call for volunteers
Sleep Disorders in Midlife Women
Women between the ages of 42 and 54 who are experiencing hot flushes and difficulty sleeping are being sought for a sleep and memory research study at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark. All study-related tests are free, and participants will be paid $240 upon completion.
For more information call Cheryl Forst, RN, BSN, in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at 201-982-6573.
Diabetic Black Americans
UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark is offering free eye exams and lab testing for black Americans of any age who began using insulin before age 30. In an effort to learn more about why diabetes affects this group, participants will be asked to answer a questionnaire. They will receive $50 for the one-time visit.
For more information, call Lisa Schoenherr at 201-982-2029.
Vaginal Ring
The Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick is conducting a five-month study of a contraceptive vaginal ring. To be eligible, women must be between the ages of 18 and 40, and not be using birth control pills, an IUD or have hormonal implants.
Participants will receive $400 reimbursement for completion of the study. For more information call program coordinator Jean Zebrowski at 908-235-7847 or project coordinator Mitzi Dolese, RNC, at 908-235-7925.
Gasoline Additive Study
The Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, ARCO Chemicals and the state Department of Environmental Protection are recruiting volunteers for the investigation of sensitivity to methyl-tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE). The study will evaluate the effects of exposure to a gasoline additive believed to cause health problems in some people while driving or refueling their vehicles. Volunteers who think they are MTBE-sensitive, as well as healthy people who display no signs of MTBE sensitivity, will be asked to complete a short questionnaire and visit the institute, located on the Busch campus in Piscataway, for five two-hour sessions.
A medical evaluation by licensed, board-certified physicians will be conducted, and participants will be reimbursed for travel expenses. A stipend will be offered to those who participate in the study. For more information, contact Jean Bowman at 908-445-0157.
Nutrition Study for HIV Positive Patients
The Southern New Jersey AIDS Clinical Trials Unit at Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center in Camden is enrolling patients to participate in a comparative study of nutritional substances. Volunteers will be placed in one of three groups. The first will receive NuBasics and a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement; the second group will get Peptamen and a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement; and the third group will receive only the multivitamin and mineral supplement.
Eligible volunteers must be: HIV positive with a CD4 cell count of 200, or less; age 18 or older; and have a stable weight (no more than 5 percent weight loss as compared to weight three to six months ago). Supplements and multivitamins will be provided by the study. Patients will be followed for four months.
For more information contact: Lisa O'Leary, RN, CCRN, SNJACT in Camden at 609-963-6890; Jean Muratore, RN, Kennedy EIP Site in Voorhees at 609-596-3190; or Dawn McIntyre, RN, The A-Team in Neptune at 908-776-4709.
National Study of Protease Inhibitors for Treatment of AIDS
A nationwide study seeks to determine whether it is more beneficial to add a protease inhibitor early in the course of the disease, or later. Disease progression is based on CD4 cell count and viral load. Protease inhibitors are the newest class of drugs to be approved for the treatment of AIDS by the Food and Drug Administration. Indinavir (Crixivan) is the protease inhibitor being used in this study. It will be supplied, along with all necessary blood work.
The study hopes to enroll 1,900 volunteers. Those eligible to participate must be HIV positive, age 18 or older, have CD4 cell counts of 200-500/mm3, and have had no prior use of protease inhibitors except for Invirase (saquinavir) for two weeks or less.
For more information contact: Lisa O'Leary, RN, CCRN, SNJACT in Camden at 609-963-6890; Jean Muratore, RN, Kennedy EIP Site in Voorhees at 609-596-3190; or Dawn McIntyre, RN, The A-Team in Neptune at 908-776-4709.
Studies on Advanced Breast Cancer Therapies
Researchers at Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center in Camden are conducting two comparative studies on therapies for advanced breast cancer. The first will compare Taxotere and taxol. Volunteers must have metastatic/inoperable disease and have had previous treatment with chemotherapy. Those who have been treated with taxol are not eligible to participate.
A second research protocol will enroll postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer in a study comparing tamoxifen with the new drug Anastrozole. Study medication is provided free of charge.
For more information on both studies, call 609-365-8941.
Comparative Study of Two Regimen Therapies for TB
Standard treatment for active tuberculosis is generally six months of therapy: two months of treatment with four drugs, followed by four months of daily therapy with two drugs. The National Tuberculosis Center at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School is conducting a clinical trial to compare the safety and efficacy of a once-a-week regimen of isoniazid and rifapentine to the twice-weekly doses of isoniazid and rifampin during the last four months of treatment. Rifapentine is taken only once a week because it remains in the system longer than rifampin.
All anti-TB drugs will be provided free of charge.
Following drug therapy, patients enrolled will be seen every three months during the first year, and then every six months during the second year. For more information contact Saundra Barnes, RN, at 201-982-4287.
New Medications for Diabetic Kidney Disease and High Blood Pressure
Hypertension specialists at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick are conducting a study to evaluate the effect of Irbesartan in hypertensive patients with Type II diabetes and diabetic nephropathy. The purpose of the investigation is to determine whether the drug will reduce the rate of progression of kidney disease and other problems associated with this type of adult onset diabetes.
Those eligible to participate must be between the ages of 30 and 70, have Type II diabetes, high blood pressure and protein in the urine. Participants will receive a chest x-ray, medication, frequent blood pressure assessments, laboratory tests, EKGs, physical examinations and prorated monetary compensation.
A second study, sponsored by the same group, is evaluating a new medication for high blood pressure. Volunteers must be 18 or older with high blood pressure; women must be surgically sterilized or at least two years postmenopausal. Participants will receive physical examinations, EKGs, laboratory tests, frequent blood pressure checks and medication at no cost. Volunteers must be available between 7 and 10 a.m. for bi-weekly and weekly visits.
For more information on both studies, contact Amelia Sherr, RN, at 908-235-7825.
Hereditary Causes of Breast and Ovarian Cancers
Specialists at the Center for Human and Molecular Genetics at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark and a team of psychologists from Rutgers University in New Brunswick are conducting a study on testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes that when mutated are associated with the risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer. The goal of the project is to determine how this population responds to the availability of genetic testing for an inherited susceptibility to breast and/or ovarian cancer and, if tested, how they respond to positive or negative results. Participants must be of Ashkenazi Jewish descent and have had either a personal history of breast and/or ovarian cancer at an early age, or a strong family history of these cancers.
For more information call Monica Magee, MS, at 201-982-3304.
Comprehensive Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening
The Women's Wellness Center in Newark is offering a comprehensive breast and cervical cancer screening program for 700 women over age 40 who live in Essex County. Services include mammograms, Pap tests, breast self-exam teaching, women's health education and follow-up of cases. To be eligible, a woman must be at least 40 years old, reside in Essex county, meet income eligibility guidelines and have limited or no health insurance. House calls are made to single locations such as apartment buildings, churches or senior centers for groups of 12 or more women who qualify. Portable mammography is available to provide service on site.
For more information contact co-investigator Mary Jane Tranzillo, RN, MSN, GNPC, at 201-982-2777.
Health Study for Women Over Age 50
The Women's Health Initiative in Newark and a second center at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick are conducting studies on strategies to prevent heart disease, breast and colon cancers, and osteoporosis - the major causes of poor health and death in women. Strategies being studied include hormone replacement therapy, low-fat dietary changes, and calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Participants will be given a medical examination and blood tests to determine whether they are eligible to participate.
For more information, call 1-800-WOMEN-10.
Diabetes Treatment
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick is one of a number of institutions in the country participating in a four-year study of a drug, Pimagedine, that prevents glycation, a cause of the debilitating complications of diabetes.
Stephen H. Schneider, MD, professor of medicine at the school, is seeking individuals with Type II diabetes who have diabetes-related eye disease of any severity, as well as protein in their urine. They must be between 30 and 70 years of age and have had the disease for at least one year. For more information call Shelley Greenhaus, RN, at 908-235-7751; those outside the area can call toll free, 1-800-413-6765.
Investigational Drug Studies
Researchers at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick are seeking volunteers for two drug studies. One is investigating Pimagedine as a possible therapy for people who have had a stroke. Those eligible will be asked to stay overnight at the school's Clinical Research Center for two nights, during which they will receive a single intravenous dose of the drug. Study subjects will be asked to complete up to three such visits and will receive up to $1,490 for their participation. To be eligible, women should be between 25 and 65 years of age, without significant medical conditions, and either be postmenopausal or surgically sterile.
A second study is evaluating a medication, SCH 39400, which is being developed as a possible treatment for autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and some forms of diabetes. Volunteers will be asked to stay overnight at the Clinical Research Center for three nights, during which they will receive a single subcutaneous injection of the drug. Participants will receive $650. To be eligible, volunteers should be between 18 and 45 years of age and without significant medical conditions. Both men and women are eligible; however, women participants must be either postmenopausal or surgically sterile.
For further information on both studies, contact Helane Rosenberg at 908-418-8461.
Multiple Sclerosis Prevention Study
Neuroscientists at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School are participating in a nationwide study to determine whether a new medication can prevent the onset of multiple sclerosis in those who have a high risk of developing it. Those who have experienced a first demyelinating event and who have shown brain abnormalities on an MRI are considered to be at high risk for MS. The investigation is also designed to see if treatment reduces the rate of development of new brain abnormalities as shown on MRI.
Volunteers must meet these criteria: be between the ages of 18-50; have exhibited optic neuritis, spinal cord syndrome, or brain stem/cerebellar syndrome; have two or more clinically silent lesions on MRI brain scan; have started IV corticosteroid treatment within 14 days of the onset of symptoms; and must not have clinically significant pre-existing medical conditions.
This is a three-year randomized, double-blind trial. In this type of study, neither the subjects nor the physicians know who is receiving the drug and who is getting a placebo. The New Jersey Medical School study will be directed by Stuart D. Cook, MD, professor and chair of neurosciences. For further information call project coordinators Annette Jotkowitz, RN, or James Quinless, RN, at 201-982-5208 or 201-982-5209.
Compiled by Mamie Hargrove