Clinical Research Directory

Leucine Requirements During Pregnancy

This study aims to understand how much leucine, an essential amino acid, and protein building block, healthy pregnant women need during early and late pregnancy. Leucine plays an important role in supporting muscle health and fetal growth. Participants will consume carefully prepared meals and provide breath, urine samples, and one blood sample so researchers can measure how the body uses leucine at different stages of pregnancy. The results will help improve nutrition guidelines for pregnant women to better support maternal health and healthy fetal development.

Expressions of Ezrin and Pip5k1α Proteins in Airway Smooth Muscle of Asthmatic Patients

Asthma, a prevalent chronic respiratory affliction, significantly impinges upon the quality of life for affected individuals. Timely and appropriate diagnostic measures, coupled with efficacious therapeutic interventions, are paramount in mitigating exacerbations of symptoms and enhancing the life quality of patients. Ezrin plays an important role in maintaining cell morphology, cell migration, cell adhesion and polarisation, but Ezrin expression in airway smooth muscle remains unclear. Pip5k1α is an important kinase involved in intracellular phosphatidylinositol signalling pathways that may be involved in smooth muscle contraction and diastole. Therefore, further studies are necessary to elucidate the changes of Ezrin and Pip5k1α in patients with asthma to provide a basis for investigating alternative treatments for asthma.

PRotein Optimization With eXercise to Improve MUscle Mass and Functional outcomeS

The investigators have designed a 2-center, pilot feasibility, randomized controlled trial (PROXIMUS) to determine the feasibility and safety of a larger multi center, randomized open-label trial comparing high protein combined with individualized exercise vs. standard management during the acute phase of critical illness in children. The investigators aim to determine the impact of the intervention on preservation of muscle mass; and functional status at 1 month and 6 months after randomization.