited chronic disease. It affects males in mid to late adulthood. It causes slowly progressive weakness of muscles and hand tremors. Researchers want to learn more about the effects of SBMA. Objective: To identify measurements that change over time in SBMA, including tests of muscle strength and function, as well as measurements of muscle and fat size. Eligibility: Men over the age of 18 both with and without a history of SBMA. Design: Participants will have a medical history, physical exam, and blood and urine tests. They will have neuromuscular ultrasound. They will have a lumbar puncture to obtain spinal fluid. For this, a needle will be inserted into the spinal canal in the lower back. Participants will have muscle strength and function tests. These tests may include pushing, pulling, rising from a chair and sitting back down, and/or walking. During these tests, they may wear an accelerometer (activity tracker) on their wrist. Participants will get an activity tracker to wear on their wrist for 10 days at home every 3 months. Participants with SBMA will also have lower limb magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optional whole-body MRI. They will have lung function tests. They will have speech and swallow tests. They will complete questionnaires. They may have optional body scans to measure bone density and lean body mass. They may have optional muscle biopsies. For biopsies, a needle will be used to take a small piece of muscle from the leg. Participants with SBMA will have 5 study visits over 2 years (every 6 months). Participants without SBMA will have 1 study visit.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Oct 2021

open study