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CompletedNCT03526328Updated Mar 6, 2020

DCLK1 as a Marker/Indicator of Stem Cell Response in Barrett's Esophagus/Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

An observational study in Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma, sponsored by University of Oklahoma. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 85 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2020-03-06.

Sponsored by University of Oklahoma · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Other
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
32
Ages
18 Years to 85 Years
Sex
All
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Study summary

The hypotheses are: 1) the intestinal stem cell marker, DCLK1, which is increased in both the epithelium and stroma in colon cancer is also increased in BE (Barrett's esophagus) with HGD (high grade dysplasia) and in EAC (esophageal adenocarcinoma), 2) this expression correlates with disease progression towards EAC and 3) eradication of cells expressing stem cell markers occurs after therapy of EMR (endoscopic mucosal resection) or RFA (radiofrequency ablation) to eradicate BE with HGD and intramucosal adenocarcinoma and esophagectomy for EAC. We will test our hypotheses with the following aims: 1) To characterize the cell specific expression patterns of intestinal stem cell biomarkers in BE patients and correlate them with serum expression and disease progression, 2) To examine prospectively the effects of EMR, RFA or esophagectomy on the expression of stem cell biomarkers and the progression to EAC.

Read the detailed description

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a metaplasia of normal squamous epithelium. BE can progressively develop more abnormal features like low-grade intraepithelial dysplasia (LGID), high-grade intraepithelial dysplasia (HGID) before ultimately developing esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), with a low 5-year survival rate of 20 % or less. Recent evidence for the existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) has advanced our understanding of cancer and has opened doors to new therapeutic strategies in cancer treatment. The fundamental goals of this project are to determine the effectiveness of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on eradication of putative intestinal stem cell markers that are overexpressed in BE with HGID and EAC. A better understanding of the cellular mechanisms that regulate the progression from normal squamous mucosa to EAC has enormous implications in the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal cancer. The presence of a CSC in esophageal cancer has been reported in both dysplastic BE/ EAC as well as in mouse models of the disease. The central hypotheses of the current proposal are: elimination of cells expressing stem cell markers occurs after ablative therapies (EMR/RFA) to eradicate BE with HGID/ EAC, and monitoring of stem cell marker expression during follow-up will correlate with disease recurrence or appropriate clinical response. Recently, we have reported that DCLK1, although minimally expressed in normal distal esophageal squamous mucosa, is markedly expressed in BE epithelium and EAC. We will test our central hypotheses with the following specific aims: 1. To prospectively characterize the cell specific expression patterns of putative intestinal stem cell biomarkers in BE patients and correlate them with serum/plasma protein expression and disease progression, 2. to examine prospectively the effects of EMR/RFA on the expression of putative stem cell biomarkers and correlate them with serum/plasma protein expression and disease progression and/or recurrence, and 3. to examine prospectively the effects on EMR/ RFA on esophageal-related quality of life and dysphagia during the endoscopic intervention period as well as following completion. The studies proposed have the potential to offer new insights for both the early diagnosis and monitoring of therapeutic response of future therapies for EAC. Moreover, these studies may identify novel biomarkers that can aid in the confirmation of HGID and potentially predict disease onset, progression and/or recurrence. Finally, these studies have the potential to provide preliminary data that will serve as the rationale for large scale multicenter trials to compare the effectiveness of EMR and RFA in BE with respect to clinical outcome, molecular features and effect on putative tumor stem cells. The recent identification of DCLK1 as a marker that distinguishes between normal and tumor stem cells in a rodent model of intestinal tumorigenesis lends support for our rationale for examining DCLK1 as a potential mediator of the neoplastic response in BE.

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Conditions studied

  • Barrett's Esophagus
  • Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

Keywords

  • DCLK1
  • Serum Biomarker
  • Barrett's Esophagus
  • Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
  • Tumor Stem Cell Marker
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In context

Adenocarcinoma

2,004 studies on the registry are indexed under Adenocarcinoma; 375 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 32 is below the median of 153 across 332 observational studies indexed under Adenocarcinoma.

Browse Adenocarcinoma studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Oklahoma is the lead sponsor of 424 studies on the registry; 99 are open to participants now.

Of its 42 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 16 (38%) have results posted.

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

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 85 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Patients presenting for upper endoscopy to evaluate symptoms or risk factors such as GERD, dyspepsia, or dysphagia with a finding of BE or EAC; treatment with EMR or RFA for BE with HGD, focal intramucosal adenocarcinoma or esophagectomy for EAC.

Inclusion criteria

  • BE length of 12 cm or less
  • presence of non-dysplastic BE on 2 sequential endoscopies or low-grade intraepithelial dysplasia (LGIN), high-grade intraepithelial dysplasia (HGIN) or EAC in BE segment on 2 endoscopies in the previous 6 months
  • no signs of metastasis on endoscopic ultrasonography or computerized tomography scan.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • pre-RFA EMR with cancer at the resection margin
  • greater than T1sm1 invasion
  • poor differentiation or worse
  • angiolymphatic invasion
  • esophageal stenosis preventing passage of an 11.3 mm endoscope
  • persistent visible lesions after EMR before RFA and invasive cancer on biopsies after EMR pre-RFA.
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Study design

Observational model
Other
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
32 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • DCLK1 post BE treatment

    Effects of EMR and RFA on the expression of putative stem cell biomarkers and correlate them with serum/plasma protein expression and disease progression and/or recurrence (Barrett's esophagus/ esophageal adenocarcinoma)

    Other: EMR and RFA effect on stem cell marker expression in BE/EAC

Interventions

  • OtherEMR and RFA effect on stem cell marker expression in BE/EAC

    Observation of EMR and RFA on the expression of putative stem cell biomarkers and correlate them with serum/plasma protein expression and disease progression and/or recurrence (Barrett's esophagus/ esophageal adenocarcinoma)

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. cell-specific expression patterns of putative intestinal stem cell biomarkers in BE patients; correlation of markers with serum/plasma protein expression and disease progression.

    Exploratory; analysis of expression of various markers for Barrett's esophagus and esophogeal adenocarcinoma

    Time frame: 2 yrs

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Study locations

1 site
  • Gastroenterology
    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104, United States
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References and documents

Publications

  • Vega KJ, May R, Sureban SM, Lightfoot SA, Qu D, Reed A, Weygant N, Ramanujam R, Souza R, Madhoun M, Whorton J, Anant S, Meltzer SJ, Houchen CW. Identification of the putative intestinal stem cell marker doublecortin and CaM kinase-like-1 in Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2012 Apr;27(4):773-80. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2011.06928.x. PubMed 21916995 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 6, 2020, 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
NCT03526328
Lead sponsor
University of Oklahoma
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
May 16, 2018
Start date
Mar 2013
Primary completion
Aug 13, 2019
Completion
Aug 13, 2019
Last update
Mar 6, 2020

Study contacts

Ahmed Bolkhir, MD
principal investigator · University of Oklahoma

Oversight

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

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This study is completed, as verified in Mar 2020. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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