Clinical Research Directory

Role of Genetic Factors in the Development of Lung Disease

This study is designed to evaluate the genetics involved in the development of lung disease by surveying genes involved in the process of breathing and examining the genes in lung cells of patients with lung disease. The study will focus on defining the distribution of abnormal genes responsible for processes directly involved in different diseases affecting the lungs of patients and healthy volunteers. Optional CT Sub-study The standard CT scan will be compared to the low dose radiation CT scan for the 150 subjects enrolled in the sub-study to assess the variation between the two techniques. Specifically, the quantitative computer aided detection of lung CT abnormalities from LAM can be compared to assess whether low radiation dose CT exams is an alternative to conventional CT to monitor disease status. This optional sub-study will be offered to up to 100 adult subjects with lung disease and up to 50 children age 9 and older with CF. Children will not be enrolled in the optional CT sub-study unless they have had a standard CT scan for medical purposes to use in comparison. One additional low dose radiation CT scan of the chest may be done as part of this sub-study when these subjects have their next annual CT scan....

Long-term Extension Study to Evaluate Safety and Tolerability of Admilparant in Participants With Pulmonary Fibrosis

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term safety and tolerability of Admilparant in participants who completed participation in parent studies IM027-068 (for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)) and IM027-1015 (for progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF)).

Analysis of Specimens From Individuals With Pulmonary Fibrosis

The etiology of pulmonary fibrosis is unknown. Analyses of blood, genomic DNA, and specimens procured by bronchoscopy, lung biopsy, lung transplantation, clinically-indicated extra-pulmonary biopsies, or post-mortem examination from individuals with this disorder may contribute to our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of pulmonary fibrosis. The purpose of this protocol is to procure and analyze blood, genomic DNA, and specimens by bronchoscopy, lung biopsy, lung transplantation, extra-pulmonary biopsies, or post-mortem examination from subjects with pulmonary fibrosis. In addition, blood, genomic DNA, clinically-indicated extra-pulmonary biopsies, as well as bronchoscopy and post-mortem examination specimens may be procured and analyzed from relatives of subjects with hereditary forms of pulmonary fibrosis; blood, genomic DNA, and bronchoscopy specimens may be procured from healthy research volunteers.

A Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Inhaled AP01 in Participants With Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 2 doses of inhaled pirfenidone (AP01) versus placebo on top of standard of care in participants with PPF over 52 weeks.

Clinical Outcomes and Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer With Pulmonary Fibrosis

This retrospective observational study evaluates immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-related outcomes in lung cancer patients with concomitant pulmonary fibrosis/interstitial lung disease (ILD) and determines how fibrosis/ILD modifies immunotherapy effectiveness and safety. The study characterizes the clinical, radiographic, pathological, and molecular features of lung cancer with ILD and examines their associations with ICI response and survival. A comparator cohort of lung cancer patients without radiographic ILD from the same institution and time period is included to compare ICI effectiveness (e.g., response and survival outcomes) and pulmonary toxicity signals, including pneumonitis and acute ILD exacerbation. In a translational sub-study, archived lung tumor specimens undergo single-cell and spatial transcriptomic profiling to identify fibrosis-associated tumor-microenvironment programs that may underlie differential immunotherapy outcomes.

Clinical Application of 68Ga-1A12 PET in Fibrosis-related Diseases

Organ fibrosis is a common end-stage pathological change in various chronic diseases, characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) and disruption of tissue architecture, which can involve multiple organs such as the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, and intestines. Although the pathogenic triggers vary, the core molecular mechanisms are highly conserved, involving sustained activation of signaling pathways such as transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts, and processes like epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) . Currently, histopathological biopsy remains the gold standard for the diagnosis and staging of fibrosis, but its inherent invasiveness, sampling errors, and procedural risks limit its repeated application and dynamic monitoring . In clinical practice, functional imaging modalities such as high-resolution computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonic elastography have been employed to assess fibrosis in specific organs (e.g., lungs, liver). However, these methods predominantly rely on secondary morphological or physical property alterations, exhibiting limited capacity for identifying early-stage, active molecular-level pathological processes. Additionally, they are challenging to perform for systemic, multi-target quantitative evaluation.

Application of [68Ga]Ga-NI-FAPI-04 PET/CT Imaging in Fibroblast Activation Protein Related Diseases

The purpose of this study is to conduct clinical research on \[68Ga\] Ga-NI-FAPI-04 PET/CT imaging and further investigate its diagnostic value in fibroblast activation related diseases.

Preliminary Evaluation of [68Ga]CBP8 in Healthy Individuals, Lung Cancer, and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Patients

The goal of this study is to investigate the safety of \[68Ga\]CBP8 and its efficacy to detect collagen deposition in pulmonary fibrosis.

Telomeres Length in Israeli Fibrotic ILD Patients

Individuals with fibrotic interstitial lung diseases (FILD) will be recruited after providing informed consent. in addition to routine data as usually collected in the clinic, blood samples will be taken for measurement of telomeres length in peripheral blood leukocytes using both the Telomere Restriction Fragment (TRF) Analysis method and Nanopore sequencing. Participants with FILD will be followed-up for 2-year after recruitment, including clinical and pulmonary function tests at-least every 6 months, or more frequently, according to the treating physician discretion.

Pulmonary Fibrosis During Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia

The COVID-19 pandemic is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2), an emerging coronavirus, which has already infected 192 million people with a case fatality rate close to 2%. About 5% of patients infected with SARS CoV-2 have a critical form with organ failure. Among critical patients admitted to intensive care, about 70% of them will require ventilatory assistance by invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) with a mortality rate of 35% and a median MV duration of 12 days. The most severe lung damage resulting from SARS CoV-2 infection is the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The virus infects alveolar epithelial cells and capillary endothelial cells leading to an activation of endothelium, hypercoagulability and thrombosis of pulmonary capillaries. This results in abnormal ventilation / perfusion ratios and profound hypoxemia. To date, the therapeutic management of severe SARS CoV-2 pneumonia lay on the early use of corticosteroids and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor antagonist, which both reduce the need of MV and mortality. The risk factors of death in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) are: advanced age, severe obesity, coronary heart disease, active cancer, severe hypoxemia, and hepatic and renal failure on admission. Among MV patients, the death rate is doubled in those with both reduced thoracopulmonary compliance and elevated D-dimer levels. Patients with severe alveolar damage are at risk of progressing towards irreversible pulmonary fibrosis, the incidence of which still remain unknown. The diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis is based on histology but there are some non-invasive alternative methods (serum or bronchoalveolar biomarkers, chest CT scan). We aim to assess the incidence of pulmonary fibrosis in patients with severe SARS CoV-2 related pneumonia. We will investigate the prognostic impact of fibrosis on mortality and the number of days alive free from MV at Day 90. Finally, we aim to identify risk factors of fibrosis.

Post Acute Sequelae of COVID-19

COVID-19, a novel coronavirus, has caused widespread mortality and morbidity since it emerged in 2019. There is ongoing research and growing literature describing severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-COV-2). There is a growing population of individuals who have recovered from acute SARS-COV-2 infection. The long-term effects of COVID-19 are unknown. There are growing reports of sequelae after acute SARS-CoV-2 not limited to fatigue, dyspnea, reactive airway disease, organizing pneumonia, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary emboli, and tracheal disease. The incidence and natural history of these findings is unstudied.

Explanted Lung Tissues With Pulmonary Fibrosis

The goal of this study is to use the tissues from the explanted lungs in order to better study the cause of pulmonary fibrosis at a cellular level.

The BALANCE Study: A Study in Spain to Find Out Whether a Patient Support Program Helps People With Pulmonary Fibrosis Who Take Nintedanib

The aim of this study is to describe patients' satisfaction with Patient Support Program (Balance Program), Quality of Life and depression symptoms, dosing pattern, disease symptoms, adverse events and nintedanib discontinuation (both permanent and non-permanent) from study inclusion to 12 months of follow-up.

Routine vs On-demand ECMO for Lung Transplantation

Lung transplantation is a complex procedure performed in patients with terminal lung disease. The transplant procedure stresses the patient's heart and lungs, which are already taxed by the underlying disease process. The heart-lung machine is occasionally used to support the patient and ensure adequate oxygen supply to other organs during the operation. It can be used routinely in all patients or selectively in patients who exhibit reduced oxygen supply to the remaining organs. This process, known as cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), pumps blood out of the body to a heart-lung machine that removes carbon dioxide and returns oxygen-filled blood to the body. Although using the CPB increases the risk of bleeding, infection, and coagulation complications, it should still be considered in high-risk patients to compensate for more severe complications such as kidney failure and stroke caused by a lack of cardiopulmonary support. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a recently developed CPB variation associated with fewer bleeding complications. It has recently replaced the traditional heart-lung machine as the preferred method of cardiopulmonary support during lung transplantation. Since ECMO is associated with fewer complications than standard CPB, many centers have increased their use of ECMO during lung transplantation. Some have even employed it routinely. However, there remains significant debate on how often it should be used. Therefore, the study's main objective is to compare the two approaches in lung transplantation, i.e., routine use versus selective use, and to determine if one approach is preferable to the other.

Implementation of Home Monitoring in Patients With Pulmonary Fibrosis

The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of structurally replacing half of the outpatient clinic visits for patients with pulmonary fibrosis by home monitoring and video consultations on patient self-management and health(care) outcomes.

Assessing the Efficacy of Sirolimus in Patients With COVID-19 Pneumonia for Prevention of Post-COVID Fibrosis

The primary purpose of this study is to determine whether the drug sirolimus reduces the likelihood of developing of pulmonary fibrosis in patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Study on the Drug Interactions of HRS-9813, Pirfenidone and Nintedanib in Healthy Subjects

This study aims to evaluate the interaction of oral HRS-9813 capsules with pirfenidone and nintedanib on the pharmacokinetics of healthy subjects.

Genetic Polymorphisms in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)

The purposes of this study are: * to determine if there are specific genetic traits that might explain why patients have developed pulmonary fibrosis; * to determine if specific genetic traits account for differing patterns of inflammation and scar tissue that has formed in the patient's lungs.

Microarray Analysis of Gene Expression in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)

This study is investigating the way the lung is damaged in a condition called pulmonary fibrosis. Research studies will be conducted on lung tissue obtained from an open lung biopsy performed by the subject's surgeon. The identification of unique genetic markers of scarred lung may ultimately lead to new approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

Interstitial Lung Disease Research Unit Biobank

Establish a interstitial lung disease (ILD) registry and biorepository to lead towards a further understanding of the disease.

Clinical Study of Allogeneic Fat Decellularized Active Protein in the Treatment of Pulmonary Fibrosis

The purpose of this clinical trial is to investigate the efficacy and safety of allogeneic adiphatic cyclic active protein in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Efficacy of allogeneic adiposeactive protein in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis 2. Safety of allogeneic fat respiration active protein in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. A total of 7 participants will be enrolled. Participants will be asked that they will receive 2ml of each nebulized inhalation Cell Free Fat Extract (CEFFE), inhaled every 3 days, for a total of 7 nebulized inhalation treatments. The clinical trial was designed using a single-center, self-controlled trial with no control group and no blinding.

Physical Exercise Program for Adults With Diffuse Interstitial Lung Disease in a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Context

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an exercise program that includes three exercise modalities (Aerobic, Limb Strength and Respiratory Muscle Strength) versus an exercise program that includes only one modality (Aerobic) in the context of a Pulmonary Rehabilitation program in adults with diffuse interstitial disease in the Araucanía Region, in terms of exercise tolerance. A randomized clinical trial will be conducted, with 2 parallel groups, with masked evaluator. This study will include adults with a diagnosis of Diffuse Interstitial Lung Disease who are referred according to their medical condition and who agree to participate through an informed consent form. Participants will be recruited in the community and will be referred to the Physical Function and Rehabilitation Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine of the Universidad de La Frontera, where they will be evaluated and subsequently randomly assigned to each group. The evaluation consists of a series of tests and instruments to collect information regarding dyspnea, exercise tolerance, muscle strength and lung function, among others. The intervention corresponds to a Pulmonary Rehabilitation program, where both groups will receive education in psychological and nutritional aspects, self-care and physical activity. The difference between groups is that the control group will receive an intervention with an aerobic exercise modality and the experimental group will receive three exercise modalities together (aerobic, strengthening of extremities and strengthening of respiratory muscles).The program will last 10 weeks, with sessions twice a week, and at the end of the program the initial parameters will be re-evaluated. Data analysis will be performed using descriptive statistical elements, such as distribution tables and graphs. The inferential analysis will be performed using Chi2 for the association between the intervention and the main outcome variable, in addition to the calculation of RR to assess the magnitude of the association; the secondary outcome variables will be calculated for the primary outcome variable association; secondary outcome variables will be analyzed using Student's t-test.

FAPI PET for Lung Fibrosis

This is a prospective exploratory biodistribution study in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). The purpose of this research study is to determine where and to which degree the FAPI tracer (68Ga-FAPI-46) accumulates in normal and fibrotic lung tissues of patients with interstitial lung disease. The study will include patients with interstitial lung disease who have or will initiate a new ILD medication OR will undergo tissue biopsy or surgery of the lung. The study will include 30 patients, the upper limit for PET imaging studies conducted under the Radioactive Drug Research Committee (RDRC) purview. Participants will be injected with up to 7 mCi of 68-GaFAPi and will undergo one PET/CT scan and one High Resolution CT of the lungs. The study is sponsored by Ahmanson Translational Theranostic Division at UCLA.

Exhaled Breath Analysis Using eNose Technology as a Biomarker for Diagnosis and Disease Progression in Fibrotic ILD

The ILDnose study a multinational, multicenter, prospective, longitudinal study in outpatients with pulmonary fibrosis. The aim is to assess the accuracy of eNose technology as diagnostic tool for diagnosis and differentiation between the most prevalent fibrotic interstitial lung diseases. The value of eNose as biomarker for disease progression and response to treatment is also assessed. Besides, validity of several questionnaires for pulmonary fibrosis is investigated.