Mass General - Division of Clinical Research

The plot study aims to evaluate the effect of 8 weeks of stress reducing intervention on atherosclerotic plaque inflammation in adults, as quantified by positron emission tomography (PET) with fluorine-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) in individuals with increased psychosocial stress.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2018

open study

This study will compare the effectiveness of osimertinib alone with the combination of osimertinib and chemotherapy (carboplatin and pemetrexed) in people with metastatic lung cancer that has a change (mutation) in the gene EGFR. Osimertinib alone is the usual treatment for metastatic EGFR-mutant lung cancer. Researchers think adding chemotherapy to osimertinib could possibly add to the anticancer effects of the usual treatment and help stop cancer from growing or spreading.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2020

open study

The purpose of this post-approval study is to further evaluate the long-term safety and effectiveness of Medtronic DBS therapy for epilepsy on seizure reduction in newly implanted participants through 3 years of follow-up.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2020

open study

This trial studies how well proton beam radiation therapy compared with intensity modulated photon radiotherapy works in treating patients with stage I-IVA esophageal cancer. Proton beam radiation therapy uses a beam of protons (rather than x-rays) to send radiation inside the body to the tumor without damaging much of the healthy tissue around it. Intensity modulated photon radiotherapy uses high-energy x-rays to deliver radiation directly to the tumor without damaging much of the healthy tissue around it. It is not yet known whether proton beam therapy or intensity modulated photon radiotherapy will work better in treating patients with esophageal cancer.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2019

open study

The purpose of this study is to obtain preliminary device safety information and demonstrate proof of principle (feasibility) of the ability of people with tetraplegia to control a computer cursor and other assistive devices with their thoughts.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2009

open study

This multicenter retrospective observational cohort study seeks to: 1. Classify surgical intent in patients with resected Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms (IPMN) and quantify the proportion of IPMN-associated cancers diagnosed as overt pancreatic cancer with incidental IPMN association on pathology. 2. Compare clinicopathologic features and outcomes between surveillance-detected and incidentally detected IPMN-derived pancreatic cancers. 3. Revise and redefine risk features limited to patients undergoing surgery for IPMN-related indications, identifying optimal predictors of malignant IPMN (high-grade dysplasia or invasive cancer).

Type: Observational

Start Date: Sep 2025

open study

Noise from cars, planes, and trains affects all people and has been associated with heart disease. Almost 30% of Americans are exposed to harmful levels of noise and noise accounts for the loss of more than one million healthy life years per year in Europe. Noise causes stress and may be most dangerous when it happens at night. The mechanisms linking noise to heart disease involve changes in the brain and the "fight or flight" response. These changes lead to inflammation and blood vessel disease. However, there are few laws that restrict noise and it is not addressed in medical care. Further, as cities and industries grow, noise continues to increase. Moreover, noise often occurs in areas that are also exposed to other stressors like high air pollution and low income. Yet, there is little research on noise, and it is not known if lowering noise exposure helps heart health. The investigators will use imaging to test if earplugs that block noise improve stress symptoms and changes in the the brain, blood vessels, and stress pathways that lead to disease. The investigators expect that people who use earplugs will have lower measures of stress and heart disease at follow-up. The study will include 26 people with heart disease risk with high noise exposure or who are annoyed by noise. At the first visit, subjects will have imaging of the brain and blood vessels and will have assessments of stress, inflammation, and the "fight or flight" response. They will be assigned to use earplugs or not after the first visit. After 6 months, imaging and other testing will be repeated. It will help to understand how noise impacts the body and whether the effects can be changed. It may also identify important treatments to prevent heart disease in people exposed to noise. By testing if the adverse effects of noise can be lowered with earplugs, this project supports the AHA's mission to be a force for a world of longer and healthier lives.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2025

open study

The hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (preeclampsia and gestational hypertension) are associated with increased long-term maternal risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Recent evidence suggests that activation of the mineralocorticoid receptor promotes ongoing susceptibility to hypertension in women following hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. In addition, women with overweight/obesity are at increased risk for progression to chronic hypertension after experiencing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Among women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity, the investigators will conduct a randomized trial to test the effect of pharmacologically blocking the mineralocorticoid receptor for three months after delivery on blood pressure and cardiac remodeling at nine months postpartum.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2025

open study

This study is structured around three main aims. In Aim 1, investigators will conduct community-based participatory research (CBPR) to develop culturally tailored methods to assess childhood adversity in multiple sclerosis (MS). Aim 2 will investigate the impact of childhood adversity on MS outcomes among individuals with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), among whom 70% belong to a group historically under-represented in MS research: Black, Hispanic, or poverty-impacted. Aim 2 procedures involve two visits that include a research blood draw and an MRI scan. In Aim 3, investigators will conduct interviews and surveys to explore environmental and social factors affecting quality of life for minority MS patients.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Oct 2025

open study

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital are looking to see if a program created to help improve thinking and memory can work for refugees with traumatic brain injury (TBI). They're checking if this program is practical and if people find it helpful. The study will have two groups. Participants will complete a first questionnaire and then be assigned to a group by chance. One group will participate in the program immediately and then answer the second questionnaire (approximately 3 months after the first questionnaire they did). Then they will wait and then answer the third and final questionnaire approximately 6 months after the first one. The second group will wait and answer the second questionnaire approximately 3 months after the first one. Then they will receive the program and answer the third and final questionnaire (approximately 6 months after the first one they did.)

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2025

open study

This study will test the hypothesis that the QuitVaping (QV) intervention and additional texting support will improve nicotine abstinence rates in adolescents as compared to Enhanced Usual Care (EUC: education about nicotine, vaping and addiction, advice to quit vaping, referral to TIQ texting support). Approximately 400 adolescents will be randomly assigned to one of two arms (1) QuitVaping intervention plus texting support to quit vaping and (2) EUC only.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2025

open study

The purpose of this study is to see whether a supportive intervention (REVITALIZE) reduces fatigue and its impact on daily life and activities for participants with ovarian cancer taking PARP inhibitors. The name of the study groups in this research study are: 1. REVITALIZE 2. Educational Materials

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2025

open study

Multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase-3 Trial. Patients with a history of recurrent pericarditis who are being treated with an IL-1 blocker for at least 12 months, scheduled to be discontinued, will be approached for potential trial participation. Double-blind treatment will be initiated 10 - 16 days prior to the last scheduled dose of the IL-1 blocker and continued for 24 weeks. The objective is to assess whether patients who discontinue therapy with an IL-1 blocker for recurrent pericarditis remain free of pericarditis recurrence while receiving CardiolRx.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2025

open study

This study is researching an experimental drug called REGN7544 (called "study drug"). The study is focused on adult patients (18 to 85 years) hospitalized due to a serious infection (called "sepsis") and receiving standard-of-care medications for low blood pressure (called "vasopressors") due to sepsis. The aim of the study is to see how safe, tolerable, and effective the study drug is by observing the effects on blood pressure and the total amount of vasopressor dose received during the stay in the hospital. The study is looking at several other research questions, including: - How the study drug changes the blood pressure and the amount of intravenous (IV) fluids given to participants with low blood pressure due to sepsis - What side effects may happen from taking the study drug - How much study drug is in the blood at different times - Whether the body makes antibodies against the study drug (which could make the drug less effective or could lead to side effects)

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2025

open study

The goal of this clinical study is to find out how the study drug, sacituzumab govitecan (SG) works in participants with endometrial cancer who have received prior treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy and immunotherapy, versus the treatment of physician's choice (TPC). The primary objectives of this study are to evaluate the effect of SG compared to TPC on progression-free survival (PFS) as assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR) and overall survival (OS).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2024

open study

This is a non-inferiority patient-centered and pragmatic comparative-effectiveness pregnancy randomized controlled trial (RCT) with postpartum maternal and child follow-up through 2 years of 1,572 individuals with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) randomized to oral metformin versus injectable insulin. This study will determine if metformin is not inferior to insulin in reducing adverse pregnancy outcomes, is comparably safe for exposed individuals and children, and if patient-reported factors, including facilitators of and barriers to use, differ between metformin and insulin. A total of 1,572 pregnant individuals with GDM who need pharmacotherapy will be recruited at 20 U.S. sites using consistent treatment criteria to metformin versus insulin. Participants and their children will be followed through delivery to two years postpartum.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2024

open study

Cephalosporin antibiotics are commonly used but can result in allergic reactions and anaphylaxis. There is no clear diagnostic approach for cephalosporin-allergic patients, and guidance for the use of other antibiotics in allergic patients is based on side chain chemical similarity and limited skin testing evidence. This project includes a clinical trial and mechanistic studies to optimize the approach to cephalosporin allergy and advance future diagnostics.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2025

open study

The study aims at evaluating physiological and patient-reported outcomes for a dual intervention approach including a stimulation device and support therapy in patients with functional dyspepsia.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2025

open study

The overall objective of the RESTORATiVE303 study is to evaluate the safety and the Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) recurrence rate at Week 8 in participants who receive a 14-day course of VE303 or matching placebo. The objectives and endpoints are identical for Stage 1 (recurrent CDI) and Stage 2 (high-risk primary CDI).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2024

open study

The goal of this clinical trial is to test efficacy of different investigational products (IPs) compared with placebo on the change from baseline to the end of the treatment period at Week 52 in lung capacity in participants with Interstitial Lung Disease Secondary to Systemic Sclerosis.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2024

open study

This phase III trial tests how well the addition of dinutuximab to Induction chemotherapy along with standard of care surgical resection of the primary tumor, radiation, stem cell transplantation, and immunotherapy works for treating children with newly diagnosed high-risk neuroblastoma. Dinutuximab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to a molecule called GD2, which is found on the surface of neuroblastoma cells, but is not present on many healthy or normal cells in the body. When dinutuximab binds to the neuroblastoma cells, it helps signal the immune system to kill the tumor cells. This helps the cells of the immune system kill the cancer cells, this is a type of immunotherapy. When chemotherapy and immunotherapy are given together, during the same treatment cycle, it is called chemoimmunotherapy. This clinical trial randomly assigns patients to receive either standard chemotherapy and surgery or chemoimmunotherapy (chemotherapy plus dinutuximab) and surgery during Induction therapy. Chemotherapy drugs administered during Induction include, cyclophosphamide, topotecan, cisplatin, etoposide, vincristine, and doxorubicin. These drugs work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing or by stopping them from spreading. Upon completion of 5 cycles of Induction therapy, a disease evaluation is completed to determine how well the treatment worked. If the tumor responds to therapy, patients receive a tandem transplantation with stem cell rescue. If the tumor has little improvement or worsens, patients receive chemoimmunotherapy on Extended Induction. During Extended Induction, dinutuximab is given with irinotecan, temozolomide. Patients with a good response to therapy move on to Consolidation therapy, when very high doses of chemotherapy are given at two separate points to kill any remaining cancer cells. Following, transplant, radiation therapy is given to the site where the cancer originated (primary site) and to any other areas that are still active at the end of Induction. The final stage of therapy is Post-Consolidation. During Post-Consolidation, dinutuximab is given with isotretinoin, with the goal of maintaining the response achieved with the previous therapy. Adding dinutuximab to Induction chemotherapy along with standard of care surgical resection of the primary tumor, radiation, stem cell transplantation, and immunotherapy may be better at treating children with newly diagnosed high-risk neuroblastoma.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2024

open study

The goal of this study is to explore whether a group exercise program called Strength After Breast Cancer can be delivered in an outpatient physical therapy clinic to improve physical function among women after treatment for breast cancer. The main questions this study aims to answer are: - Can the Strength After Breast Cancer program and the associated outcome battery be successfully delivered in an outpatient physical therapy clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital and do participants find the program practical? - What are the barriers to and facilitators of delivering the group exercise program in a clinical setting and what changes need to be made to the program to improve sustainability and to facilitate implementation at other clinical sites? Participants will complete study questionnaires before and after engaging in the group exercise program and they will participate in interviews following participation in the program.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2024

open study

This phase II trial compares the effects of immunoglobulin replacement therapy with a placebo for preventing infectious complications in patients receiving CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy. Hypogammaglobulinemia is a common complication in patients who receive CD19 CAR-T cell therapy. This is a condition in which the level of immunoglobulins (antibodies) in the blood is low and the risk of infection is high. Immunoglobulin replacement therapy works by replacing the body's immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies with donor blood product derived IgG antibodies that may help prevent infection. IgG antibodies are often depleted as a result of CAR-T therapy. Giving immunoglobulin replacement therapy may prevent infectious complications in patients receiving CD19 CAR-T cell therapy.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2024

open study

This study is to prospectively compare clinical effectiveness between clinically- matched incremental hemodialysis and conventional hemodialysis in patients with incident kidney dysfunction requiring dialysis and residual kidney function. The study will enroll 350 patients on chronic hemodialysis and 140 caregivers of enrolled patients. Patients will be randomized in 1:1 ratio to either incremental start hemodialysis or conventional hemodialysis. Caregivers will be followed along with patients for an average period of 2 years post randomization.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2024

open study

The goal of this study is to test the effects of just-in-time intervention strategies aimed to promote implementation of the safety plan and its components at different levels of suicidal urges and intent. The main questions the investigators aim to answer are: 1. What is the acceptability and feasibility of the just-in-time intervention strategies? 2. What are the proximal effects of just-in-time intervention strategies aimed to promote use of the safety plan and its components? 3. What internal and external contextual factors moderate the just-in-time intervention effects? Participants (adults hospitalized for suicidal thoughts or behaviors) will: - Answer questions about current suicidal thoughts on their smartphone up to 4 times each day during both hospitalization and the 4 weeks after they leave the hospital - Each time they submit a survey, be immediately randomized to receive (or not receive) a just-in-time intervention tailored to their level of current suicidal thoughts - Answer brief follow-up questions on their smartphone within a couple hours of each randomization - Provide feedback on their experience with the just-in-time interventions

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2024

open study