Mass General - Division of Clinical Research

This is a multicenter, Phase 1b/2 trial in participants with estrogen receptor positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (ER+/HER2-) advanced/metastatic breast cancer. The phase 1b part of the trial will determine the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of elacestrant when administered in combination with alpelisib, everolimus, palbociclib, capivasertib, and ribociclib. The Phase 2 part of the trial will evaluate the efficacy and safety of the various combinations.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2023

open study

This phase II trial tests whether the addition of radiation to the primary tumor, typically given with stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR), in combination with standard of care immunotherapy improves outcomes in patients with renal cell cancer that is not recommended for surgery and has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). Radiation therapy uses high energy photons to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Stereotactic body radiation therapy uses special equipment to position a patient and deliver radiation to tumors with high precision. This method may kill tumor cells with fewer doses of radiation over a shorter period and cause less damage to normal tissue. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, ipilimumab, avelumab, and pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Axitinib, cabozantinib, and lenvatinib are in a class of medications called antiangiogenic agents. They work by stopping the formation of blood vessels that bring oxygen and nutrients to tumor. This may slow the growth and spread of tumor. Giving SABR in combination with standard of care immunotherapy may help shrink or stabilize the cancer in patients with renal cell cancer.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2023

open study

This is a 3-part study. The purpose of Part 1 of the study is to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetic (PK) characteristics of safusidenib in participants with recurrent/progressive IDH1-mutant World Health Organization (WHO) Grade 2 or Grade 3 glioma. The purpose of Part 2 will be to evaluate the efficacy of maintenance safusidenib treatment versus placebo in IDH1-mutant Grade 2 or Grade 3 astrocytoma with high-risk features or IDH1-mutant Grade 4 astrocytoma, following standard-of-care radiation or chemoradiation and adjuvant temozolomide. Part 2 will be randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled. The purpose of Part 3 will be to evaluate the efficacy of safusidenib in participants with residual or recurrent IDH1-mutant Grade 3 oligodendroglioma who have received surgery as their only treatment. Part 3 will be an open-label single-arm cohort and will enroll participants concurrently with Part 2.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2023

open study

This study is a prospective, multi-center, randomized, double blinded, placebo-controlled study of OCR treatment-discontinuation in patients with early RMS. All eligible participants will be initiated on OCR using the standard approved administration schedule of two 300 mg infusions separated by 14 days (i.e., Days 0 and 14) for a total of 600 mg, followed by 600 mg infusions at Month 6,12, 18, and 24. At Month 24, participants will be randomized (2:1) to one of two Arms with randomized treatment beginning at Month 30: Arm 1: placebo infusions every 6 months; or Arm 2: OCR infusions every 6 months. The treatment period will be for a total of 48 months.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2023

open study

In this research study the investigators want to find out if a non-invasive electrical brain stimulation method called RAVANS (also called tVNS) can have a beneficial effect on cognition in older individuals. The investigators also want to understand whether certain individual factors contribute to the effect of RAVANS on cognition. RAVANS is only used in research studies.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2021

open study

This is a Phase Ib/II, open-label, multicenter, randomized umbrella study in participants with breast cancer. The study is designed with the flexibility to open new treatment arms as new treatments become available, close existing treatment arms that demonstrate minimal clinical activity or unacceptable toxicity, or modify the patient population. Cohort 1 will focus on participants with inoperable, locally advanced or metastatic, estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), HER2-negative breast cancer who had disease progression during or following treatment with a cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i; e.g., palbociclib, ribociclib, abemaciclib) in the first- or second-line setting. Cohort 2 will focus on inoperable, locally advanced or metastatic, ER+, HER2-positive breast cancer with previous progression to standard-of-care anti-HER2 therapies, of which one was a trastuzumab-and-taxane-based systemic therapy (including in the early setting if recurrence occurred within 6 months of finishing adjuvant therapy) and one was a HER2-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC; e.g., ado-trastuzumab emtansine or trastuzumab-deruxtecan) or a HER2-targeting tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI; e.g., tucatinib, lapatinib, pyrotinib, or neratinib). Cohort 3 will focus on inoperable, locally advanced or metastatic, ER+, HER2-negative, PIK3CA-mutated breast cancer with resistance to adjuvant endocrine therapy.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2021

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

The overall objective of this study is to determine if there are pyloric sphincter abnormalities in patients with gastroparesis symptoms and determine how prevalent these abnormalities are using tests to assess the pyloric sphincter - endoluminal functional luminal imaging probe (Endoflip™), water load satiety testing (WLST), and high-resolution cutaneous electrogastrography (HR-EGG) using Gastric Alimetry™ System.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jan 2026

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

This study is referred to as the "umbrella master protocol" for pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This pembrolizumab NSCLC umbrella master protocol uses a platform design and consists of this master screening study and additional substudies. Each substudy will enroll a different population of NSCLC participants.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Dec 2019

open study

This phase III trial studies whether adding apalutamide to the usual treatment improves outcome in patients with lymph node positive prostate cancer after surgery. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-ray to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Androgens, or male sex hormones, can cause the growth of prostate cancer cells. Drugs, such as apalutamide, may help stop or reduce the growth of prostate cancer cell growth by blocking the attachment of androgen to its receptors on cancer cells, a mechanism similar to stopping the entrance of a key into its lock. Adding apalutamide to the usual hormone therapy and radiation therapy after surgery may stabilize prostate cancer and prevent it from spreading and extend time without disease spreading compared to the usual approach.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 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

Objectives of this study are to determine whether active VNS Therapy treatment is superior to a no stimulation control in producing a reduction in baseline depressive symptom severity, based on multiple depression scale assessment tools at 12 months from randomization.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2019

open study

Without an explanation for severe and sometimes life-threatening symptoms, patients and their families are left in a state of unknown. Many individuals find themselves being passed from physician to physician, undergoing countless and often repetitive tests in the hopes of finding answers and insight about what the future may hold. This long and arduous journey to find a diagnosis does not end for many patients- the Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR) notes that 6% of individuals seeking their assistance have an undiagnosed disorder. In 2008, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP) was established with the goal of providing care and answers for these individuals with mysterious conditions who have long eluded diagnosis. The NIH UDP is a joint venture of the NIH ORDR, the National Human Genome Research Institute Intramural Research Program (NHGRI-IRP), and the NIH Clinical Research Center (CRC) (1-3). The goals of the NIH UDP are to: (1) provide answers for patients with undiagnosed diseases; (2) generate new knowledge about disease mechanisms; (3) assess the application of new approaches to phenotyping and the use of genomic technologies; and (4) identify potential therapeutic targets, if possible. To date, the UDP has evaluated 3300 medical records and admitted 750 individuals with rare and undiagnosed conditions to the NIH Clinical Center. The NIH UDP has identified more than 70 rare disease diagnoses and several new conditions. The success of the NIH UDP prompted the NIH Common Fund to support the establishment of a network of medical research centers, the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN), for fiscal years 2013-2020. The clinical sites will perform extensive phenotyping, genetic analyses, and functional studies of potential disease-causing variants. The testing performed on patients involves medically indicated studies intended to help reach a diagnosis, as well as research investigations that include a skin biopsy, blood draws, and DNA analysis. In addition, the UDN will further the goals of the UDP by permitting the sharing of personally identifiable phenotypic and genotypic information within the network. By sharing participant information and encouraging collaboration, the UDN hopes to improve the understanding of rare conditions and advance the diagnostic process and care for individuals with undiagnosed diseases.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Sep 2015

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

This is a Phase 1, open-label study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of ATV-1601 administered orally in adults with AKT1 E17K-mutant, advanced solid tumors and also in HR+/HER2- advanced and metastatic breast cancer, with or without fulvestrant.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2025

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

A Phase 2 study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of TORL-1-23 in patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2024

open study

The purpose of this study is to assess Tacrolimus/Methotrexate/Ruxolitinib versus Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide/Tacrolimus/Mycophenolate Mofetil in Non-Myeloablative/Reduced Intensity Conditioning Allogeneic Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2025

open study

Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a disease where the normally occurring transthyretin (TTR) protein falls apart and forms amyloid, a sticky plaque- like substance that accumulates in different organs in the body and can cause damage to the organ. There are two ways that the TTR protein can fall apart. One way occurs as a person ages, where the normal TTR protein can fall apart and form amyloid that may no longer be sufficiently cleared by the body. This type of ATTR is known as wild-type ATTR (ATTRwt). The other way occurs when a person inherits a defective TTR gene that causes the TTR protein to spontaneously fall apart. This form of the disease is known as variant ATTR (ATTRv) and can be detected in adults by a genetic test of their TTR gene before they age. Amyloid build-up in the heart causes the heart wall to become thick and stiff and can result in heart failure and even death. Accumulation of TTR amyloid in the heart is known as transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy or ATTR-CM. Amyloid can also deposit in the nerve tissues leading to nerve problems. Accumulation of TTR in the nerves is known as transthyretin amyloid polyneuropathy or ATTR-PN. Acoramidis is an experimental drug designed to bind tightly to TTR in the blood and stabilize its structure, so it does not form the harmful amyloid plaques that can cause damage to organs. This study is intended to determine if treatment with acoramidis in participants with ATTRv who have not yet developed any symptoms of disease can prevent or delay the development of ATTR-CM or ATTR-PN disease. If adults with an inherited defective TTR gene are treated early before any of the symptoms of disease have developed, it may be possible to delay the onset or prevent the disease entirely.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2025

open study

The purpose of this platform study is to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and preliminary antitumor activity of novel RAS(ON) inhibitors combined with Standard(s) of Care (SOC) or with novel agents. The current subprotocols include the following: Subprotocol A: RMC-6236 + 5-fluorouracil-based regimens Subprotocol B: RMC-6236 + cetuximab with or without mFOLFOX6 Subprotocol C: RMC-6236 + gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel Subprotocol D: RMC-9805 with or without RMC-6236 + 5-fluorouracil-based regimens Subprotocol E: RMC-9805 with or without RMC-6236 + cetuximab with or without mFOLFOX6 Subprotocol F: RMC-9805 with or without RMC-6236 + gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2024

open study