Mass General - Division of Clinical Research

The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of an 8-week intervention where peer coaches will deliver depression care to adults 60 years of age or older who have depression and subjective cognitive decline.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2024

open study

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a syndrome with clinical symptoms involving multiple systems. The efficacy of current treatments is inadequate, and more alternative modalities are needed for the management of FM patients. The parasympathetic vagus nerve innervates and integrates sensory, motor, and autonomic systems and has been suggested to play a role in pain modulation. The role of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as a treatment option for FM patients is yet to be investigated. The investigators propose to examine the hypothesis that vagus nerve stimulation could improve pain and related comorbid symptoms for FM patients.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2024

open study

The overall goal of this study is to develop OCT Vibrography (aka OCT elastography) as a novel tool for measuring biomechanical properties of human tissues in vivo.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2023

open study

The primary aim of this project are to evaluate a comprehensive, practice-ready, and deployment-focused strategy for improving the prediction and prevention of suicide attempts among a sample of 4,000 patients presenting to an ED with a psychiatric concern. Our first aim is to evaluate the effects of providing information about risk of patient suicidal behavior to ED clinicians. We hypothesize that patients randomly assigned to have their clinician receive their risk score will have a lower rate of suicide attempts during 6-month follow-up and that this effect will be mediated by changes in clinician decision-making.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2025

open study

The purpose of this study is to determine whether modifying the timing of nutrition support from overnight to daytime enhances sleep quality, preserves circadian rhythms, and improves overall inflammation and cardiometabolic profiles in postoperative patients in the cardiac surgical ICU on enteral nutrition.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2022

open study

The purpose of this open-label, first-in-human (FIH) trial is to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary clinical activity of Tulmimetostat as a monotherapy in patients with advanced solid tumors and lymphomas.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2019

open study

The Computerized Registry of Patients with Venous Thromboembolism (RIETE) is a multidisciplinary Project initiated in march 2001 and consisting in obtaining an extensive data registry of consecutive patients with venous thromboembolism. The main objective is to provide information on the Internet to help physicians to improve their knowledge on the natural history of thromboembolic disease, particularly in those subgroups of patients who are usually not recruited in randomized clinical trials (pregnant women, elderly patients, disseminated cancer, severe renal insufficiency, patients with contraindications to anticoagulation therapy, extreme body weight, etc), with the purpose of decreasing mortality, frequency of thromboembolic recurrences as well as bleeding complications and arterial events. As an additional objective RIETE is also aimed to create predictive scores that help physicians to better identify patients with high risk of presenting some of these complications. The primary parameters recorded by the registry comprise details of each patient's clinical status, including any coexisting or underlying conditions, and the type, dose, duration and outcome (during the first 3 months of therapy) of antithrombotic treatment. Study endpoints are clinically recognized (and objectively confirmed) recurrences of VTE, major and minor bleeding complications, and death.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Mar 2001

open study

This is a cluster randomized controlled trial of 30 food pantries affiliated with the Greater Boston Food Bank to test the use of behavioral economics (BE) tools to encourage food pantries to implement the Supporting Wellness at Pantries (SWAP) program, with the goal of fostering accurate use of SWAP traffic light labels on pantry shelves and increasing the healthfulness of foods chosen by pantry clients. Primary outcomes will be assessed at 6 and 12 months to compare the implementation and effectiveness of the SWAP program in the intervention vs. control pantries.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2024

open study

This study originally included 140 subjects with medication-refractory depression undergoing 10 Hz transcranial magnetic stimulation (10Hz-TMS) to the left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), with the goal of having 60 completers with good quality data. Subjects were recruited from the TMS clinics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, and Butler Hospital. Subjects underwent an hour-long MRI scanning session, an optional DNA-sample collection, up to three 20 minute neuronavigation sessions for marking the site of TMS stimulation, questionnaires, and a behavioral testing battery before and after their TMS treatment course. The task battery included the Emotion Conflict Resolution (ECR) task, Multi-Source Interference Task (MSIT), War Game (Gambling) task, and Associative Learning with Reversal task. Subjects' scores on the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were assessed before and after the TMS course. MRI data was utilized to identify brain regions whose connectivity to the stimulation site co-varies with the aforementioned measures of symptom improvement. This was the only study group until August 30, 2022, and the primary outcome was analyzed for the 10Hz-TMS group. Due to changes in clinical standard of care from 10Hz-TMS to a newer version of TMS termed intermittent theta burst (iTBS), in September 2022 a second group was added to include patients receiving this new form of TMS. This second group included another 100 patients with medication-refractory depression undergoing iTBS to the left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), with the intent to have 80 completers. Massachusetts General Hospital was added as a data collection site in lieu of Butler Hospital. Subjects will undergo an hour-long MRI scanning session, up to three 20 minute neuronavigation sessions for marking the site of TMS stimulation, questionnaires, and a behavioral testing battery before and after their TMS treatment course. The task battery will included the Emotion Conflict Resolution (ECR) task, Multi-Source Interference Task (MSIT), Penn Emotion Recognition Test, the Suicide/Death Implicit Association Test, and Associative Learning with Reversal task. Subjects' scores on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were assessed before and after the TMS course. MRI data will be utilized to identify brain regions whose connectivity to the stimulation site co-varies with the aforementioned measures of symptom improvement. Due to a higher dropout rate than anticipated, in March of 2025 an amendment was added to include an additional 20 subjects in the second group's enrollment goal to increase the likelihood of achieving 80 completers.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2018

open study

This is a pragmatic phase III, randomized, blinded, double placebo-controlled, three-arm trial of elderly patients following cardiac surgery to assess the relationship between nighttime intravenous (IV) and sublingual dexmedetomidine on postoperative delirium and functional outcomes after surgery.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2025

open study

First-degree relatives of people with inflammatory bowel disease ("IBD," including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) have an increased risk for developing IBD themselves. This study will follow unaffected first-degree relatives (who do not have IBD) over time to understand if their behaviors, diet, and biomarkers for IBD can help predict who gets IBD and if IBD can be prevented in these high-risk individuals. Participants will be asked once per year to complete a questionnaire and have their blood, stool, and urine collected. The anticipated length of the study (registry) is approximately 10 years or longer. Parts of this study, such as the questionnaires and stool and urine collection, may be done from home, while other parts, such as the blood draw, will need to be done from Massachusetts General Hospital.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Dec 2024

open study

Recent studies have shown that transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) can sometimes cause a type of heart failure where the pumping function of the heart is normal, also known as Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) or diastolic heart failure. In this single center diagnostic study, we will evaluate for ATTR in patients with HFpEF in order to to determine how frequently this occurs and how we can predict which heart failure patients may have TTR amyloidosis. Our goal is to identify amyloidosis in heart failure patients earlier so that they can start treatment.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2020

open study

Calciphylaxis, a vascular calcification disorder, is a rare and serious disorder characterized by calcification of dermal arterioles. There are significant gaps in the understanding of the pathophysiology and risk factors for calciphylaxis. At present, there is no effective treatment. Uncertain pathobiology, rare incidence and lack of collaborative approach have been some of the major limiting factors towards treating calciphylaxis. The Partners Calciphylaxis Biorepository (PCB) aims to address these gaps within calciphylaxis research by utilizing existing and, when necessary, developing new infrastructure to support the consent of patients and the collection of dedicated samples for a calciphylaxis repository.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Jan 2017

open study

This collaborative screening protocol, developed by the Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium (LCMC) and supported by the Thoracic Surgery Oncology Group (TSOG), is designed to determine the feasibility of comprehensive molecular profiling to detect actionable oncogenic drivers in patients with suspected early stage lung cancers scheduled to undergo biopsies to establish the diagnosis of lung cancer. The primary purpose of this testing is to determine the presence of 12 oncogenic drivers (mutations in EGFR, BRAFV600E , MET exon 14, KRAS G12C and HER2, rearrangements in ALK, RET, NTRK, EGFR exon 20 insertion and ROS1, and amplification of MET and HER2) that can serve as targets making patients eligible for upcoming targeted neoadjuvant therapy trials. The ultimate goal is to use this information from the screening process to select the optimal neoadjuvant therapy and wherever possible enroll patients onto separate neoadjuvant therapy trials with genomically matched treatments or other appropriate trials if no actionable driver mutation is detected. Thoracic Surgery Oncology Group (TSOG) is a network of surgeons within North American Thoracic Surgery Academic Centers aligned with the goal of enhancing patient care through administration of multi-site trials focused on recent advances in lung cancer. TSOG has aligned with the LCMC4 sites to enroll the LCRF-LEADER screening trial. TSOG's involvement will be essential in trial enrollment and ultimate interpretation of the multimodal clinical and translational data collected as part of this study. We estimate we will detect an actionable oncogenic driver in 33% of cases. The remaining 66% of patients will represent a cohort identified by their care teams as candidates for other potential neoadjuvant therapies which may include checkpoint inhibitors such as atezolizumab, durvalumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab or other novel agents. The targeted therapy treatment trials will be conducted independently of the LCRF-LEADER screening trial, evaluating for efficacy. If none of the 10 oncogenic drivers are detected, the patient will be offered participation in any clinical trial of neoadjuvant therapy available at their treating institution or standard of care therapy. For patients not enrolled on a targeted treatment trial, circulating tumor DNA in blood (ctDNA) will be collected at 3 time points: before neoadjuvant treatment, after neoadjuvant treatment but before surgery, and after surgery. This initiative will be correlated with various clinical outcomes. Prespecified clinical data will be collected for correlation with these circulating biomarkers.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jun 2022

open study

A greater extent of resection of the contrast-enhancing (CE) tumor part has been associated with improved outcomes in high-grade glioma patients. Recent results suggest that resection of the non-contrast-enhancing (NCE) part might yield even better survival outcomes (supramaximal resection, SMR). Therefore, this study evaluates the efficacy and safety of SMR with and without mapping techniques in HGG patients in terms of survival, functional, neurological, cognitive, and quality of life outcomes. Furthermore, it evaluates which patients benefit the most from SMR, and how they could be identified preoperatively. This study is an international, multicenter, prospective, 2-arm cohort study of observational nature. Consecutive HGG patients will be operated with supramaximal resection or maximal resection at a 1:3 ratio. Primary endpoints are: 1) overall survival and 2) proportion of patients with NIHSS (National Institute of Health Stroke Scale) deterioration at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. Secondary endpoints are 1) residual CE and NCE tumor volume on postoperative T1-contrast and FLAIR MRI scans 2) progression-free survival; 3) onco-functional outcome, and 4) quality of life at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. The study will be carried out by the centers affiliated with the European and North American Consortium and Registry for Intraoperative Mapping (ENCRAM).

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jan 2022

open study

This is a single-center pilot study to be conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital. The purpose of this study is to examine the non-pharmacological impact of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on gastroparesis symptoms and other clinical co-comorbidities such as pain, depression, anxiety, and catastrophizing. CBT trial patients will undergo careful phenotyping pre- and post- intervention with brain MRI, autonomic function test (AFT), gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES), and nutrient drink test (NDT) to determine the impact of CBT on these metrics in patients with gastroparesis. Characterization of these relationships or lack thereof can help guide future development of more targeted approaches and optimize treatment strategies for gastroparesis.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2018

open study

This is a single-center, randomized, double-blind trial with four arms evaluating VE416 as pretreatment or concurrent treatment in comparison to low-dose peanut oral immunotherapy (PNOIT) alone.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2019

open study

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate safety and efficacy, and measure how much LY4584180 gets into the bloodstream and how long it takes the body to eliminate it in patients with previously treated blood cancers. For each participant, the study could last about 9 months or possibly longer including screening.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2026

open study

The ALSTARS trial will be conducted across 20-25 sites in the US and Canada, and will evaluate the safety and efficacy of an investigational treatment called COYA 302 for adults with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). COYA 302 is an investigational and proprietary biologic combination therapy with a dual immunomodulatory mechanism of action intended to enhance the anti-inflammatory function of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and suppress the inflammation produced by activated monocytes and macrophages. It is comprised of low dose interleukin-2 (LD IL-2) and DRL_AB (a biosimilar candidate for abatacept). Participants will be randomly assigned to receive one of 2 regimens of COYA 302 or placebo (an inactive substance) in a 1:1:1 ratio for 24 weeks in the double-blind (DB) period. Those who complete this part of the study will be eligible to receive one of the two regimens of COYA 302 for an additional 24 weeks in a blinded active extension phase (EXT). The study will assess changes in disease progression using established ALS clinical outcome measures, including the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R), neurofilament (NfL), maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), slow vital capacity (SVC), and neurological assessments. Additional objectives include evaluation of biomarkers and safety through routine clinical assessments and adverse event monitoring.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2025

open study

The purpose of this research is to address the challenges of diagnosing and long-term management of epilepsy in participants whose seizures are not well captured by standard electroencephalography (EEG) tests and who cannot use or are not able to use more standard monitoring techniques. This research will compare the Minder System to standard of care in providing reliable seizure data. The Minder System was granted De Novo classification by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is not investigational. Participants will consent to join the study and be implanted with the Minder device; or consent to join the study and continue with their Standard of Care (SOC) as a control group. Participants chose to be implanted with the Minder device will have the device implanted under their scalp. After implantation, participants will be randomly assigned to a group where their treating physician will have access to the EEG data collected by the Minder System or a group where their treating physician does not have access to the EEG data collected by the Minder System. Participants receiving the Minder System will not know which group they are in (blinded) until the study ends. All participants will continue to be followed by their treating physician and undergo assessments and visits until enough information is available to determine a treatment plan or the 6-month follow-up visit.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2025

open study

This study is open to adults and adolescents aged 12 to under 18 with bronchiectasis. People can participate in this study if they produce sputum and have had flare-ups (also called exacerbations). The purpose of this study is to find out whether a medicine called BI 1291583 helps people with bronchiectasis. Participants are put into 2 groups randomly, which means by chance. One group takes BI 1291583 tablets and the other group takes placebo tablets. A placebo tablet looks like the BI 1291583 tablet but does not contain any medicine. Participants take 1 tablet once a day for up to 1 year and 6 months. Participants are in the study for up to 1 year and 8 months. During this time, participants visit the study site up to 10 times and get about 13 phone calls from the site staff. Participants regularly complete a diary on a smartphone about their bronchiectasis symptoms and study doctors regularly check for any changes. The study doctors document when participants experience flare-ups. The number of flare-ups is compared between the participants who receive BI 1291583 and those who receive the placebo. The study doctors also regularly check participants' health and take note of any unwanted effects.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2025

open study

Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a condition where the immune system mistakenly destroys platelets, which are cells that help stop bleeding. This leads to a low number of platelets, making it easier to bruise or bleed. The main aim of this study is to learn whether mezagitamab, when given just under the skin (subcutaneously [SC]), is effective in keeping the platelet count of adults with ITP stable when compared to a placebo. A placebo looks like medicine but doesn't have any active ingredients in it. The participants will be treated with mezagitamab for up to 6 months. During the study, participants will visit their study clinic several times. Participants who complete the TAK-079-3002 study or do not have any response to study treatment by week 16 (according to study criteria) will be given the opportunity to participate in a continuation study to receive open label mezagitamab (if they are eligible and the site is able to open the continuation study).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2025

open study

This research aims to improve the management of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), a condition that can develop after pancreatitis, a painful inflammation of the pancreas. EPI occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough enzymes to help the body properly digest food. While pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) is commonly used to manage EPI symptoms, it can be challenging for people who rely on feeding tubes. RELiZORB, could help these patients by simplifying the delivery of the enzymes they need. However, RELiZORB has only been studied in people with EPI caused by cystic fibrosis, so its effectiveness in pancreatitis patients remains unknown. This study aims to determine whether RELiZORB is effective for individuals requiring feeding tube support after pancreatitis.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2025

open study

The primary goal of this clinical trial is to test the hypothesis that the drug canakinumab (anti-IL-1B monoclonal antibody) decreases vascular inflammation when used by people with a history of coronary artery disease, including those with and without clonal hematopoiesis driven by mutations in TET2.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2026

open study

This study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to assess the efficacy and safety of ensifentrine inhalation suspension (3 mg) delivered twice daily via standard jet nebulizer over at least 24 weeks, compared to placebo, in subjects with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFBE).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2024

open study