Universitaire Ziekenhuizen Leuven

This is a FIH (first-in-human) study to evaluate the clinical utility of the radioligand [11C]CHDI-00491009 as a PET tracer that binds specifically to mutant huntingtin (mHTT) aggregates in Huntington's disease (HD).
The study is divided into three cohorts defined by the Huntington's Disease Integrated Staging System (HD-ISS): Cohort 1 - initial tracer validation (3 healthy controls (HCs)); Cohort 2 - target validation and test-retest variability (6 HD-ISS Stage 3 participants and 6 age and biological sex-matched HCs); Cohort 3 - target sensitivity (6 HD-ISS Stage 2 participants and 6 age and biological sex-matched HCs). An interim analysis (IA) will be conducted after the completion of each cohort, followed by a final analysis for the study.
In addition to imaging, exploratory biomarkers, including somatic instability index, soluble mHTT and total huntingtin (HTT), will be assessed. All participants with HD (PwHD) will have an additional blood sample drawn at the screening visit to assess the somatic instability index and will also be invited to provide an optional cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample for measurement of soluble mHTT and total HTT.

Routine follow-up of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) under stable doses of maintenance therapy or no IBD-related therapy at all, consists of intensive monitoring with prescheduled outpatient visits every six or twelve months. However, many of these patients do not require additional interventions from the IBD specialist during these visits. In addition, patients in long-term remission, often request a less frequent follow-up in the hospital and in consequence a less frequent absence from school or work. In conclusion, these routinely follow-up visits might put unnecessary burden on both healthcare providers and IBD patients, as well as on healthcare resources.
Until now, no clear standard was set for how to organize a remote monitoring programme that is feasible and safe in a large patient population. Despite the possible added value of remote monitoring for IBD patients on stable or no therapy and who are in remission, they are seldomly the targeted population in clinical trials analysing the effects of remote monitoring in IBD. Secondly, a significant reduction in outpatient clinic visits, is often not actively included in the programme, but more an outcome result. Finally, to compose a safe remote monitoring programme, subjective and objective parameters of disease activity should be collected.
With the ROADMAP study, the main objective is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of remote monitoring in IBD patients that are stable on their current therapy or receive no IBD-related therapy. Secondly, a health economic evaluation will be conducted. Patients will be randomised to either the remote monitoring group or control group. The remote monitoring group will visit the outpatient clinic after two years. During this two-year period, patients will be monitored remotely via three-monthly questionnaires (PRO-2, IBD disk, WPAI, EQ-5D-5L) and faecal calprotectin measures. An IBD nurse will evaluate all incoming data and act in case of red flags.

Preliminary data suggests that patients suffering from advanced refractory heart failure (HF) could benefit from single low dose whole heart external beam radiotherapy (EBRT).
Objective: To explore in our center the efficacy of administering a EBRT treatment of 5Gy to the whole heart in patients with advanced and refractory HF. The hypothesis is that 5Gy EBRT to the whole heart can improve the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of these patients by a clinically relevant 5%.
Main study endpoints: The primary aim is to explore the efficacy of EBRT treatment for advanced refractory HF. Secondary endpoints include an assessment of safety, overall survival, hospital admissions, late toxicity, quality of life and the effect of the treatment on other heart function indicators (left ventricular volumes, NT-proBNP, Troponine, High sensitive CRP).