Circulating microRNAs as Disease Markers in Pediatric Cancers



Status:Recruiting
Conditions:Blood Cancer, Lymphoma, Neurology, Leukemia
Therapuetic Areas:Neurology, Oncology
Healthy:No
Age Range:3 - 21
Updated:4/21/2016
Start Date:March 2010
End Date:July 2018
Contact:Rishi Lulla, MD
Email:rlulla@luriechildrens.org
Phone:312.227.4855

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A Feasibility Study of Circulating microRNAs as Disease Markers in Pediatric Cancers

MicroRNAs are small molecules which have recently been discovered in cells. They are known
to be responsible for the normal development of cells and when they are disrupted can
contribute to the development of cancer. Many previous studies have been done evaluating the
expression of microRNAs in normal tissues as well as a wide variety of cancers.

Recently, microRNAs from tumor cells have been detected circulating in the blood of patients
with cancer. This presents a novel opportunity to use microRNAs in the blood as an early
predictor of cancer as well as a marker of response to therapy. No previous studies have
been performed evaluating microRNAs in the blood or cerebrospinal fluid of patients with
childhood cancers. We propose a feasibility study to evaluate the presence of microRNAs in
the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with central nervous system tumors, leukemia
and lymphoma who are currently on chemotherapy and undergoing blood draws, lumbar punctures
and/or reservoir taps for routine clinical care. If we're able to identify circulating
microRNAs in this population of pediatric patients, we will build upon this data in
proposing a future study.


Inclusion Criteria:

- All children who are in treatment for leukemia, lymphoblastic lymphoma and central
nervous system tumors

- age: greater than 3 years and less than or equal to 21 years of age

- Patients must be in a phase of their treatment during which routine blood draws,
lumbar punctures or CSF sampling from Ommaya reservoirs are required for treatment of
their cancers.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Patients who have completed treatment and do not require routine blood draws and/or
lumbar punctures

- Patients who are considered too ill to participate as determined by their treating
physician

- Patients with a known genetic condition that predisposed them to the development of
cancer.
We found this trial at
1
site
225 E Chicago Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60611
(312) 227-4000
Principal Investigator: Rishi Lulla, MD
Phone: 312-227-4861
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children
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mi
from
Chicago, IL
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