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Browse 1,471 clinical trials for lupus. Find studies that match your criteria and connect with research centers.
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NCT06327724
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMIDs) of which the cellular and molecular alterations of the immune system driving the diseases still remains largely unknown. Accordingly, it remains difficult to predict the individual patient's response to treatment. Moreover, the patient's response to treatment remains heterogeneous and difficult to predict, despite the development of a variety of novel and powerful drugs (including the so-called biologicals). Therefore, there is a clear need for the identification and validation of cellular and molecular biomarkers which can provide useful clinical information for diagnosis, classification, prognosis and treatment, as well as the development of new therapeutic strategies. Biomarkers can be found and analyzed in different body compartments, of which the peripheral blood and the intra-articular synovial fluid or tissue are most easily accessible. However, previous studies in RA and other IMIDs showed that adaptive immune responses in other tissues such as lymph nodes also play an important role. Investigating other immune compartments of the body such as the lymph nodes could result in new insights. To study the early pathogenesis of inflammatory conditions, in 2008 our department initiated core-needle inguinal lymph node biopsy sampling. Since then more than 100 lymph node biopsy procedures were performed. The procedure is well-tolerated and, other than a small hematoma which does not require therapy in most of the cases, no complications were reported. In the current study, the effects of belimumab (anti-BAFF) in SLE will be investigated by studying the immune alterations taking place in lymph nodes in comparison to peripheral blood and immune alterations taking place in the end-organ, e.g. the joint (wrist, knee or ankle) by taking synovial biopsies during a needle- or mini-arthroscopy. This procedure has been performed frequently in our department over the last 15 years. In this way immune alterations in the lymph nodes (secondary lymphoid organ), peripheral blood (systemic) and the joint (end organ for the disease) will be assessed and compared.
NCT05375552
A good quantity, and quality, of sleep is crucial for well-being. Evidence strongly indicates that poor sleep quality and quantity is causally involved in the development of dementia; therefore, techniques which can improve sleep in older adults are very likely to prevent or slow down the disease process in dementia. This project aims to manipulate a specific aspect of sleep in healthy older adults. This: 1) has the potential to prevent the pre-dementia stage of mild cognitive impairment in healthy older adults, and 2) has a direct clinical application to dementia. The overall aim of this project is to investigate if a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can enhance specific brain activity patterns during overnight sleep in healthy older adults. These brain activity patterns during sleep (called 'sleep spindles') are mechanistically linked to both the physiological restorative and the cognitive function of sleep. Sleep spindles can only be assessed by measuring overnight brain activity during sleep. Sleep spindles are very strongly associated with attention, and memory performance, which are severely affected by dementia. A decrease in sleep spindles is associated with cognitive decline, and predict dementia development. Therefore, enhancing sleep spindle activity in sleep is likely to boost cognition. Whilst previous research studies have demonstrated that in a sleep laboratory environment, tDCS can manipulate sleep spindles when individuals are in a specific brain state in a nap situation, we are specifically interested in testing tDCS in a home environment. This is because the use of tDCS in a home environment has have a number of advantages over sleep laboratory studies. Specifically, by conducting this study in a home environment, this will maximise the inclusivity of studies involving older adults, and DLB patients, since they will not be required to travel to a sleep laboratory to participate in studies. The aim of this proof-of-principle study is to investigate if tDCS can manipulate sleep spindles in healthy older adults. It is expected that relative to a placebo stimulation, active stimulation (which exerts an effect upon the brain) will increase sleep spindle activity in healthy older adults.