Clinical Trials

Thyroid carcinoma on struma ovarii (TCSO) is a rare ovarian tumor, derivate from monodermic teratomas. It represents about 0.01% of overall ovarian tumours, and 5 to 10% of struma ovarii. The diagnosis is histologic and retrospective after pelvic surgery. Because of its rarity, the treatment of TCSO is not consensual and should be validated in multidisciplinary team involved in rare ovarian carcinoma. TCSO should be taken care of as a thyroid carcinoma, in case of relapse, with systemic treatment, as tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), without any clinical trial proving this benefit. Indeed, molecular profiles and genomic expression is unknown, because of studies with few patients (less than 10) contrary to thyroid carcinomas with the TCGA genomic classification. The study purposes are the outcome of the patients after the first treatment and the comparison of the genomic profil in next generation sequencing (NGS) with TCGA thyroid carcinoma profile. Thus, the treatment could be tailored, confirming the same therapy as in thyroid carcinoma.

There are several types of circulating DNA: DNA from patient's existing cells, foetal DNA in the case of pregnant woman, and tumoral DNA in the case of patients with cancer. These circulating tumoral DNA (ctDNA) can be obtained from a blood test called liquid biopsy and be detected by the latest generation of very high throughput sequencers with the Massive Parallel Sequencing technique (MPS). This study focus on using this technique on breast and colorectal cancers in which no analysis of CNV (tumor origin marker) with this technique has been performed yet. It is a prospective, pilot, monocentric, feasibility study on genomic profile. The study aim is to show the possibility to realize in a reproductive way a molecular karyotype on ctDNA with the MPS approach from a liquid biopsy taken from patients with cancer and to compare this profile with the one obtained by CGH array (Comparative Genomic Hybridization) from primitive tumor.

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, single-center, 12-month phase 2 study designed to assess the safety and efficacy of VM202 as a replacement for opioid analgesics in opioid-tolerant subjects with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).

This is a prospective cohort observational study to assess the role of AlloSure Donor Derived Cell Free DNA (ddcfDNA) assay in the monitoring of three high-risk groups of kidney transplant patients for antibody mediated processes. - Group A. Thirty participants with a positive Virtual Cross-Match (VXM) at the time of transplant will be monitored for 12 months - Group B. Similarly, 24 participants with dnDSA will undergo a SOC biopsy within approximately three months to determine the incidence of Active Antibody Mediated Rejection (AMR) - Group C. 15 additional participants with the diagnosis of Chronic Active Antibody Mediated Rejection (cAMR) will undergo standard of care therapy and be monitored for treatment response with a follow-up biopsy at three months

Research question Is there any association between altered lung bacterial communities and HIV-associated Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)? Rationale Sub-Saharan Africa has experienced dramatic increases in COPD related-morbidity and mortality. Longitudinal studies have shown that people living with HIV develop worsening airflow obstruction with a prevalence higher than that of the general population (i.e 3.4 to 21% compared to 0.4 to 12.2%). It is still unknown why HIV-infected individuals develop COPD at a prevalence higher than their HIV-negative counterparts. It's been hypothesized that a change in the lung bacterial communities in the setting of HIV drives inflammation leading to lung damage. There is a need to explore the dynamics of lung bacterial communities and elucidate mechanisms responsible for irreversible lung damage that may follow lung disturbances in bacterial richness and diversity. In addition, understanding the bacterial communities of the lung in normal subjects is an essential step in providing negative controls to interpret lung microbe in disease states for-example COPD. Insights from this research will inform efforts to design optimal screening and treatment strategies for COPD in the HIV-infected population in sub Saharan Africa. Methods A cross sectional study will be conducted in which lung bacterial communities in 63 HIV infected participants ≥ 35 years with and without COPD will be compared with 63 HIV negative participants with and without COPD. Participants will be recruited from COPD/HIV and LINK Nakaseke cohorts, which were population based studies conducted in the same study setting. Sputum samples will be collected using sputum DNA collection, preservation and isolation Kits. Extracted bacterial DNA will be sequenced and used to determine all bacterial species in the processed samples using available online metagenomics databases. Analysis plan A histogram will be used to display the frequencies of the identified bacterial species in the processed samples. Bacterial richness and diversity of samples in the 4 groups will be compared to determine any differences.

Despite the known link between dietary patterns and disease, it has been observed that the specific response of each individual to dietary components highly varied, and this may limit the impact of the nutritional interventions to improve public health. These observations provided the basis to the development of the Nutritional Genomics at the beginning of the 90s, which main goal was to study the interaction between dietary factors and the genome that modulate phenotypic expression. From this idea, in the recent years, Precision Nutrition has been emerged as a therapeutic approach that takes into account all individual's characteristics to develop targeted nutritional advices. The main goal of Precision Nutrition is to maintain or improve health by using genetics, phenotypic, clinical, dietary and other information to provide more precise and more efficacious personalized healthy eating advice and to motivate appropriate dietary changes. However, all the genotype-dependent advice must be based on scientific evidence. Most of the available evidence in support of personalized nutrition has come from observational studies with risk factors as outcomes, and it was needed randomized controlled trials using clinical endpoints to ratify these results. The main objective of the Platform for Clinical Trials in Nutrition and Health (GENYAL) is to contribute to Precision Nutrition Research by the construction, for the first time, of a human gene and phenotype database to be used in: 1) The evaluation of the efficacy of different foods, functional foods and bioactive compounds capsules on general population and by genotypes and 2) The performance of nutritional genetics and nutrigenomics studies. For that purposes, GENYAL has a permanent recruitment of volunteers, which are phenotypically and genotypically characterized, and give consent to be contacted to perform clinical trials and nutritional intervention studies. Therefore, GENYAL may help to increase the existing knowledge for moving along to Nutritional Genomics research to its practical application in Precision Nutrition; contributing in the improvement in health and disease prevention through dietary recommendations based on the genome.

Patients with suspected cancer (SCAN) and cancer of unknown primary tumor (CUP) are vulnerable because the investigation is difficult and expensive and have poor prognosis because few effective established curative treatments are available. Great progress has been made, for example through highly qualified and systematic clinical investigations not least within the framework of the standardized care processes. However, there is a need for faster, less invasive and more cost-effective tests to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of carcinoma (epithelial cancer), primarily for SCAN and secondly for CUP, and partly to receive suggestions for localization of the primary tumor for primarily CUP and secondly SCAN. There is also a need for prediction of molecularly targeted therapies. New research provides opportunities for using a blood test to acquire detailed and updated information about the individual patient's disease and thus also open new opportunities for faster, less invasive and more cost-effective diagnosis and prediction of molecularly targeted treatments based on individualized sampling and molecular stratification. It is important that these opportunities are tested in a timely fashion in practical health care, so the new opportunities can be taken advantage of and developed in the best way. The aim is to establish a new "best practice" for these hard-to-study and difficult-to-treat patients. Samples will be taken of epithelial cells circulating in the blood, and of the free circulating DNA. As a reference, germ-line DNA will also be sampled, also from regular blood samples. The analyses will show whether the cellular and molecular tests can work in the existing standardized care processes for SCAN and CUP, or if adaptations in routines, training or equipment need to be introduced. The analyses will also give an indication of whether the cellular and molecular sample analyses provide practically useful information for confirming or refuting the diagnosis of cancer, suggesting from which organ the cancer originated and for predicting individualized therapies, and whether adaptations in routines, training or technology need to be introduced.

Background: Survival in Granzyme A gene (gzmA) knocked-out mice was significantly longer than in wild-type mice in a murine peritonitis model (cecal ligation puncture). Hypothesis: GZM A has a pathogenic role in sepsis in humans and gzmA polymorphisms can help to predict the risk of sepsis among patients with systemic infections (E. coli bacteremic urinary tract infections). Objectives: 1. To assess the correlation between GZM A serum levels and systemic inflammatory response in a human model of infection/sepsis (E. coli bacteremic UTI) 2. To characterize gzmA polymorphisms among patients with E. coli bacteremic UTI 3. To determine GZM A serum kinetics among patients with E. coli bacteremic UTI 4. To characterize E. coli strains causing bacteremic UTI: antimicrobial phenotype and virulence factors ("virulome"). Methods: - Design and setting: Prospective nested case-control study - Study population: consecutive adult patients with bacteremic urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by E. coli - Exclusion criteria: Patients with conditions that significantly compromise immune status or patients exposed to urologic procedures - Estimated sample size: 50 patients with a sepsis/ non sepsis 1:1 ratio. Septic and non septic patients will be matched on gender, age (+/- 10 years), comorbidity (Charlson score +/-1), time symptom onset to blood culture (+/- 24h) - Measurements: GZM A serum levels will be determined on day 0, day 2-3, day 30. GZM A kinetics, gzmA polymorphisms (whole exome sequencing).Whole genome sequencing of E. coli isolates retrieved from blood cultures will be performed. - Analysis: Association between GZM A levels and gzmA polymorphisms and sepsis will be analyzed adjusting for patient, infection and microorganism-related factors (multivariate analysis).

Pain is common in cancer, affecting between 40 and 60% of patients depending on tumour type and stage of disease, and represents a major area of unmet need in cancer survivors. Despite advances in treatment, there has been no significant reduction in those who experience pain. Breast cancer is common. It represents 10% of newly diagnosed cancers globally and is often associated with pain. Exact physiological mechanisms for cancer pain are not yet fully established. There is a complex relationship between a malignant lesion and its micro-environment; a tumour does not exist in isolation but has a dynamic relationship with host cells. There is a growing interest in delineating the relationship between tumour manifestations and pain. By retrospectively identifying individuals who have been referred to specialist pain clinics at a cancer centre and matching them to controls, the investigators can identify two groups of patients (those who experienced significant problems with pain and those who did not). Accessing paraffin-embedded tissue samples from those that have had surgical resections, will allow the investigators to compare tissue samples, in particular the metabolic and genetic differences, between the two groups. No new tissue samples will be required for this study. Pain is a major area of unmet need in cancer survivors. The investigators propose that this project would provide valuable knowledge and pilot data regarding the link between pain and tumour genetics. It has the potential to identify tumour genes or mutations that are associated with greater incidences of pain and ultimately potentially guide targeted interventions to help reduce the frequency and impact of pain on patients living with and beyond cancer.

It has been suggested that the best medicine should include four principles (4P) - Medicine should be personalized, predictive, preventative and participatory. Technology has provided the tools to collect data in ways not previously possible. Individuals can now collect information on their genome (including their genetic predisposition to tolerate medications and to respond to healthy lifestyle programs) that will modify their lifestyle and therapeutic choices. Beyond spot checks of vital signs and weight, individuals can now collect information on body composition, continuous monitoring of heart rate, blood pressure, and even blood sugar. Data on food consumption at a caloric, macronutrient and even micronutrient level can be collected. Standard medical histories and detailed physical examination findings and laboratory biomarkers can be correlated with this data. Collections of individual patient data will need to be managed through computer programs and smart phone applications that provide direct feedback about the influence of lifestyle on health, wellness and biomarkers. To this end, Metagenics is designing and is launching a smart phone application, Personal Lifestyle Engine (PLX), for individual use by patients and their healthcare providers. The statistical analysis of these data is the primary objective of this study.

A study to assess the biochemical and immunomodulatory effects of BXCL701 in pancreatic cancer.

The purpose of this study is to better understand the genetic factors related to the Chiari I malformation. In people with this abnormality, the lower part of the skull is smaller than normal. As a result, the lowest part of the brain, called the cerebellar tonsils, protrudes out of the hole at the bottom of the skull into the spinal canal. This study will try to discover the location of the genes responsible for the malformation. Candidates for this study are: 1) Patients with Chiari I malformation who also have a family member with the abnormality or a family member with syringomyelia (a cyst in the spinal cord that is often associated with the Chiari I malformation). 2) Family members of patients with the Chiari I malformation. Participants will have a medical history and physical and neurologic examinations. They will undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and cervical (neck) spinal cord to measure the size of the head and determine the presence of the Chiari I malformation and syringomyelia. A small blood sample (about 2 tablespoons) will be drawn for DNA studies relating to the Chiari I malformation.

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of TAS1R1, TAS1R3, TLR2, TLR4, CA6, gene polymorphism on caries risk in adults.

The majority of primary cancers of the ovary or peritoneum are represented by high-grade serous adenocarcinomas. These are rare pathologies, the incidence of which is estimated at 7.1 per 100,000, representing approximately 4,500 new cases per year in France (INCA 2017). In the absence of effective screening, nearly 85% of patients have an advanced disease at diagnosis (corresponding to the FIGO III or IVA stage, characterized by diffuse peritoneal involvement). Despite multidisciplinary care, the majority of patients (80%) will recur within a median of 18 to 24 months. It is therefore necessary to develop new tools, in particular molecular, in order to allow : - to better select patients accessible to full interval surgery - to exclude patients who would not benefit from this surgery in terms of survival In 2010, Chibon et al. identified, from a cohort of patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STM), a molecular signature (called CINSARC), based on the expression profile of 67 genes involved in mitotic control and chromosomal integrity. The team showed that this transcriptomic signature is an independent prognostic factor in different types of STM, but also a prognostic factor more discriminating than the histological grade (FNCLCC), historical and major prognostic factor of STM. Being initially made from frozen material and on a DNA biochip (Affymetrix), this signature was unusable outside the field of fundamental research. This is why CINSARC has been gradually optimized, first by the RNA sequencing technique on frozen tissue fixed in formalin (FFPE), and recently on FFPE tissue by the NanoString® technique. This very sensitive and inexpensive technique requires only small amounts of total RNA, making it compatible with use on "routine" diagnostic samples, microbiopsy or surgical biopsy, opening the door to real clinical application. Several clinical studies using this latest CINSARC optimization (called NanoCind®) to determine the treatment of patients with STM will also begin soon. As a result of this work, necessary in order to more precisely support the potential of CINSARC in this pathology, the investigators hope to be able to assess from the diagnosis the evolutionary potential of the patients, which could make it possible to evaluate therapeutic strategies adapted to the profiles of each subpopulation: the investigators can for example imagine in theory a therapeutic de-escalation for low-risk patients, or else, for very high-risk patients, an intensified strategy.

A prospective, investigational study to assess the accuracy of standardized cystoscopic evaluation with tissue sampling performed immediately prior to definitive radical cystectomy to predict pathologic tumor stage and identify patients who may benefit from bladder preservation therapy.

Description of the presence of cell-free fetal DNA in maternal plasma allowed the possibility of non-invasive prenatal diagnosis. Whereas detection of paternally-inherited alleles is straightforward and being quickly implemented in routine, detection of maternally-inherited alleles remains challenging. To date, the main approach that is being developped, called Relative Haplotype Dosage Analysis, relies on the identification of an allelic imbalance between the mother's wild-type and mutant alleles, relative to the fetal's contribution. This approach therefore requires the study of a propositus to identify the morbid haplotype, which is not always possible in the context of an ongoing pregnancy. In this study, we aim to evaluate the contribution of new technologies, such as linked-read Sequencing, to allow direct identification of parental haplotype in the context of non-invasive prenatal diagnosis.

Background: Primary tumors of the brain and spine are those that start in the brain or spine. These tumors are rare, accounting for <2% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States. Some of these tumors occur in less than 2,000 people per year. Researchers want to study a large group of people with this kind of tumor. They want to learn more about the tumors, including the risk factors related to how they develop in adults. Objective: To collect health and gene data to learn about what changes are associated with a rare CNS Tumors, to eventually screen for these changes or target the genes in treatment. Eligibility: Adult participants >= 18 years of age who self- identify as being diagnosed with one of 12 rare CNS tumors, including: Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT); Brainstem and midline gliomas; Choroid plexus tumors; Ependymoma; High grade meningioma; Gliomatosis cerebri; Medulloblastoma; Oligodendroglioma / Anaplastic oligodendroglioma; Pineal region tumors; Pleomorphic xanthroastrocytoma / Anaplastic pleomorphic xanthroastrocytoma; PNET (Supratentorial embryonal tumor); Primary CNS sarcoma / Secondary CNS sarcoma (Gliosarcoma). Design: Participants will be invited to participate through an ad on the CERN Foundation website (ependymoma), information on the Neuro-Oncology Branch website and other identified advocacy and social media sites and direct mailer to those who have already participated in the EO projects. (Registered Trademark) - Interested participants will complete an enrollment form that will be sent to the study coordinator. - The coordinator will then send the participant a consent form and schedule a time for phone consent. - Participants will complete the Rare CNS tumors Outcomes Survey and once completed, the Rare CNS tumors Risk survey. (Registered Trademark) - The questions on the Outcomes Survey will include treatment history, symptoms social and clinical information and it should take about 25-35 minutes. The Risk survey will cover their demographic information, personal medical history, family medical history and environmental exposures. This should take about 52 minutes. - Participants who have physical problems can have help with the surveys and forms. - Once the surveys are completed, participants will be mailed a kit to collect saliva for germline DNA. Participants will ship the sample to the study team in a prepaid envelope - If the sample is not sufficient, participants will be contacted to give provide an additional sample.

The main objective of this project is to perform a longitudinal monitoring of BRAF and NRAS cell-free DNA in a large cohort of metastatic melanomas patients before treatment and during the follow-up. Results will be compared with clinical data as imaging (based on RECIST criteria) and the activity of lactate dehydrogenase in serum (LDH).

Current guidelines in non-small cell lung cancer recommend genomic assessment for mutations in EGFR and BRAF, gene rearrangements in ALK and ROS1, and resistance mutations such as T790M upon progression during EGFR inhibitor therapy. However, obtaining sufficient tumour tissue to test for these molecular alterations, as well as those with emerging targeted therapies, is challenging in lung cancer. A promising method to improve molecular diagnostic testing in lung and other cancers is the use of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) obtained from blood samples or liquid biopsies. This multi-centre prospective study will compare blood-based profiling (using the GUARDANT360 assay) to standard of care tissue-based profiling within the Canadian system.

Heart transplantation is a life saving therapy for people with end stage heart failure. Acute rejection, a process where the immune system recognizes the transplanted heart as foreign and mounts a response against it, remains a clinical problem despite improvements in immunosuppressive drugs. Acute rejection occurs in 20-30% of patients within the first 3 months post-transplant, and is currently detected by highly invasive heart tissue biopsies that happen 12-15 times in the first year post-transplant. Replacing the biopsy with a simple blood test is of utmost value to patients and will reduce healthcare costs. The goal of our project is to develop a new blood test to monitor heart transplant rejection. Advances in biotechnology have enabled simultaneous measurement of many molecules (e.g., proteins, nucleic acids) in blood, driving the development of new diagnostics. Our team is a leader in using computational tools to combine information from numerous biological molecules and clinical data to generate "biomarker panels" that are more powerful than existing diagnostic tests. Our sophisticated analytic methods has recently derived HEARTBiT, a promising test of acute rejection comprising 9 RNA biomarkers, from the measurement of 30,000 blood molecules in 150 Canadian heart transplant patients. Our objective is to study a custom-built HEARTBiT test in a setting and on a technology that enable clinical adoption. We will evaluate the new test on 400 new patients from 5 North American transplant centres. We will also track patients' HEARTBiT scores over time to help predict future rejection, and explore use of proteins and micoRNAs to improve HEARTBiT. Our work will provide the basis for a future clinical trial. The significance of this work rests in that it will provide a tool to identify acute cardiac rejection in a fast, accurate, cost-effective and minimally invasive manner, allowing for facile long-term monitoring and therapy tailoring for heart transplant patients.