How the brain cleans itself and drains to neck lymph nodes
Official title: Study of Drainage From the Cerebral Lymphatic System to Deep Cervical Nodes by the Migration of Indocyanine Green in Potential Organ Donor
Run by Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital · NCT07682155 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether a brain drainage system moves dye from the brain to neck lymph nodes in potential organ donors to map the connection.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 10 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Badalona, Barcelona) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | February 1, 2026 |
| Main results expected | November 30, 2026 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | August 19, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07682155 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Potential organ donor patients (brain-dead or controlled asystole) who have authorization for organ donation and whose families have provided consent for the study.
✕Probably not a fit
Individuals who are not organ donors or whose families did not consent to the study would not participate or benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This prospective intervention study investigates the drainage path from the brain to deep cervical lymph nodes using indocyanine green in potential organ donor patients. Researchers will inject the dye into the meninges and capture images with a fluorescence camera to measure time, direction, and symmetry of drainage. The goal is to understand whether the brain's waste-clearing system connects to neck lymph nodes in humans, which could inform future research on brain waste clearance. Data will be stored in a dedicated database and analyzed to describe the observed drainage patterns. The study is conducted at Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital and involves donors who have consented to organ donation and, separately, to the study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Gaining knowledge about brain waste clearance could inform future approaches to neurological diseases and organ donation science.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has explored brain lymphatic drainage in humans, but this direct human study of brain-to-neck lymph node drainage using fluorescence is novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Potential organ donor patients, both in Brain Death and in Controlled Asystole, candidates to perform organ harvesting authorized by the Transplant and Tissue Coordination of the Universitary Germans Trias i Pujols Hospital, according to the usual channels and whose family members have previously signed the authorization of the donation and the specific informed consent of the study. Will be included in the study always after death is certified by neurological or cardiocirculatory criteria Exclusion Criteria: * Absence of informed consent signed by family members. * Individuals with a history of having intracranial lymphatic drainage affected.
Where it's running
-
Germans Trias i Pujol Universitary Hospital
Badalona, Barcelona, Spain Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Carmen Higueras, PhD
- Email: chigueras.germanstrias@gencat.cat
- Phone: +34 934 65 12 00
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.