Mass General - Division of Clinical Research

This research study is a Phase I clinical trial. Phase I clinical trials test the safety of an investigational intervention. Phase I studies also try to define the appropriate dose of the investigational therapy to use for further studies. "Investigational" means that the intervention is still being studied and that research doctors are trying to find out more about it. Retroperitoneal sarcomas are soft tissue tumors located at the far back of the abdomen. Typically, patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas either have surgery for the removal of their tumors alone, or have their tumors removed, followed by standard radiation therapy, or have pre-operative radiation followed by surgery. When conventional radiation therapy is delivered after surgery, it can damage normal tissue. In this study, you will undergo proton beam radiation therapy or IMRT before undergoing surgery for the removal of your tumor. Proton radiation and IMRT are FDA approved radiation delivery systems. Protons are tiny particles with positive charge that can be controlled to travel a certain distance and stop inside the body. In theory, this allows better control of where the radiation dose is delivered as compared to photons. Since proton radiation is more targeted, it may help to reduce unwanted side effects from radiation. In this study, a standard dose of radiation will be given to the majority of the tumor, while a simultaneously integrated boost of additional radiation will be given to certain areas of the tumor identified as higher risk. This means that a higher radiation dose will be given to the higher risk areas of the tumor. The purpose of this study is to determine the highest dose of radiation therapy with protons or IMRT that can be delivered safely in patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas and the effectiveness of proton beam radiation therapy as an intervention for patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2012

open study

This is a mixed-methods study designed to develop and evaluate an innovative coaching program for physician trainee mothers. Approximately 48 participants will be recruited from informational flyers posted in resident work areas and distributed by program directors and GME. Interested participants will email study staff. Participants will be randomized to the control or intervention arm. Intervention participants will meet monthly with a novice physician coach of their choice (one-on-one) and a certified physician coach (with an assigned group of 6 peers through video-conferencing). Participants in both arms of the study will respond to surveys at three points: enrollment (baseline), 4 months, and 7 months. At each point, they will spend approximately 10 minutes filling the survey. The survey will query demographics, burnout, professional fulfillment, imposter phenomenon, self-valuation, self-efficacy, resilience, quality of life, and impact of work on professional relationships. The coaching intervention will last 4 months, and the 7 month survey will be used only to assess long-term effects of the intervention. At the conclusion of the study (7 months after enrollment), participants will be interviewed over video communication (secure Partners or Harvard Zoom) for approximately 30 minutes.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2025

open study

This research study is an open-label Phase 1 Exploratory/Pilot clinical trial to measure the effects of the incretin mimetic, tirzepatide, on tissue, urine, blood, and microbiome biomarkers associated with colorectal cancer risk and to understand the feasibility of this precision prevention trial approach for a future larger study.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2026

open study

This is a phase 1 study to find the recommended dose and schedule of mezigdomide and talquetamab in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), and to test the effects of the drugs on cancer. Cohort A will receive talquetamab + dexamethasone, then mezigdomide + talquetamab,+ dexamethasone. After Cohort A, Cohort B will evaluate mezigdomide + dexamethasone followed by step-up dosing of talquetamab (mezigdomide + talquetamab,+ dexamethasone).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2025

open study

Phase 1a/1b dose escalation and expansion study designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of NVL-330, determine the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D), and evaluate the antitumor activity in participants with advanced or metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) -altered non-small lung cancer (NSCLC). Phase 1a dose escalation is designed to assess the safety and tolerability of NVL-330 and to select the candidate RP2D(s) and, if applicable, the MTD. Phase 1b expansion is designed to further evaluate the overall safety and tolerability of the candidate RP2D(s) of NVL-330 and to determine the RP2D of NVL-330 in participants with advanced or metastatic HER2 mutant NSCLC.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2024

open study

This is a phase 3, randomized, controlled study of brenetafusp (IMC-F106C) plus nivolumab compared to standard nivolumab regimens in HLA-A*02:01-positive participants with previously untreated advanced melanoma.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2024

open study

The goal of this prospective cohort study is to assess potential differences in sleep biomarkers in older adult patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. To define sleep/circadian biomarkers of delirium (sleep duration, regularity, stability and timing of rhythm) in a prospective observational study. 2. To determine if plasma Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology/inflammatory burden interacts with or moderates the relationship between a sleep/circadian biomarker and post-operative delirium (POD) risk. 3. To determine whether sleep/circadian regulation interacts with the genetic risk of AD to influence POD/cognitive decline. Participants will be asked to: 1. Donate several blood samples both intraoperatively and postoperatively 2. Complete baseline and postoperative neurocognitive assessments 3. Wear an actigraphy data collection watch for the two weeks prior to their surgery

Type: Observational

Start Date: Sep 2023

open study

The Longitudinal Early-onset Alzheimer's Disease Study (LEADS) is a non-randomized, natural history, non-treatment study designed to look at disease progression in individuals with early onset cognitive impairment. Clinical, cognitive, imaging, biomarker, and genetic characteristics will be assessed across three cohorts: (1) early onset Alzheimer's Disease (EOAD) participants, (2) early onset non-Alzheimer's Disease (EOnonAD) participants, and (3) cognitively normal (CN) control participants.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Apr 2018

open study

This is a single-center, pilot randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the feasibility of a definitive trial comparing opioid-free discharge prescriptions to usual care (which includes opioids) in patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery. The main objective is to inform the design and feasibility of the definitive RCT.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2025

open study

This is a multi-site, open-label, non-randomized, single dose study to assess the clinical utility of [¹⁸F]FAPI-74 PET/CT in the detection of metastatic disease in individuals with pathologically confirmed gastric, gastroesophageal junction or esophageal cancer. Following screening, using a standardized administration protocol and dose, participants will undergo [¹⁸F]FAPI-74 PET/CT screening. SOC procedures and interventions will be captured during 3 months +/-14 days post injection. The primary objective is to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of such [¹⁸F]FAPI-74 PET/CT using a composite SOT panel. The maximum expected duration of the trial is approximately 24 months from first patient screening to last patient SOC follow up. The participants will be followed-up for safety for 24 to 72 hours after the dose of [¹⁸F]FAPI-74 PET/CT.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2025

open study

The broad aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of paravertebral and pectoral blocks on pain and physical well-being of patients undergoing immediate implant-based breast reconstruction.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2025

open study

The goal of this observational study is to learn about the outcomes of medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction for the treatment of recurrent patellar instability. The main questions it aims to answer are: - What are the risk factors for recurrent patellar instability after MPFL reconstruction? - What functional outcomes do patients report after MPFL reconstruction? Participants undergoing MPFL reconstruction will answer survey questions about their knee and activity level 1 year and 2 years after surgery.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jan 2023

open study

This Phase 3 study is an Open Label Extension of the APG-20 Study To Evaluate the Long-term Safety and Efficacy of Daily Subcutaneous Metreleptin Treatment in Subjects with Partial Lipodystrophy

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2024

open study

This multi-center retrospective cohort study aims to investigate the real-world outcomes of chronic subdural hematoma treated with MMAE, including clinical effectiveness, recurrence rates, and safety profile.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Dec 2023

open study

This pilot study in healthy volunteers aims to determine if biological sex has an impact on recovery from dexmedetomidine-induced unconsciousness, and if transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) can be used to measure brain complexity during dexmedetomidine sedation without arousing study participants.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2024

open study

The main goal of this phase II study is to evaluate the overall response rate of isatuximab, belantamab mafodotin, pomalidomide, and dexamethasone in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. The study drugs provided for research purposes are isatuximab and belantamab mafodotin.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2024

open study

This phase II trial studies the best approach to combine chemotherapy and radiation therapy (RT) based on the patient's response to induction chemotherapy in patients with non-germinomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCT) that have not spread to other parts of the brain or body (localized). This study has 2 goals: 1) optimizing radiation for patients who respond well to induction chemotherapy to diminish spinal cord relapses, 2) utilizing higher dose chemotherapy followed by conventional RT in patients who did not respond to induction chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs, such as carboplatin, etoposide, ifosfamide, and thiotepa, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays or high-energy protons to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Studies have shown that patients with newly-diagnosed localized NGGCT, whose disease responds well to chemotherapy before receiving radiation therapy, are more likely to be free of the disease for a longer time than are patients for whom the chemotherapy does not efficiently eliminate or reduce the size of the tumor. The purpose of this study is to see how well the tumors respond to induction chemotherapy to decide what treatment to give next. Some patients will be given RT to the spine and a portion of the brain. Others will be given high dose chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant before RT to the whole brain and spine. Giving treatment based on the response to induction chemotherapy may lower the side effects of radiation in some patients and adjust the therapy to a more efficient one for other patients with localized NGGCT.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2021

open study

In this research study the researchers want to learn more about brain activity related to speech perception and production.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2020

open study

The purpose of this study is to test the safety and tolerability of PMD-026 in patients with metastatic breast cancer. PMD-026 is a targeted oral agent designed to kill tumor cells in metastatic breast cancer.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2019

open study

The Montalcino Aortic Consortium (MAC) will provide the infrastructure to assemble large cohorts of patients with mutations in known heritable thoracic aortic disease (H-TAD) genes, define the phenotype associated with these genes, and determine genetic and environmental modifiers of H-TAD.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Jun 2016

open study

The goal of this study is to see whether kisspeptin, a naturally occurring hormone, can stimulate the release of other reproductive hormones in women with hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA). The investigators are also examining whether kisspeptin can help women release eggs from their ovaries. Kisspeptin will be administered subcutaneously (SC) for two weeks in a pulsatile fashion. Ultrasound monitoring of ovarian follicular growth and frequent blood sampling (every 10 minutes for up to two hours) will be performed to assess the physiologic response to kisspeptin over time.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2025

open study

The investigators have developed an inexpensive tool to take pictures in the lower GI tract without sedation and to look for signs of disease. The tool is a capsule, about the size of a fish oil or multi-vitamin supplement, attached to a string. The capsule and string are connected to a motor to allow the capsule to advance up the participant's lower GI tract. The capsule will be inserted into the participant's lower GI tract and advance upward via a slow spiral motion. The capsule is connected to an imaging system that saves and displays the images in real time.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2023

open study

The complex and unclear relationship between language and executive function (EF) creates barriers to developing effective interventions for children with developmental language disorder (DLD) whose language difficulties often co-occur with impaired EF. Children and adults with typical language development (TD) facilitate their EF by using self-directed language, or verbal mediation, to guide conscious reflection and override habitual behaviors. Conversely, children with DLD do not use verbal mediation to support EF efficiently or effectively. Promising evidence suggests that language-based training can shape verbal mediation and improve EF task performance in children with TD, which makes it pertinent to determine whether verbal mediation training benefits children with DLD. Specifically, modeling interventions have been shown to promote learning of language forms without taxing the cognitive resources required for learning such as attention or working memory, which are known to be impaired among children with DLD. The long-term goal of the proposed work is to optimize intervention outcomes for children with DLD by elucidating the complex relationship between language and executive functions. The objective of this project is to determine the impact of modeling verbal mediation on shifting task performance in school-aged children with DLD. Shifting, also known as cognitive flexibility, is the ability to alternate between operations or mental sets. It is an important EF because it is the pivot point between multiple goal-directed tasks when language use is critical for guiding action. Children aged 8-10 years will complete three versions of a shifting task over three phases: pre-intervention, intervention, and post-intervention. During the intervention phase, half of the participants with DLD will be exposed to a task model with verbal mediation (training), while the other half will be exposed to a silent task model (control). The investigators will determine the effect of modeling verbal mediation on the subsequent use of verbal mediation (Aim 1) and behavioral and electrophysiological measures of shifting ability (Aim 2). Indirect measures of shifting (i.e., accuracy and reaction time) will be supplemented with an electrophysiological marker of shifting that reflects real-time cue processing. This combination of methods provides insight to changes in processing following intervention that may precede and predict subsequent changes in behaviors. Our central hypothesis is that modeling verbal mediation will facilitate more effective use of verbal mediation and improve shift cue processing in children with DLD. The project will provide a theoretical framework for the role of language in shaping goal-directed behavior and the first examination of electrophysiological change in shifting following a verbal mediation intervention. Results will have a significant impact on clinical practice by advancing knowledge about a promising language-based intervention to support EF and other goal-directed tasks.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2025

open study

This is an open label, phase I, multi-center study aiming to assess the safety and tolerability in patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2025

open study

The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability, determine the maximally tolerated dose (MTD) and/or recommended Phase 2 dose(s) (RP2D) of PT0253 in adult participants with Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) G12D mutated advanced solid tumors as monotherapy.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2024

open study