Clinical Research Directory

Dietary Intervention to Improve Kidney Transplant Outcomes

Randomized controlled trial of a curriculum intervention teaching patients to eat a whole-food plant-based dietary pattern versus standard of care in kidney transplant recipients within the first few months of transplant

Kidney Transplant Preemptive Therapy or Prophylaxis for CMV Prevention in D+R Recipients

This is a prospective, randomized multicenter trial of preemptive therapy (PET) vs. antiviral prophylaxis (AP) for prevention of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in adult D+R- kidney transplant recipients (KTR). Patients meeting study eligibility criteria and who have provided informed consent will be randomized (1:1) within 7 days of transplant to receive, in an open label design, either AP with valganciclovir 900 mg orally once daily or letermovir 480 mg orally once daily \[both dose adjusted per Food and Drug Administration (FDA) label\] for 200 days post-transplant), or PET (central lab weekly plasma polymerase chain reaction (PCR) monitoring for CMV deoxyribonucleic acidemia (DNAemia)) for 100 days post-transplant, with oral valganciclovir 900mg orally twice daily (or renally dosed per FDA label) at onset of CMV DNAemia at any level and continued until plasma CMV DNAemia is negative or below the level of quantitation in two consecutive weekly plasma samples. Study participants will be followed for pre-specified outcomes (clinical, laboratory, immunologic, safety) until withdrawal, death, or study closure, up to a maximum of 5.5 years post-transplant. Approximately 360 participants (180 participants in each group) will be randomized into the study. Estimated Time to Complete Enrollment: 4 years

Methods for Nutrition, Inflammation, Kidney Function, Aging, Body Composition, and Hydration Among Older Patients

The goal of this observational study, is to improve the diagnostic assessment method of malnutrition and kidney diseases, amongst hospitalized and low priority patients, by evaluating modern methodology and biomarkers, with regards to an estimate of the nutritional status and kidney diseases, against current gold standards, and also investigate how body composition, hydration, inflammation and age affect the assessments.

Urine and Ultrasound Screening for Kidney Disease in Children

The aim of this study is to early detect kidney disease in the natural population cohort of children by urine and ultrasound screening, to assist in the precise prevention and treatment of children's kidney disease, and to establish a risk prediction system for children's kidney disease. About 10,000 children called KunQi Cohort are born in Jiangsu Province(8,000 in Kunshan and 2,000 in Qidong) and about 3,000 born in Shanghai. Through the project, child who is found with abnormal urine or ultrasound result will be referred to Children's Hospital of Fudan University to get further examination and treatment.

A Contrast Medium Sparing Strategy Using Automated CO2 Injection During PVI for Prevention of Major Adverse Kidney Events (MAKE)

The primary objective of the trial is to evaluate if an iodinated contrast medium sparing strategy using automated Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Injection prevents Major Adverse Kidney Events up to 90 days (MAKE90) in patients at moderately elevated risk for contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) undergoing infrainguinal peripheral vascular interventions (PVI).

Collaborative Learning to Achieve Refined Interventions for Emory: Kidney Disease

Through the use of community-engaged processes, this project seeks to develop and implement clinical decision support (CDS) and a kidney health coaching (KHC) intervention. The CDS seeks to streamline workflows to effectively screen, identify, and link to care for those patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). The overall project goals are to 1.) Design and conduct community-engaged clinical trials to test new interventions that dismantle the systemic factors that contribute to kidney health disparities. 2.) Foster research collaborations between investigators, people living with kidney disease, community-based organizations, and other key stakeholders. Researchers aim to assess whether the KHC intervention is effective at delaying the transition to kidney replacement therapy (KRT) and central venous catheter use or death.

Archival of Human Biological Samples in CU-Med Biobank

CU-Med Biobank collaborates with different researchers for collecting and distributing human biospecimens and clinical data for assisting scientific research.

Access to Kidney Transplantation in Minority Populations

Hispanic/Latino (HL) and American Indian (AI) patients are more likely than whites to have kidney failure, but less likely to complete transplant evaluation or receive a kidney transplant (KT), the best treatment for kidney failure. Using comparative effectiveness research methods, we will conduct a pragmatic randomized trial to compare the efficacy and cost- effectiveness of two approaches to help HL and AI patients overcome barriers to completing transplant evaluation and receiving a KT: a streamlined KT evaluation process and a peer-assisted evaluation program; and, we will determine best practices to assist other transplant centers in implementing the better program. Findings from this work may help reduce disparities in transplant evaluation and KT.

Transformative Research in Diabetic Nephropathy 2.0

The goal of this observational study is to learn more about kidney health in adults with diabetic kidney disease and other groups. Researchers will study kidney tissue and other samples. They want to learn how sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, a type of diabetes medicine, may affect the kidneys. People can join only if they are already having a kidney biopsy or kidney surgery as part of their regular medical care. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Do people who take SGLT2 inhibitors show different biological patterns in kidney tissue than similar people who do not take them? * Are these kidney tissue patterns linked with how kidney health changes over time? Researchers will compare participants who take SGLT2 inhibitors with similar participants who do not take these medicines. Participants will: Let researchers use one stored slide of kidney tissue from their regular care (no extra research biopsy) Give a blood sample and a urine sample Let researchers review medical record information over time

Effect of Comprehensive Spa Care on Kidney and Urological Conditions: A Clinical Study in Adult Patients

This is a single-arm, pretest-posttest study evaluating the effects of a 21-day comprehensive spa care (Komplexní lázeňská léčebně rehabilitační péče, KLP) on patients with nephrological and urological conditions treated at a spa facility in Mariánské Lázně, Czech Republic. The study enrolls 150 adult patients (75 men and 75 women), aged 40-70 years, who are prescribed KLP for indications VIII/1 (recurrent and chronic non-tuberculous inflammation of the kidneys and urinary tract), VIII/2 (nephrolithiasis without urinary tract obstruction, nephrocalcinosis), VIII/3 (conditions after kidney and urinary tract surgery), and VIII/4 (chronic prostatitis or prostatovesiculitis resistant to pharmacological treatment). The spa treatment consists of the use of natural healing resources of Mariánské Lázně, including a mineral spring drinking cure, balneotherapy (mineral water baths), peloid therapy, carbon dioxide therapy, climatotherapy, exercise therapy, and dietotherapy. The standard treatment duration is 21 days, during which each patient receives a total of 63 therapeutic procedures and drinks mineral spring water three times daily. Patients undergo assessments at the beginning (days 1-3) and at the end (days 19-21) of their treatment. Assessments include physical examination, abdominal and urinary tract ultrasound, blood and urine sampling with laboratory analysis, body composition measurement using bioelectrical impedance analysis (InBody), and psychometric questionnaire surveys. The primary aim of the study is to objectively assess the therapeutic effect of comprehensive spa care on nephrological and urological diseases by comparing pre-treatment and post-treatment clinical, laboratory, and patient-reported outcomes. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen (decision of November 2, 2023, ref. no. 437/23).

ID-ENTITY Trial- Evaluating Serial T-ID Monitoring

To evaluate the association between time-updated CMV and BK viral loads measured monthly by T-ID and the risk of CMV disease and/or biopsy-proven BK virus-associated nephropathy (BKVAN) during the first 12 months following kidney transplantation, accounting for the net immune environment (TTV viral load) and allograft injury (donor-derived cell-free DNA, dd-cfDNA).

Promoting Increases in Living Donation Via Tele-navigation (PILOT)

We hypothesize that expansion of the Living Donor Navigator (LDN) program to include tele-health delivery will overcome geographic disparities in access and facilitate sustained increases in living donation. We will utilize an individually randomized group trial (IRGT) design with delayed intervention initiation to compare the effectiveness of tele-health LDN model to standard of care.

Safety of RotigotiNe in Patients With Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common hereditary kidney disease and is caused by mutations in the PKD1 or PKD2 genes, which encode polycystins 1 and 2. Patients develop renal cysts associated with a progressive decline in kidney function, ultimately leading to end-stage renal disease in approximately one third of cases. ADPKD is also characterized by early-onset hypertension and cardiovascular complications, notably intracranial aneurysms. This phenotype is related to abnormal polycystin function in the primary cilia of renal epithelial and vascular endothelial cells, resulting in impaired mechanotransduction of shear stress induced by urinary and blood flow and subsequent alterations in multiple cellular functions. Experimental studies have suggested that stimulation of dopamine receptor type 5 (DR5) may restore endothelial mechanosensitivity. This hypothesis is supported by our preliminary results showing that local administration of dopamine improves endothelial function in patients with ADPKD through restoration of nitric oxide (NO) release in response to increased blood flow. Consistent with these findings, the IMPROVE-PKD study recently demonstrated similar beneficial effects on endothelial function and hemodynamics using rotigotine, a dopamine agonist administered via transdermal patches for two months at a low dose (4 mg/24 h). Dopaminergic stimulation may also prevent renal abnormalities related to polycystin deficiency. We therefore hypothesize that rotigotine could slow the progression of ADPKD at both the renal and cardiovascular levels. This phase 2 study aims to evaluate the long-term tolerability of rotigotine in patients with ADPKD and to collect preliminary data on its effects on renal outcomes.

A Longitudinal Cohort Study to Evaluate Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Disease in Haiti

Investigators will establish a longitudinal cohort of \~3,000 adults \>18 years in Port-au-Prince using multistage random sampling, and follow them longitudinally to evaluate the prevalence and incidence of cardiovascular disease risk factors and diseases. Cardiovascular risk factors include hypertension, diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia, kidney disease, poor diet, cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, and inflammation. Cardiovascular disease include angina and myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, and CVD mortality. It is anticipated that hypertension prevalence will be ≥10% in 18-30 year olds, that hypertension incidence will be \>10 events/1000 person years. Association of determinants and risk factors with CVD will also be examined. Whole blood, serum, plasma, stool, and urine samples will be biobanked for future studies.

Open-label Extension Study of Zigakibart in Adults With IgA Nephropathy.

The purpose of this study is to determine if zigakibart is safe and effective for long-term use in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). This is an extension study for patients who have already completed an another zigakibart study.

Comparison of the Effects of Belatacept and Anticalcineurins on Endothelial Function in Renal Transplant Patients - <BELAFENDO>

Kidney transplantation is the standard treatment for patients with end-stage renal failure. However, anticalcineurin inhibitors, the most widely used immunosuppressants, are involved in the occurrence of cardiovascular events, a major cause of premature death in these patients. They play an important role in the occurrence of endothelial dysfunction and increased arterial stiffness by decreasing the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), promoting intrarenal arterial vasoconstriction and stimulating the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. leading to the development of hypertension and chronic graft dysfunction. Belatacept, a more recently developed immunosuppressant and co-stimulation signal inhibitor, has shown an anti-rejection effect similar to cyclosporine with a better cardiovascular tolerance profile. Preliminary studies are contradictory on the influence of Belatacept on arterial stiffness. Furthermore, to date, no study has evaluated the impact of Belatacept on vasomotor endothelial function in humans, an indicator of NO bioavailability. The interest of this study is to demonstrate that patients taking Belatacept have an improvement in vascular function compared to patients taking anticalcineurins in order to consider an earlier change in immunosuppressive strategy in the event of vascular damage.

Savolitinib vs. Sunitinib in MET-driven PRCC.

This study is designed for patients diagnosed with MET-driven, unresectable and locally advanced or metastatic Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma. The purpose of this study is to see if an investigational new anti-cancer medication, savolitinib, is effective in treating patients with MET-driven PRCC, how it compares with another medication frequently used to treat this disease called sunitinib, and what side effects it might cause.

Erector Spinae Plane Block Versus Quadratus Lumborum Block

To compare the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided ESPB versus QLB for post-operative analgesia in children undergoing kidney surgery.

The Effects of the CF Carrier State on the Kidneys and Pancreas

The overarching hypothesis is that CF carriers are at increased risk for developing most of the extrapulmonary conditions associated with CF compared to the general population. Specifically, it is hypothesized that this pilot data will detect subclinical evidence of pancreatic and kidney disorders among CF carriers. This will be determined by bringing CF carriers and controls to the CRU for one visit where they will answer survey questions and undergo laboratory testing. Additionally, they will collect urine and stool samples at home that will be sent to outside laboratories for testing.

Erector Spinae Plane Block vs Quadratus Lumborum Block for Laparoscopic Nephrectomy

Ultrasound (US) guided Quadratus Lumborum Block (QLB) is performed at the level of the 12th rib, in the parasagittal oblique plane, at the L1-L2 level. As there are modifications of the block generally local anesthetic is given between quadratus lumborum (QL) and psoas major (PM) muscles (Anterior QLB). The QLB provides a sensory block between T7 - L1. Therefore, QLBs are used to provide postoperative analgesia for abdominal, obstetric, gynecologic, and urologic surgeries. US-guided erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is performed at the level of the T11 transverse process. After visualization of the erector spinae (ES) muscle and the transverse process, local anesthetic is injected under the ES muscle. ESPB provides a sensory block of the anterior, posterior, and lateral thoracic and abdominal walls accordingly it's used for postoperative analgesia after thoracal wall repairs, thoracotomies, percutaneous nephrolithotomies, nephrectomies, and ventral hernia repairs. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of US-guided ESPB and QLB on postoperative pain control after laparoscopic nephrectomy.

A Prospective Danish National Registry of PTRA in Patients With Renovascular Hypertension

A prospective Danish national registry of percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) in high-risk patients with renal artery stenosis selected on the basis of common national criteria, and with a common follow-up protocol for all three Danish centres offering PTRA

APOL1 Long-term Kidney Transplantation Outcomes Network (APOLLO)

The APOLLO study is being done in an attempt to improve outcomes after kidney transplantation and to improve the safety of living kidney donation based upon variation in the apolipoprotein L1 gene (APOL1). Genes control what is inherited from a family, such as eye color or blood type. Variation in APOL1 can cause kidney disease. African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, Hispanic Blacks, and Africans are more likely to have the APOL1 gene variants that cause kidney disease. APOLLO will test DNA from kidney donors and recipients of kidney transplants for APOL1 to determine effects on kidney transplant-related outcomes.

Pediatric Hypertension and the Renin-Angiotensin SystEm (PHRASE)

Studying the causal roles of components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (including angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7)), angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), Ang II, and ACE), uric acid, and klotho in pediatric hypertension and related target organ injury, including in the heart, kidneys, vasculature, and brain. Recruiting children with a new hypertension diagnosis over a 2-year period from the Hypertension and Pediatric Nephrology Clinics affiliated with Brenner Children's Hospital at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital. Healthy control participants will be recruited from local general primary care practices. Collecting blood and urine samples to analyze components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (Ang-(1-7), ACE2, Ang II, ACE), uric acid, and klotho, and measuring blood pressure, heart structure and function, autonomic function, vascular function, and kidney function at baseline, year 1, and year 2. Objectives are to investigate phenotypic and treatment response variability and to causally infer if Ang-(1-7), ACE2, Ang II, ACE, uric acid, and klotho contribute to target organ injury due to hypertension.

Expanding Live Donor Kidney Transplantation Through Advocacy Training and Social Media

This pilot study will be a clinical trial to test the feasibility and effectiveness of an educational intervention and a mobile health intervention in adults with end stage renal disease (ESRD) who have not yet identified a potential live donor.