Clinical Research Directory

Estradiol and Testosterone Subdermal Implants for Menopause Treatment (ESTIME)

Estrogen and androgen deficiencies negatively impact the quality of life of women at different stages of life, especially after menopause. New modalities and new therapeutic alternatives have been researched. Parenteral administration of estradiol and testosterone could be effective to treat symptoms secondary to estrogen and androgen deficiencies and minimize these adverse events. This study evaluates the efficiency of subdermal implant-bioabsorbable use in women with menopausal symptoms associated with secondary estrogen and androgen deficiencies in women with natural menopause, premature ovarian failure or surgical menopause due to cervical cancer. Pharmacokinetic, biochemical, metabolic, thromboembolic and hormonal data will be evaluated, as well as the effects on quality of life, menopausal symptoms and sexual function after treatment.

Ovarian Hormone Regulation of Central and Cerebrovascular Hemodynamics (NoMEN Study)

This study will evaluate changes in blood vessels around the heart (e.g., aorta and carotid arteries) and in the brain with the loss of female sex hormones (e.g., estrogen) during the menopause transition. The menopause transition is associated with declines in blood vessel function and increased risk for cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease. Increasing evidence supports an early role for declines in blood vessel function and future development of Alzheimer's disease in aging men and women. This study will learn about the effects of changes in female sex hormones, such as estrogen, during the menopause transition on blood vessel around the heart and in the brain in women.

InvEstigating oeStrogen Signalling and the Effect upoN the exTracelluar Matrix In pAtients With Obstructive Lung Disease

This study aims to understand the role of oestrogen in patients with asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD). Therefore, what is the effect of oestrogen in these participants compared to controls (those without disease). The study hypothesises that oestrogen loss in patients with asthma and COPD causes accelerated lung function decline and changes to lung structure. It will investigate if this is mediated by inflammation, immune host response or elastin and collagen changes. It is an observational prospective cohort study aiming to recruit healthy controls, and people with asthma or COPD), and/or the menopause.

A 3D Bioprinted Hormone-producing Model for BRCA Mutated Patients After Risk Reducing Surgery: the DISC-OVARY Trial

Selecting theca and granulosa cells from removed ovaries of BRCA1/2mut patients undergoing Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) and developing a 3D bioprinted hormone-producing bioprosthetic model. If efficacy and tolerability are confirmed in vivo, this bioprosthetic model might be used to replace hormones' production in BRCA mutated patients undergoing prophylactic surgery.

Long Term Effects of Oral Versus Transdermal Estrogen Replacement Therapy in Turner Syndrome

This 14-month, phase IV, randomized controlled crossover trial aims to compare the effects of oral versus transdermal estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) in women with Turner syndrome (TS). The study's objectives are to clarify endocrine, metabolic, cardiovascular, and thromboembolic risk factors in TS after a wash-out period without estrogen (E2) treatment; compare the effects of oral versus transdermal (TD) ERT regimens; and examine the long-term effects of E2 administration via these two routes. The study involves 50 TS women aged 18-50 years and 50 control participants. TS participants are randomized to receive either oral or TD ERT for six months, followed by crossover to the alternate treatment for another six months. Prior to randomization, any existing ERT will be discontinued for a 1-month washout period. A second 1-month washout period will occur between the two 6-month treatment phases. Laboratory analyses and clinical investigations are performed after the first wash-out period, after the first six months of treatment, and after the last six months of treatment. We anticipate that this study may provide a basis for new and improved recommendations for sex hormone replacement therapy in TS.

Determining Dose Equivalence Between Oral and Transdermal Estrogen Treatment in Women With Turner Syndrome

This 5-week, phase IV randomized crossover trial aims to compare the effects of oral versus transdermal estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) in women with Turner syndrome (TS). The objective is to establish the equipotency between the two estradiol regimens by evaluating various estradiol-dependent surrogate markers. The study involves 50 women with TS, aged 18-50 years, who are randomized to receive either oral or transdermal ERT for 14 days, followed by a crossover to the alternate treatment for another 14 days, with a one-week washout period in between. Blood tests are conducted at baseline, after the first 14 days of treatment, after the washout period, and after the final 14 days of treatment. The investigators anticipate that this study will provide clinicians with a better understanding of ERT in treating women with TS.

Cardiometabolic Consequences of the Loss of Ovarian Function

The menopause transition is associated with a decrease in artery health and an increased risk for weight gain in storing fat in the stomach area which may increase the risk for heart disease. The purpose of this research is to study how the decrease in estrogen at menopause changes artery health and fat gain, and risk of disease in women as they age. The first aim in this study will determine whether short term and long term low estrogen levels in premenopausal women decreases artery function and whether this is related to an increase in fat in the stomach area. The second aim will determine whether the changes in artery health and body fat are related to changes in a pathway that breaks down an important amino acid called tryptophan. This pathway is thought to play a role in regulating the aging process. Therefore, the investigators will determine whether the decrease in artery health and the increase in body fat in the stomach region with low estrogen is related to changes in this pathway in the blood, in vascular cells and fat tissue. Because estrogen levels fluctuate in premenopausal women, the investigators will use an approach (intervention) that controls estrogen levels to address these aims. The investigators will use a medication that is typically used to treat endometriosis or uterine fibroids to lower estrogen levels and an estrogen patch to increase estrogen in some women. Some women will receive a patch that has no estrogen (called a placebo patch). The intervention period will be 20 weeks. The study will provide us with new knowledge on how low estrogen with menopause affects artery health and fat gain estrogen.