Clinical Research Directory

Muscle Health Measurements Using Electrical Impedance Myography

This study is being done to further develop a device, the mScan, to measure muscle health as compared to measurements of muscle health using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). This device is held against the skin and uses Electrical Impedance Myography (EIM). EIM uses a very small, noninvasive (e.g. no needles), brief (about 6 seconds), and painless electrical current to measure the muscle. The investigators will look at how the mScan predicts the muscle measurements seen on MRI in people with and without muscle disease. The investigators hope that this can be used in the future as a quick, convenient and less time-consuming way than MRI to assess muscle health. This could be used to measure how well treatments for different muscle disorders are working over a period of time.

A Study to Understand How the Study Medicine (PF-06823859) Works in People With Active Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies [Dermatomyositis (DM) and Polymyositis (PM)]

The purpose of the study is to understand how the study medicine PF-06823859 (dazukibart) works in people with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (DM and PM). These disorders cause inflammation that weakens the muscles that are important for movement and may also cause skin rash in people with DM. This study is seeking participants who: * Are 18 years of age or older or minimum legal adult age as defined per local regulation, whichever is greater * Have active DM or active PM. * Are receiving a stable dose of 1 corticosteroid taken by mouth and/or 1 traditional immunosuppressant. * Note: Corticosteroids and immunosuppressants are medicines that help reduce inflammation and may signal to the immune system not to attack the body. Dermatomyositis (DM) is a rare disease that causes muscle inflammation that results in muscle weakness and low muscle stamina. Patients with DM have a characteristic skin rash. Polymyositis (PM) is a rare disease that involves mainly muscle inflammation resulting in muscle weakness, that can sometimes be painful. Patients with DM and PM may have trouble going up the steps, walking or getting to a standing position. Some of the participants will receive the study medicine (dazukibart) and some will receive placebo (which is similar to study medicine but contains no medicine in it). The study medicine or placebo will be given as an intravenous (IV) infusion (directly into the veins), which takes about 1 hour; every 4 weeks from Day 1 to Week 48 of the study. Both dazukibart and placebo and will be given at the study site. The study will compare the experiences of people receiving study medication to those of the people who do not. This will help to see if dazukibart is safe and effective. Participants will take part in this study for about 13 months. During this time, participants will have 15 study visits. These visits will be performed at the study site.

Environmental Risk Factors for the Anti-synthetase Syndrome

Background: * Like other complex diseases, autoimmune diseases are the result of numerous causes, including genetic and environmental factors. Some researchers believe that people who are susceptible to autoimmune disorders develop them when the body reacts to environmental or other factors by creating white blood cells that attack the body s own tissues, which then progresses to autoimmune diseases. These immune-triggered disorders can overlap with one another to some extent, but most autoimmune diseases have certain distinct triggers. * The autoimmune disorder myositis weakens the muscles and may cause other health problems. Environmental exposures associated with myositis include ultraviolet radiation, stressful life events and muscle overexertion, collagen implants, infections such as retroviruses and streptococci bacteria, and certain drugs and chemicals. Some individuals with myositis also produce proteins in the blood called autoantibodies that react with certain parts of the person s own cells, called synthetases, which are involved in making new proteins. A syndrome called the anti-synthetase syndrome, which includes myositis and lung disease, is associated with having the anti-synthetase autoantibodies. Researchers are interested in studying differences in environmental exposures in individuals with myositis. This study is being conducted to determine if persons with the anti-synthetase syndrome have had different environmental exposures before disease onset compared with other patients with myositis who do not have this syndrome and also compared with healthy volunteers. Objectives: \- To determine whether selected infectious and noninfectious environmental exposures are more common in individuals who have myositis with the anti-synthetase syndrome, compared with healthy volunteers. Eligibility: \- Individuals who have been diagnosed with myositis (with or without anti-synthetase autoantibodies), and healthy volunteers without autoimmune disorders. Design: * Participants will be screened with a full medical history and physical examination, and will provide blood, urine and house dust samples. * Participants will complete questionnaires about their medical history and the types of exposures they have had at work, at home, and elsewhere. Participants who have myositis will also be asked about certain infections, heavy exercise or physical exertion, sun exposure, tobacco and alcohol use, and stressful events prior to being diagnosed with the disease. Healthy volunteers will be asked about the same exposures before the date of diagnosis of disease of the myositis subject to which they have been matched. * Participants will receive a kit that contains instructions and a filter to be put onto their vacuum cleaner to collect house dust in the bedroom. This dust will be kept for possible future analyses of infectious or toxic agents based on the other results from the study. * Individuals with myositis will have other tests as clinically indicated, including lung function tests and imaging studies.

Clinico-biological Collection to Investigate the Physiopathology of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases

The aim of this project is to start a biological and clinical collection of patients presenting systemic autoimmune disease. This collection will provide appropriate biological samples to identify new biomarkers and to be accessible to the medical, scientific and industrial communities for the identification of new therapeutic strategies

A Study of Nipocalimab in Participants With Active Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Nipocalimab versus placebo in participants with active idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM).

A Study to Assess the Long-term Safety and Efficacy of a Subcutaneous Formulation of Efgartigimod in Adults With Active Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy

The main purpose of this study is to measure the long-term safety and tolerability of efgartigimod PH20 SC in adult participants with Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy (IIM) who previously participated in ARGX-113-2007. The study consists of a treatment period where participants will receive efgartigimod PH20 SC for up to 51 months. The treatment period will be followed by a treatment-free safety follow-up period of 56 days.

Add-on Intravenous Immunoglobulins in Early Myositis

In patients with myositis early immunomodulation by intensive treatment ("hit-early/hit-hard" principle) may induce faster reduction of disease activity and prevent chronic disability. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) in addition to standard treatment with glucocorticoids may be beneficial for this purpose: add-on IVIg improved symptoms in steroid-resistant myositis, and first-line monotherapy IVIg led to a fast and clinically relevant response in a pilot study in nearly 50% of patients with myositis.

MIHRA - Patient-Rooted Insights for Shaping Myositis Science (PRISMS)

Myositis diseases are each rare diseases. As in other rare diseases, people living with myositis diseases face physical and psychosocial challenges that may not be recognized in current research priorities. The PRISMS study is a global investigation that collects patient perspectives through (mostly online) methods of open-ended questions, community forums and survey to identify the most pressing research concerns as identified by patients. Findings will be analyzed to create a patient-voiced set of research priorities that can guide the direction of research and help inform funding decisions across myositis diseases. Potential participants can express interest via https://mihrafoundation.org/mihra-programs/mihra-patient-contact-registry/

AlloNK®, an Allogeneic Non-genetically Modified, Cord Blood-derived NK Cell Therapy, in Combination With Rituximab, Studied in Relapsing Forms of B-cell Dependent Rheumatologic Diseases.

A Basket Trial of Refractory Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Sjögren's Disease (SjD), Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIMs) and Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) subjects to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AlloNK, a non-genetically modified allogeneic NK cell, in combination with rituximab.

A Safety and Efficacy Study Evaluating CTX112 in Adult Subjects With Refractory Autoimmune Disease

This is a single-arm, open-label, multicenter, ascending dose Phase 1 study evaluating the safety and preliminary efficacy of CTX112 in adult subjects with refractory autoimmune diseases, including active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (SSc), or idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM).

A Study to Evaluate Safety and Efficacy of Empasiprubart in Adults With Dermatomyositis

This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of empasiprubart compared with placebo in adult participants with dermatomyositis (DM). The study duration will be approximately 92 weeks for all participants. After the screening period, eligible participants will be randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive either empasiprubart or placebo, respectively, during the treatment period (duration of 25 weeks). At the end of the treatment period, all the participants will enter a safety follow-up period (duration of 65 weeks).

A Study to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of Efgartigimod PH20 SC in Adult Participants With Active Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy.

This study's purpose is to measure the treatment response from efgartigimod PH20 SC compared with placebo in participants with Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy (IIM). Participants with the IIM subtypes of dermatomyositis (DM), immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM), or certain other subtypes of polymyositis (PM; including antisynthetase syndrome \[ASyS\]) will be included in the study. Treatment response will be measured by Total improvement score (TIS). Additional information can be found on https://myositis-study.com/.

MYOPROSP - a Prospective Cohort Study in Myositis

Adult patients with suspected or confirmed idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) will be recruited. Patients will be approached, consented, have baseline demographics, diagnostics and disease activity measures recorded, and blood taken. The collection of data and biological material will mirror usual clinical practice as far as possible. Subjects will ideally attend further visits at 3, 6 and 12 months to have bloods taken, outcome measures recorded and questionnaires completed. In addition, blood, muscle biopsies and imaging undertaken as part of usual care will also be collected for research purposes to measure a number of biomarkers for the assessment of diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility evaluation. As per usual practice, a muscle biopsy will be performed at baseline, and a further biopsy offered at 6 months to assess treatment response. A magnetic resonance (MR) muscle protocol will also be performed as per usual clinical practice, and a gadolinium-enhanced MR heart scan offered. Both these scans will be repeated at 6 months. An existing electronic database entry system will be used for data entry and capture on an anonymised basis. The study will thus be based around diagnostic evaluations and outcome measures to improve quality of care in IIM.

Neuromuscular Complications of MEK Inhibitors: a French Case Series and a Systematic Review of the Literature

MEK inhibitors (trametinib, cobimetinib, selumetinib or binimetinib) have been used since 2016 to treat metastatic melanoma, by targeting the MAPK pathway Neuromuscular complications (neuropathy, myasthenia or myositis) have been reported in patients treated with MEK inhibitors. With the growing use of these new oncology therapies, neurologists, oncologists and other clinicians are likely to be increasingly confronted with MEK inhibitor-induced neuropathy, myasthenia or myositis. Yet, so far, these complications have only been documented in a few single case reports. Our aim was to characterize the neuromuscular complications associated with MEK inhibitors used either alone or in combination.

Investigation of the Validity, Reliability, and Responsiveness of the BETY-BQ in Myositis

Individuals diagnosed with myositis have skin, joint, and visceral organ involvement together with proximal muscle weakness, impaired physical function, sexual function, and quality of life also affect individuals psychosocially. Increased anxiety-depression-anxiety problems are observed in individuals, and many factors contributing to these conditions are reported. Therefore, while holistic evaluation of individuals, including these factors, gains importance, more information on how the quality of life changes during the disease is required. There is a need for tools to evaluate these characteristics in individuals disease management and treatment process. The cognitive Exercise Therapy Approach (Bilişsel Egzersiz Terapi Yaklaşımı-BETY) is an innovative exercise model based on physical exercise and an example of a biopsychosocial approach developed in patients with rheumatism. The BETY-Biopsychosocial Questionnaire (BETY-BQ) was created by repeated statistics of the improvement characteristics reported by individuals who participated in BETY sessions for many years. The BETY-BQ holistically evaluates many biopsychosocial characteristics of the individual, such as pain, coping skills, functionality, mood, sociability, sexuality, and sleep. Therefore, there is a need for scales that holistically evaluate the symptoms mentioned in myositis disease. Since the BETY-BQ can assess biopsychosocial characteristics quickly and its structure was created with the feedback of individuals with chronic disease, it aimed to examine its validation in this disease group. This study, which the investigators planned to contribute to this field, aims to investigate BETY-BQ\^s validity, reliability, and responsiveness in individuals diagnosed with myositis.

Investigating Genes in Patients With Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis

Polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM) and inclusion body myositis (IBM)belong to a group of inflammatory muscle disorders, of unknown cause, that are characterised by skeletal muscle inflammation and progressive muscular weakness, which can be debilitating and chronic in nature (occasionally fatal). The current treatment options for these conditions are steroids and various other immunosuppressive drugs. However, these are usually only partially effective at reducing symptoms, and their toxic side effects also limit their usefulness. In order to develop more specific treatments for myositis in the future (and therefore more effective), it is important to understand the exact mechanisms that cause the disease in the first instance. In other similar inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus (SLE), it is known that changes to the Human Leukocyte Antigen(HLA), as well as certain inflammatory cytokines, are involved in both the development and expression of the disease. As many of the inflammatory mechanisms that cause damage in PM, DM and IBM are similar to those in RA and SLE, it seems likely that similar genetic factors will also be involved in the development and expression of PM, DM and IBM. In order to understand the genetic aspects / causes of myositis, and ultimately develop more effective treatment therapies in the future, patients with PM, DM or IBM, will be asked to give 20 mls of blood. These blood samples, along with the patient's clinical details, will then be sent to the Centre for Integrated Genomic Medical Research (CIGMR), at The University of Manchester, where all of the genetic analyses will take place. By understanding the genetic cause of the disease, it should be possible to design specific drugs for treating the condition in the future.