Clinical Research Directory

Developing a Pipeline to Employ RNA-Seq as a Complementary Diagnostic Tool in Rare Diseases

This project aims to identify, through RNA-Seq technology, the genetic alterations underlying undiagnosed rare diseases in pediatric and adult patients with early onset and with negative WES. * Objective 1: Set up and validate techniques. Set-up and validation of the transcriptome analysis protocol in healthy subjects and in patients with known splicing alterations and/or altered RNA expression. * Objective 2: Diagnostic phase. Study of splicing alterations and RNA levels in cultured fibroblasts obtained from skin biopsies of patients with rare genetic diseases and negative exome. Exploratory goals * Compare the RNA expression profile obtained from skin biopsy-derived fibroblasts with the RNA expression profile from blood. The most relevant results will be validated in qRT-PCR. * To analyze the transcriptional and protein profile heterogeneity in skin-derived fibroblasts in enrolled subjects. To explore the effects of genetic (from WES) and transcriptional (from RNA-seq) alterations in participants' plasma and serum. Healthy controls Five healthy subjects will be recruited from the staff of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research. The coded samples will be used to set up the method of isolation and culture of skin fibroblasts and RNA-Seq. Validation group For the set-up and validation of the skin fibroblast isolation and RNA-Seq procedure, ten adult patients with known diagnosis and with alterations in RNA levels and/or splicing will be recruited as positive controls. Patients who meet the requirements described above will be contacted by the doctors of the Daccò Center for an interview explaining the project. Those who agree to participate in the study will be asked to sign the informed consent before proceeding with the experimental part. "Discovery/Exploration" group The exploration cohort will be composed of 30 symptomatic undiagnosed patients with suspected genetic disease (children and adults with infantile onset) belonging to the Clinical Center of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research and for whom WES investigations did not reveal causative genetic alterations.

A Prospective Observational Study of Foam Sclerotherapy .

An observational prospective study to determine the impact of foam sclerotherapy of large, dominant kidney/liver cysts on quality of life outcomes and kidney/liver cyst volumes at up to 12 months of follow-up in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and autosomal dominant polycystic liver disease (ADPLD).

Study of Empagliflozin in Patients With Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (EMPA-PKD)

The EMPA-PKD trial is assessing the safety of empagliflozin in patients with rapid progressive ADPKD with and without concomitant tolvaptan use by monitoring kidney growth and the rate of loss of kidney function.

Outcome of ADPKD With Octreotide LAR

In this observational, retrospective study we will primarily aim at evaluating the independent role of baseline clinical and laboratory parameters, including TKV, in the prediction of long term chronic GFR decline and other clinical outcomes and, secondarily, the relationships between GFR and TKV changes over time, in a cohort of ADPKD patients with Stage IV CKD on chronic treatment with octreotide LAR and routinely monitored with serial GFR, TKV and clinical evaluations, at the outpatient clinic of the Nephrology Unit of the Azienda Socio-Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy.

Renal Oxygen Consumption, Insulin Sensitivity, and Daily Caloric Restriction in ADPKD

The proposed research is a pilot study assessing kidney oxidative metabolism and insulin sensitivity after a 2-year weight loss intervention in those with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease who are overweight or obese.

Daily Caloric Restriction in ADPKD

This clinical trial will determine whether a daily-caloric restriction-based weight loss intervention can slow kidney growth in adults with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease who are overweight or obese. The study will also evaluate changes in abdominal fat by magnetic resonance imaging. Blood and fat samples will provide insight into biological changes that may contribute to any observed benefits of the intervention.

Statin Therapy in Patients With Early Stage ADPKD

This study plans to learn if pravastatin is helpful in slowing down the progression of kidney disease in adults with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Pravastatin has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adults for treatment of hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol levels). The investigators are using pravastatin in this study as an investigational drug for treatment of ADPKD.

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist in ADPKD

The proposed clinical trial aims to assess if a year of treatment with a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist, a medication approved for weight management that also improves the body's response to glucose and insulin, can slow kidney growth in adults with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease who are overweight or obese. The study will also evaluate changes in abdominal fat and kidney metabolism using cutting-edge images techniques. Blood and urine samples will provide further insight into biological changes that may be linked to the benefits of the intervention, while ensuring careful monitoring of safety and tolerability.

Analysis of Patients With Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney

The main objective of the study is to establish a database of clinical data and genetic data of patients diagnosed with ADPKD, with particular focus on those who have undertaken a specific therapy (Tolvaptan or Octreotide), afferent to the Integrated Renal Genetic Diseases Outpatient Clinic of the U.O. Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation of the Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic directed by Prof. La Manna. In-depth analysis and comparison on clinical, laboratory and instrumental outcomes will be performed within this population. A thorough personal and family history will be obtained, and once informed consent is obtained, data will be entered and updated during subsequent outpatient monitoring. Attention is paid to the clinical course of the disease in relation to genetic variants (genotype-phenotype correlation) and treatments performed by patients, in order to monitor the progression of the disease to end-stage renal failure (ESRD) and the impact that specific therapy has on various parameters identified as indicating such progression. In particular, monitoring of the reduction in renal function, as assessed by creatinine, eGFR, 24-hour proteinuria, and urinary osmolarity values, with attention to comparing developmental trends toward ESDR between patients not receiving therapy and patients on specific therapy, and monitoring of the numerical and/or volumetric increase in renal cysts, as assessed by imaging comparison of the TKV value at the time of diagnosis of polycystic kidney disease and at subsequent re-evaluation, with attention to the extent of progression following the initiation of specific therapy, will be performed.

A GnRH Agonist IN Pre-menopausal Women STudy to Treat Severe Polycystic Liver Disease

Multicenter trial on the effect of the GnRH analogue leuprorelin on the growth of total liver volume in pre-menopausal women with very severe polycystic liver disease who, despite available therapy, experience growth and are heading for liver transplantation.