Transverse Myelitis Clinical Trials

Find out more about clinical trials at Johns Hopkins.

Accelerated Cure Project

Principal Investigator: Dr Arun Venkatesan

The Accelerated Cure Project  is a multi-center central blood repository and database which allows us to investigate causes, better diagnostic methods, therapies, and eventually cures for transverse myelitis, neuromyelitis optica, and other related demyelinating disorders of the central nervous system.  These data are made available in a de-identified manner to researchers from around the world to help each of them with their individual efforts.  These researchers then share their data with the central repository so that we can all continue to learn more about these disorders every day.

It requires participants to fill out a questionnaire and contribute a blood sample.  Please contact Gita Byraiah at 410-502-6160 or gbyraia1@jhmi.edu for more information.

Find out more about ACP and the repository at: http://www.acceleratedcure.org/repository/index.php. 

Risk Factors for Acute Idiopathic Transverse Myelitis

Principal Investigator: Dr Neal Halsey

Johns Hopkins is currently enrolling new and recently diagnosed patients with idiopathic acute transverse myelitis (IATM) to study risk factors for the disease.  This is a study conducted in collaboration with investigators at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Johns Hopkins Transverse Myelitis Center, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration, under the auspices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In this exploratory study, patients will be asked to complete a questionnaire detailing demographic, socioeconomic data, information regarding illness and underlying diseases, medications, immunizations, travel history and other physician visits in the preceding 24 months prior to the onset of idiopathic acute TM.

Interested patients should contact the study coordinators: Yandong Qiang (301-827-1087), Mari Griffioen (410-955-2955), Mr. Howard Choi (410-502-5202), and Ms. Maureen Mealy (410-502-8672). Principal Investigator, Neal Halsey MD (410-955-6964).

CNS Growth Factor Release and Changes in the Inflammatory Environment in Response to Electrical Stimulation in Subjects with Inflammatory Myelopathies

Principal Investigator: Daniel Becker, MD

Volunteers with transverse myelitis, or multiple sclerosis, or NMO needed

The research is being done to study the effect of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) cycling on factors in blood and spinal cord in people with history of spinal cord inflammation as seen in TM, MS, and NMO.  FES cycling is a method of applying low level electrical currents to the leg and buttock muscles to cause the weakened or paralyzed muscles to contract and produce a cycling motion of the legs.  The FES cycling in this study will be done through a device called the RT300-SL Cycle Ergometer (RT300). 

If you need additional information about a specific clinical research project or if you think that you may be eligible, please call the ICSCI Clinical Research Coordinator at 443-923-9235 or email clinicaltrials@spinalcordrecovery.org. Please be prepared to leave a detailed message, including the protocol number of the clinical research you are interested in and your contact information so that we may respond with a confidential message for you. You may also visit our website: www.spinalcordrecovery.org.

Quantification of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer (RNFL) thickness using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)

Principal Investigator: Peter A Calabresi, MD, Professor of Neurology
Protocol #:  NA_00031163

We are seeking adults with neuromyelitis optica (age 18-65) to participate in a study using retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT). This research is being done to better understand visual disability by measuring the nerve fiber thickness in the eye. We hope that the scan of the nerve layer thickness in the eye will help us better understand damage caused over time in patients with neuromyelitis optica. Participants will have an eye scan to measure the thickness of the back of the eye (retinal structures) and be asked to read 3 vision charts with black and gray letters. The eye scan is a safe, non-invasive procedure. No eye drops will be administered and participants with glasses or contacts are welcome.  The eye scan and vision charts can be completed in approximately 30 minutes.  Interested participants should contact Maureen Mealy, BSN at nmo_research@jhmi.edu or 410-502-8672.

Johns Hopkins Neurology Biorepository

Principal Investigator: Carlos Pardo, MD.

The purpose of this study is to have an electronic database for patient information, as well as to collect blood, spinal fluid, and other samples from individuals being evaluated or treated for central nervous system diseases (multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, neuromyelitis optica, HIV, or infections of the nervous system). We are also collecting information and samples from patients with other neurologic diseases such as migraine, neuropathy and sarcoidosis. Furthermore, volunteers can participate as healthy controls in order to support various research efforts.

We are collecting these samples and medical information so that they can be made available to research scientists who study these diseases. The goal of this research is to improve upon our ability to diagnose these conditions