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Glowing dye reveals hidden clues in rheumatoid arthritis
NCT ID NCT05197530
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests a special dye and camera to look at lymph vessels in the hands of people with rheumatoid arthritis. The dye is injected into the skin and glows under a near-infrared camera, allowing researchers to see how lymph fluid moves. The goal is to better understand how the disease progresses and how treatments might work. The study involves 40 adults with early or late rheumatoid arthritis.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Indocyanine green (a dye injected into the skin to make lymph vessels glow under a special camera)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this imaging method could help doctors track rheumatoid arthritis progression and see how well treatments are working.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small pilot study (40 people). It is testing a method, not a treatment, so it won't directly improve symptoms. The dye may cause rare allergic reactions.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 1
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
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About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2021
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: Early RA * Ability to provide written informed consent * Subjects must be 18 years old or older * RA subjects must fulfill 2010 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria with a DAS28-C-Reactive Protein (CRP) \>3.5 * Must have 1 year or less of disease * Must be MTX inadequate responder (DAS28-CRP \>2.6 at 4 months of therapy) OR experience a flare on MTX (self-reported and score of \>25 on the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Flare questionnaire AND are starting an anti-TNF therapy. * Must have active synovitis in one or both hands confirmed by ultrasound Established RA * Ability to provide written informed consent * Subjects must be 18 years of age or older * RA subjects must fulfill 2010 ACR criteria with a DAS-CRP \>3.5 * Must have at least 10 years of disease * Must have active synovitis in one or both hands confirmed by ultrasound * Must be on a stable dose of DMARD (MTX, leflunomide, azulfidine, hydroxychloroquine), Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitor or biologic agent for 8 weeks Exclusion Criteria: All PATIENTS * Active systemic disorders or inflammatory conditions other than RA, (i.e., chronic infections with hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV) that would confound the study results. * Known sensitivity to iodine because of residual iodide in Indocyanine Green * Pregnant women should not participate; pregnancy tests will not be performed * Inability to donate blood due to poor venous access
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Rochester
RECRUITINGRochester, New York, 14642, United States
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