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Enrolling by invitationNCT03492372Updated Aug 21, 2026

Molecular Characterization of Spinal Tissue

An observational study in Spinal Diseases, sponsored by Mayo Clinic. Enrolling by invitation at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 1 Year to 80 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-21.

Sponsored by Mayo Clinic · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Case-only
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
300
Ages
1 Year to 80 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The researchers are trying to identify molecular mechanisms that control spine deformity and degenerative changes that can be used for therapeutic strategies.

Read the detailed description

Discarded surgical material from spinal procedures is collected. RNA analysis and other tests on the tissue is performed to determine markers of pathologic disease and to develop pharmacologic treatment strategies for pediatric spinal disorders.

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Conditions studied

  • Spinal Diseases

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03

In context

Spinal Diseases

174 studies on the registry are indexed under Spinal Diseases; 39 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 300 is above the median of 117 across 64 observational studies indexed under Spinal Diseases.

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Lead sponsor

Mayo Clinic is the lead sponsor of 3,269 studies on the registry; 672 are open to participants now.

Of its 452 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 321 (71%) have results posted.

Browse Mayo Clinic studies →

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
1 Year to 80 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Patients undergoing spinal surgery where spinal tissues (disc, cartilage, ligament, etc.) is removed as discarded tissue, waste, or surgical debris.

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Children and adults undergoing surgical procedures where spinal tissues are removed as a normal part of their procedure. Material from adults may be collected as a control group.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Surgeries where spinal tissues are not being removed.
05

Study design

Observational model
Case-only
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
300 participants (estimated)
Patient registry
No
Biospecimen retention
Samples with dna

Groups and cohorts

  • Spine patients

    Patients undergoing spine surgery where spinal tissue is discarded/removed will be recruited. Tissue samples will be used to look at normal and pathologic molecular signatures.

    Other: Waste tissues are collected at the time of spinal surgery.

Interventions

  • OtherWaste tissues are collected at the time of spinal surgery.

    This is a single visit study. Waste tissues are collected at the time of spinal surgery.

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. RNA expression

    Measure RNA levels in spinal tissues samples (ng/mL)

    Time frame: Baseline

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Study locations

1 site
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References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Started Mar 2015 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jul 2027, 148 months after the start.

Of 32 observational studies under Spinal Diseases, half reached primary completion within 82 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 15 and three quarters within 112. This study's planned 148 months is above that.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jan 25, 2018
First posted
Apr 10, 2018
StartActual
Mar 31, 2015
Primary completionEst.
Jul 2027
CompletionEst.
Jul 2027
Last update
Aug 21, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 21, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03492372
Lead sponsor
Mayo Clinic
Responsible party
A. Noelle Larson, MD (Principal Investigator, Mayo Clinic) — Principal investigator
First posted
Apr 10, 2018
Start date
Mar 31, 2015
Primary completion
Jul 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Jul 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Aug 21, 2026

Study contacts

A.Noelle Larson, MD
principal investigator · Mayo Clinic

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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No contact was published for this record. The registry link below has the sponsor’s details.

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