Cell Collection to Study Eye Diseases

Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot listed
Trial typeObservational
Biological sexAll
Age1-120
SponsorNational Eye Institute (NEI)

About this trial

Background:

\- Best Vitelliform Dystrophy (Best disease), Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration (L-ORD), and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) all affect the retina, the light sensing area at the back of the eye. Doctors cannot safely obtain retinal cells to study these diseases. However, cells collected from hair follicles, skin, saliva, urine, and blood can be used for research. Researchers want to collect cells from people with Best disease, L-ORD, and AMD, and compare their cells with those of healthy volunteers.

Objectives:

\- To collect hair, skin, saliva, urine, and/or blood samples to study three eye diseases that affect the retina: Best disease, L-ORD, and AMD.

Eligibility:

* Individuals affected with ocular condition is one year of age or older. * Individuals affected with Best disease, L-ORD, or AMD is 18 years of age or older. * Unaffected individuals are seven years of age or older.

Design:

* The study requires one visit to the National Eye Institute. * Participants will be screened with a medical and eye disease history. They may also have an eye exam. * Participants will provide a hair sample, saliva sample, urine sample, blood sample, and/or a skin biopsy. The hair will be collected from the back of the head, and the skin will be collected from the inside of the upper arm.

Eligibility criteria

Qualifiers

Have the ability to understand and sign an informed consent or have a parent/legal guardian to do so if they are minor children or have a legally authorized representative if they are adults without consent capacity.

Participant has been diagnosed with an ocular condition of interest including but not limited to: degenerative retinal diseases, optic atrophy, microphthalmia/anophthalmia, ciliopathy, and other ocular developmental or degenerative conditions.

Participant is free of eye diseases and could serve as an unaffected control. Participant's age, sex, and ethnicity must match an existing participant with one of the eye diseases under study. Control participants matched to AMD participants must not have drusen greater than 63 microns in size.

Adult participant is able to provide a punch skin biopsy and 30 mL of peripheral venous blood OR child participant is able to provide a punch skin biopsy and the lesser of 5 mL/kg or 30 mL of peripheral venous blood. Healthy, unaffected children will only have one skin punch biopsy done 3mm or less in size. In affected participants, an additional punch may be gathered if the initial sample does not contain adequate cells. This will be taken from children ages seven years and older. Sampling of ten occipital hairs and/or saliva may be pursued at the investigator's discretion. Participants not able to provide a skin biopsy or blood sample may opt to provide 100-200 ml of fresh urine. As a rule, samples will be collected on non-sedated/anesthetized participants. Sedation/anesthesia will NOT be used solely for the purpose of sample collection. In rare instances where a minor requires sedation for another medically indicated procedure, samples may be collected at the time of sedation/anesthesia. Because young children may not be able to cooperate with sample collection, those unable to provide a skin biopsy, urine sample or a blood sample may be excluded from the study, based on the judgment of the examining investigator.

Disqualifiers

Participant is unable to comply with study procedures.

Participant has a systemic disease that, in the opinion of the investigator, compromises the ability to provide adequate samples. Examples of co-existing diseases that would exclude a participant include a bleeding diathesis or a genetic susceptibility to infections, particularly cutaneous infections.

Participant must be greater than 18 years of age, as of the date of enrollment. There is no upper age limit for donor enrollment.

Participant is able to provide a punch skin biopsy and 200 ml of peripheral venous blood.

Trial design

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Not listed

Trial groups

930 Participants
are grouped into 2 trial groups

Sponsors and collaborators