Identifying Tissue-of-origin in Transplant Patients and Patients with Malignancies.

the investigators are developing a method for diagnosing cell death in the body using blood and urine tests. The test is based on two well-known phenomena in biology. First, when cells in the body die, short fragments of their DNA, about 150 bases long, find their way into the bloodstream for a short period of time of about fifteen minutes to an hour, before being eliminated in the liver and kidney. The details of this process are not fully known, but it is clear that the phenomenon exists. Already today, this phenomenon is widely used clinically for prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal aberrations in the DNA of the fetus that is found in large quantities in the mother's blood. Liquid biopsies from cancer have already been developed, based on the identification of somatic mutations originating from a cancerous tumor in the free DNA found in the serum or plasma. In the case of cancer, liquid biopsies may be a convenient way to monitor the genetic evolution of the tumor, response to treatments, and more. This approach of detecting cell death using free DNA in the bloodstream has a severe limitation when it comes to the death of cells whose genome is not different from the genome of the other tissues in the body, and therefore the DNA cannot be associated with the tissue of origin based on sequence analysis.

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Key information

Conditions

Malignancies Digestive System Diseases Digestive System Neoplasms Liver Diseases Liver Neoplasms Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site

Age range

18 year–80 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Hdassah Hospital

Jerusalem, 9112001, Israel

About this study

The duration of the sample collection period is estimated to be five years. Work in the laboratory will continue for another 3 years. The laboratory work will be carried out in the laboratories of Prof. Eithan Galun at Hadassah Ein Kerem and Prof. Nir Friedman at the Hebrew University of Givat Ram. Access will be given to Prof. Galun and his team. Since genetic variation is not tested in this study, there is no fear of revealing the subject's personal genetic information. In this study we use an identified sample, on which identifying details for the participant are indicated, for example: name, social security number or code number that can be given to the sample. The identified information and the information that will be extracted from the sample will be saved in coded excel sheets. In this way, only authorized researchers and research staff will be allowed access. The samples will be preserved as coded identified samples in the laboratory of Prof. Eithan Galun, Hadassah Ein Kerem, Jerusalem in a freezer in a locked room with limited access to researchers and the authorized research team only, and also, in the laboratory of Prof. Nir Friedman, the Hebrew University of Givat Ram, Jerusalem under similar conditions with access to the research team only. the investigators also ask the liver and kidney transplant recipients to collect a urine sample, with the thought that it might be possible to save a blood test and be satisfied with a urine sample.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Kidney and liver transplant recipients Patients with malignant tumors

Exclusion criteria

Pregnant women Minors Incompetent Chronic background disease.

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

Improvement of liver function tests including ALT and AST levels after immunosuppression

Time frame: Measurements of liver enzymes after diagnosis of acute rejection

Reduction of liver enzymes following immunosuppression treatment

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hadassah Medical Organization

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Identifying Tissue-of-origin and Gene Expression Program by Immunoprecipitation of Cell-free Nucleosomes in Transplant Patients and Patients with Malignancies.

Acronym: cfDNA

Important dates

Study start: 2024
Primary completion: 2027
Study completion: 2027
First posted: Nov 25, 2024
Registry last updated: Nov 25, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

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This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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