Children's National

In proximal urea cycle disorders (UCD), particularly ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD), hyperammonemia (HA) causes increased brain glutamine (Gln) which perturbation is thought to be at the core of the neurological injury. In contrast, in distal UCD such as citrullinemia (argininosuccinate synthetase deficiency; (ASSD) and argininosuccinic aciduria (argininosuccinate lyase deficiency); (ASLD) cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric disease are common even in the absence of acute HA. As a consequence, both citrulline and argininosuccinate (ASA) or their metabolic products have been implicated as neurotoxic. In this project the investigators will use state-of- the-art neuroimaging and neuropsychological methods to investigate whether patients with OTCD have chronically elevated brain Gln and reduced myo-inositol (mI) levels that correlate with regional brain structural abnormalities and neurocognitive dysfunction. The researchers will further investigate whether during an acute episode of HA elevated brain Gln and decreased mI levels correlate with the magnitude of cytotoxic edema and whether a Gln/mI ratio threshold can be identified at which the cytotoxic edema is followed by cell loss. Finally, the researchers will investigate whether regions of brain damage in ASSD and/or ASLD are distinct from those in OTCD and compare brain Gln levels in ASSD and ASLD in the absence of HA to those in OTCD. The investigators will also seek to determine if brain citrulline and ASA can be identified in the brains of patients with distal UCD and whether they correlate with brain abnormalities seen in MRI and neuropsychological testing. This project will elucidate the chronology of brain pathology both in acute hyperammonemia and chronic UCD and whether, proximal and distal UCD differ in their pathophysiology of brain damage.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Aug 2016

open study

This is a one-year longitudinal, observational study of 250 urban children and adolescents with asthma and 60 without asthma, ages 6-17 years old. Participants with asthma will require daily controller therapy with inhaled corticosteroids ICS (at least Step 2 therapy). Those without asthma cannot have used asthma medications in the year prior to enrollment and cannot demonstrate bronchodilator reversibility at baseline. Phenotypic characteristics will be established at baseline, and the participants will be seen at scheduled visits over 12 months. Each participant will be asked to monitor and self-report cold symptoms and will be asked to complete up to three cold visits

Type: Observational

Start Date: Apr 2024

open study

This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple-center study, to assess the efficacy and safety of Cannabidiol administered as ZYN002 for the treatment of children, adolescent, and young adult patients with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). Eligible participants will participate in up to an 18-week treatment period, where all participants will receive placebo or active study drug. Patients ages 3 to < 30 years will be eligible to participate.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2021

open study

The Pediatric Dose Optimization for Seizures in Emergency Medical Services (PediDOSE) study is designed to improve how paramedics treat seizures in children on ambulances. Seizures are one of the most common reasons why people call an ambulance for a child, and paramedics typically administer midazolam to stop the seizure. One-third of children with active seizures on ambulances arrive at emergency departments still seizing. Prior research suggests that seizures on ambulances continue due to under-dosing and delayed delivery of medication. Under-dosing happens when calculation errors occur, and delayed medication delivery occurs due to the time required for dose calculation and placement of an intravenous line to give the medication. Seizures stop quickly when standardized medication doses are given as a muscular injection or a nasal spray. This research has primarily been done in adults, and evidence is needed to determine if this is effective and safe in children. PediDOSE optimizes how paramedics choose the midazolam dose by eliminating calculations and making the dose age-based. This study involves changing the seizure treatment protocols for ambulance services in 20 different cities, in a staggered and randomly-assigned manner. One aim of PediDOSE is to determine if using age to select one of four standardized doses of midazolam and giving it as a muscular injection or nasal spray is more effective than the current calculation-based method, as measured by the number of children arriving at emergency departments still seizing. The investigators believe that a standardized seizure protocol with age-based doses is more effective than current practice. Another aim of PediDOSE is to determine if a standardized seizure protocol with age-based doses is just as safe as current practice, since either ongoing seizures or receiving too much midazolam can interfere with breathing. The investigators believe that a standardized seizure protocol with age-based doses is just as safe as current practice, since the seizures may stop faster and these doses are safely used in children in other healthcare settings. If this study demonstrates that standardized, age-based midazolam dosing is equally safe and more effective in comparison to current practice, the potential impact of this study is a shift in the treatment of pediatric seizures that can be easily implemented in ambulance services across the United States and in other parts of the world.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2022

open study

This clinical trial keeps track of and collects follow-up information from patients who are currently enrolled on or have participated in a Children's Oncology Group study. Developing a way to keep track of patients who have participated in Children's Oncology Group studies may allow doctors learn more about the long-term effects of cancer treatment and help them reduce problems related to treatment and improve patient quality of life.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jul 2008

open study

In this study, the investigator plans a randomized trial of melatonin versus placebo post acute pediatric concussion. The investigator hypothesizes that patients with acute concussions managed with melatonin will have improved sleep, decreased depressive symptoms, decreased risk of prolonged concussion symptoms and faster resolution of concussion symptoms.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2023

open study

Urea cycle disorders (UCD) are a group of rare inherited metabolism disorders. Infants and children with UCD commonly experience episodes of vomiting, lethargy, and coma. The purpose of this study is to perform a long-term analysis of a large group of individuals with various UCDs. The study will focus on the natural history, disease progression, treatment, and outcome of individuals with UCD.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Feb 2006

open study

To obtain short-term and long-term clinical safety information, in pediatric and adult patients with PA and MMA treated with Carbaglu®.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jun 2022

open study

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of targeted blood brain barrier disruption with Exablate Model 4000 Type2.0/2.1 in combination with Doxorubicin therapy for the treatment of DIPG in pediatric patients

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2023

open study

Using stakeholder feedback (i.e., behavioral health providers & caregivers), the goal of this study is to develop a behavioral parenting program that focuses on both parent mental health and parenting for parents of toddlers (12-35 months old). Using a deployment focused intervention model, this study will : (1) develop an early parenting intervention for parents of at-risk toddlers which integrates a focus on parent mental health with evidence-based behavioral parenting strategies, and (2) examine context-specific factors related to the intervention, including feasibility and acceptability to design a more practice-ready intervention.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2021

open study

OBOE is a prospective, pilot, parallel group RCT with the overall aim of examining the effect of a single dose of anti-IgE (omalizumab) vs. placebo administered at the onset of URIs in the fall season among highly exacerbation-prone, urban, and atopic youth aged 6-17 years with persistent asthma. OBOE will recruit and randomize participants over 3 years (3 annual cohorts of participants). Recruitment for each of the yearly cohorts of OBOE will begin in February. Each cohort will be followed for a 2-6-month run-in period with the objective to gain control of each participant's asthma and to stabilize the required controller medication step level. Participants will receive routine asthma care every 1-2 months (a total of 2-4 times) during run-in using a previously described algorithm developed by the Inner-city Asthma Consortium and successfully employed in the PROSE study. The primary outcome is the change in the amount of nasal IFN-α recovered by nasal fluid absorption between two time points, within 72 hours of onset of a URI as defined by onset of (or substantial worsening of) rhinorrhea, nasal congestion or sneezing (single or multiple symptoms) and 3-6 days after study drug injection.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2022

open study

The LCH-IV is an international, multicenter, prospective clinical study for pediatric Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis LCH (age < 18 years).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2016

open study

This study is not a treatment protocol and no experimental treatments are involved. Study participants may be seen as needed for clinical, translational and basic research studies, or as medically indicated. Subjects will receive their general medical care outside the NIH and will be seen at our clinic or at CNHS with varying frequency. Subjects may be seen for multiple visits. Subjects may be asked to return for additional testing as needed. Clinical care for patients with sickle cell disease will be provided as appropriate through the Sickle Cell Clinic and the inpatient clinical center.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Apr 2004

open study

Participants are being asked to be in the study if they are the parent or legal guardian of a child (>1 year or <18 years old) with a rare condition. The group based psychoeducational intervention is called Rare Group Problem Management Plus. Rare Group PM Plus may help adults with practical and emotional problems. It is a group program (there will be other men or women with similar problems) It happens once a week for 5 weeks (each session lasts 90 minutes) Participants will complete assessments before they start Rare Group PM+. Participants will also complete the same assessments within a few weeks of completing Rare Group PM+. Assessments should only take one hour. Study visits are by Telemedicine. Participants will need a smart phone or tablet. If they do not have a smart phone or tablet, the study team will help with this. Participants will not receive any materials or money or medication.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2024

open study

Fetal complete (i.e., third degree, 3°) atrioventricular block (AVB), identified in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy in an otherwise normally developing heart, is almost universally associated with maternal anti-Ro autoantibodies and results in death in a fifth of cases. To date treatment of 3° AVB has been ineffective in restoring normal rhythm (NR) which may be because current surveillance is limited to once- weekly fetal echocardiograms. It is hypothesized that there may be a vital transition period of several hours in which incomplete block (2° AVB) may be successfully treated avoiding fully advanced irreversible 3° AVB. To optimize the likelihood of timely detection of the transition period this study comprises three steps: 1) to risk stratify for high titer anti-Ro antibodies, which are necessary but not sufficient to develop fetal AVB; 2) to empower mothers to identify 2° AVB by using fetal heart rate and rhythm monitoring (FHRM) at home, and 3) to rapidly treat mothers who detect an abnormality by monitoring with an urgent echocardiogram that confirms 2° AVB with the hope of reversing 2° AVB before it becomes permanent (3° AVB). In addition, it will be determined if FHRM reduces the need for weekly echoes. Although mothers with low titer anti-Ro will not be continued in Step 2 and therefore not followed by FHRM, birth ECGs will be collected to confirm that low titer antibodies do not confer risk. It is anticipated that this study will provide an evidenced based surveillance strategy for those mothers at high risk of having a child with 3° AVB.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2020

open study

This phase III trial compares the effect of selumetinib versus the standard of care treatment with carboplatin and vincristine (CV) in treating patients with newly diagnosed or previously untreated low-grade glioma (LGG) that does not have a genetic abnormality called BRAFV600E mutation and is not associated with systemic neurofibromatosis type 1. Selumetinib works by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and may kill tumor cells. Carboplatin and vincristine are chemotherapy drugs that work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. The overall goal of this study is to see if selumetinib works just as well as the standard treatment of CV for patients with LGG. Another goal of this study is to compare the effects of selumetinib versus CV in subjects with LGG to find out which is better. Additionally, this trial will also examine if treatment with selumetinib improves the quality of life for subjects who take it.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2020

open study

This study will evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of udenafil, an orally administered, potent and selective inhibitor of PDE5, versus placebo for the treatment of adolescent who have had the Fontan procedure.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2023

open study

This phase II trial tests the safety, side effects, best dose and activity of tovorafenib (DAY101) in treating patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis that is growing, spreading, or getting worse (progressive), has come back (relapsed) after previous treatment, or does not respond to therapy (refractory). Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a type of disease that occurs when the body makes too many immature Langerhans cells (a type of white blood cell). When these cells build up, they can form tumors in certain tissues and organs including bones, skin, lungs and pituitary gland and can damage them. This tumor is more common in children and young adults. DAY101 may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Using DAY101 may be effective in treating patients with relapsed or refractory Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2024

open study

This phase I/II trial studies how well tiragolumab and atezolizumab works when given to children and adults with SMARCB1 or SMARCA4 deficient tumors that have either come back (relapsed) or do not respond to therapy (refractory). SMARCB1 or SMARCA4 deficiency means that tumor cells are missing the SMARCB1 and SMARCA4 genes, seen with some aggressive cancers that are typically hard to treat. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as tiragolumab and atezolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2022

open study

This phase I trial studies the side effects of nivolumab before and after surgery in treating children and young adults with high grade glioma that has come back (recurrent) or is increasing in scope or severity (progressive). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2020

open study

Background: Genetic testing called "sequencing" helps researchers look at DNA. Genes are made of DNA and are the instructions for our bodies to function. We all have thousands of genes. DNA variants are differences in genes between two people. We all have lots of variants. Most are harmless and some cause differences like blue or brown eyes. A few variants can cause health problems. Objective: To understand the genetics of immune disorders various health conditions, as well as outcomes of clinical genomics and genetic counseling services performed under this protocol. Eligibility: Participants in other NIH human subjects research protocols - either at the NIH Clinical Center (CC) or at Children s National Health System (CNHS) - (aged 0-99 years), and, in select cases, their biological relatives Design: Researchers will study participant s DNA extracted from blood, saliva, or another tissue sample, including previously collected samples we may have stored at the NIH. Researchers will look at participant s DNA in great detail. We are looking for differences in the DNA sequence or structure between participants and other people. Participants will receive results that: - Are important to their health - Have been confirmed in a clinical lab - Suggest that they could be at risk for serious disease that may affect your current or future medical management. Some genetic information we return to participants may be of uncertain importance. If genetic test results are unrelated to the participant s NIH evaluations, then we will not typically report: - Normal variants - Information about progressive, fatal conditions that have no effective treatment - Carrier status (conditions you don t have but could pass on) The samples and data will be saved for future research. Personal data will be kept as private as possible. If future studies need new information, participants may be contacted.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jul 2017

open study

This is a single site nonrandomized pilot clinical trial of the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a combination treatment involving digital Cogmed working memory skills training, social support components, and memory strategy training to improve adherence to Cogmed in youth with sickle cell disease ages 7-16 years.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2025

open study

This phase II trial studies how well lower dose radiotherapy after chemotherapy (Carboplatin & Etoposide) works in treating children with central nervous system (CNS) germinomas. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Carboplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works in a way similar to the anticancer drug cisplatin, but may be better tolerated than cisplatin. Carboplatin works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of tumor cells. Etoposide is in a class of medications known as podophyllotoxin derivatives. It blocks a certain enzyme needed for cell division and DNA repair and may kill cancer cells. Researchers want to see if lowering the dose of standard radiotherapy (RT) after chemotherapy can help get rid of CNS germinomas with fewer long-term side effects.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2024

open study

This is a pediatric kidney transplant study comparing the safety and efficacy of an immunosuppressive regimen of belatacept and sirolimus to tacrolimus and Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF). Two hundred participants will be randomized (1:1) to one of two groups within 24 hours following the transplant procedure. The duration of the study from time of transplant to the primary endpoint is 12-24 months.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2024

open study

This is a multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of dupilumab adjunctive therapy for prevention of asthma exacerbations in urban children and adolescents with T2-high exacerbation-prone asthma.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2022

open study