Boston University - Clinical & Translational Science Institute

This study is designed to assess the safety and efficacy of lenvatinib in combination with pembrolizumab versus standard of care (SOC) chemotherapy, and to also assess the safety and efficacy of lenvatinib monotherapy in participants with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) that have progressed after platinum therapy and a programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) or anti-programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor. The primary hypothesis is that lenvatinib + pembrolizumab is superior to SOC chemotherapy with respect to ORR per modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 as assessed by blinded independent central review.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2020

open study

The goal of this study is to explore and evaluate whether a 2-dose schedule of Gardasil 9 among young and mid-adult women 16-45 years of age is generally safe and immunogenic, with an antibody response that is not inferior to that observed of a 3-dose schedule of Gardasil 9 among women aged 16-26 years old. The investigators thought that having a 2-dose vaccination regimen for individuals 16 to 45 would provide a more robust dataset than those of 27 to 45 years old.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2020

open study

The COSMID (Comparison of Surgery and Medicine on the Impact of Diverticulitis) trial is a pragmatic, patient-level randomized superiority trial of elective colectomy vs. best medical management for patients with quality of life (QoL) limiting diverticular disease. A parallel observational cohort will include those who are disinclined to have their treatment choice randomized, but are willing to contribute information about their outcomes. The goal of the COSMID trial is to answer the question: For patients with QoL-limiting diverticular disease, is elective colectomy more effective than best medical management? The hypothesis being tested in the COSMID trial is that patient-reported outcomes (PROs) among patients in the surgery arm will be superior to those in the best medical management arm.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2019

open study

The SCD-CARRE trial is a Phase 3, prospective, randomized, multicenter, controlled, parallel two-arm study aimed to determine if automated exchange blood transfusion and standard of care administered to high mortality risk adult SCD patients reduces the total number of episodes of clinical worsening of SCD requiring acute health care encounters (non-elective infusion center/ER/hospital visits) or resulting in death over 12 months as compared with standard of care.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2020

open study

The purpose of this study is to confirm the tolerability of recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of Lazertinib (Phase 1), to determine the tolerability and identify the recommended Phase 2 combination dose of Lazertinib when combined with Amivantamab (JNJ-61186372) (Phase 1b), to characterize the safety and tolerability of Lazertinib and Amivantamab combinations at the RP2CD in participants with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with documented advanced or metastatic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation (Phase 1b expansion cohorts A, B, C, D and E), to estimate the antitumor activity of Lazertinib and Amivantamab combinations at the RP2CD in participants with advanced NSCLC with documented advanced or metastatic EGFR mutation (Phase 1b expansion cohorts A, B, C, and D), to validate the biomarker identified in Phase 1b expansion Cohort D as a predictor of antitumor activity of Lazertinib and Amivantamab combination (Cohort E) or Amivantamab monotherapy (Cohort F) in participants with osimertinib-relapsed, chemotherapy-naïve, EGFR Exon19del or L858R mutated NSCLC, to identify the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2ChD) of Lazertinib when combined with Amivantamab and standard of care chemotherapy and to determine the tolerability of the Lazertinib, Amivantamab, and platinum-doublet chemotherapy (LACP) combination (Phase 1b LACP combination cohort) and to characterize the safety and tolerability of Lazertinib at the RP2ChD and Amivantamab and standard of care chemotherapy in participants with advanced or metastatic EGFR-mutated NSCLC (Phase 1b LACP combination cohort), to assess 2 potential biomarker strategies to identify participants at increased, or decreased, probability of tumor response with JNJ-61186372 and lazertinib combination in participants with EGFR Exon19del or L858R mutated NSCLC progressed on or after osimertinib (Phase 1b expansion Cohort D).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2019

open study

Primary Aim: To determine if apixaban is superior to aspirin for prevention of the composite outcome of any stroke (hemorrhagic or ischemic) or death from any cause in patients with recent ICH and atrial fibrillation (AF). Secondary Aim: To determine if apixaban, compared with aspirin, results in better functional outcomes as measured by the modified Rankin Scale.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2020

open study

Study ROR-PH-301, ADVANCE OUTCOMES, is designed to assess the efficacy and safety of ralinepag when added to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) standard of care or PAH-specific background therapy in subjects with World Health Organization (WHO) Group 1 PAH.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2018

open study

A prospective pilot study examining nutritional supplements among vascular surgery patients with Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI). CLI patients have a high rate of malnutrition and has the potential to benefit greatly from nutritional intervention. The investigators plan to evaluate nutrition and functional status of patients by assessing objective lab values and the use of the hand grip strength test. Providing perioperative nutritional supplements to patients has potentially improved their nutritional status, which in turn may improve the patient's clinical status after surgery.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2018

open study

Rotator cuff tears are one of the most common reasons to seek musculoskeletal care in the United States and one of the fastest growing ambulatory surgery procedures. However, data on comparison of operative versus non-operative treatment is lacking and urgently needed.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2018

open study

Early life exposures may lead to adverse effects on health in later life. The Boston birth Cohort study is designed to study a broad array of early life factors and their effects on maternal and child health outcomes.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Oct 1998

open study

Enroll-HD is a longitudinal, observational, multinational study that integrates two former Huntington's disease (HD) registries-REGISTRY in Europe, and COHORT in North America and Australasia-while also expanding to include sites in Latin America. More than 20,000 participants have now enrolled into the study. With annual assessments and no end date, Enroll-HD has built a large and rich database of longitudinal clinical data and biospecimens that form the basis for studies developing tools and biomarkers for progression and prognosis, identifying clinically-relevant phenotypic characteristics, and establishing clearly defined endpoints for interventional studies. Periodic cuts of the database are now available to any interested researcher to use in their research - visit www.enroll-hd.org/for-researchers/access-data/ to learn more.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Jul 2012

open study

The purpose of this study is to obtain informed consent to use stored human biological materials (HBM) (e.g., blood and other tissues) for future studies that may include genetic testing.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Feb 2002

open study

Mutual exclusivity is a word learning constraint in which the learner assumes that a given word refers to only one category of objects. In spoken languages, mutual exclusivity has been demonstrated in monolingual children as young as 17 months and cross-linguistically, while multilingual learners show an attenuated mutual exclusivity bias. Mutual exclusivity has not been robustly demonstrated in deaf children acquiring American Sign Language (ASL). Further, it is unclear if mutual exclusivity applies to those learning both a signed and a spoken language. Like unimodal bilinguals, bimodal bilingual (BiBi) children learn two words for an object, but these words are separated by modality. A BiBi child could therefore assume that all objects have two words (like unimodal bilinguals) or that all objects have one spoken word and one sign (within-modality mutual exclusivity). The goals of the current study are to demonstrate mutual exclusivity in monolingual deaf children acquiring ASL, and to determine if BiBi deaf children utilize mutual exclusivity within each modality.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2023

open study

SARS-CoV-2 transmission was expected to have a devastating impact in sub-Saharan African countries. Instead, morbidity and mortality rates in nearly the whole region are an order of magnitude lower than in Europe and the Americas. To identify what is different requires a better understanding of the underlying immunological substrate of the population, and how these factors affect susceptibility to infection, progression of symptoms, transmission, and responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Study objectives 1. Determine the risk and predictors of infection and disease among contacts of SARS-CoV-2 infection subjects in Malawi 2. Determine whether innate immune responses lower the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease, and acquisition and duration of vaccine responses. 3. Assess whether alterations in innate immune responses relevant to SARS-CoV-2 are associated with malaria or intestinal parasite infections. 4. Assess the acquisition and longevity of antibodies (Ab) and cellular adaptive responses elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination. 5. Assess whether malaria and intestinal parasite infections, chronic/mild undernutrition, and anemia mediate alterations in Ab and other adaptive cellular responses to SARS-CoV-2 through innate immune responses or a different unknown mechanism.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jan 2023

open study

The purpose of this clinical trial is to answer the question: can the investigators predict which adults with social anxiety disorder (SAD) will successfully respond to treatment? To answer this question, the investigators plan to recruit 190 adult participants who experience extreme forms of social anxiety to undergo brain imaging before and after 12 weeks of group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Adults in the SAD group who do not respond enough to group CBT may be offered the opportunity to complete an additional 12 weeks of individual CBT while receiving SSRI medication (sertraline, see below) for SAD. Data collected from participants who experience anxiety will be compared to a group of 50 participants with little or no social anxiety, who will serve as a comparison group.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2023

open study

This is a randomized, open-label, dose/schedule optimization study comparing NUC-3373/leucovorin (LV)/irinotecan plus bevacizumab (NUFIRI-bev) to 5-FU/LV/irinotecan plus bevacizumab (FOLFIRI-bev) for the treatment of patients with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer. A total of 171 patients will be randomized 1:1:1 to either NUFIRI-bev on a weekly NUC-3373 schedule, NUFIRI-bev based on an alternate weekly NUC-3373 schedule, or FOLFIRI bev on an alternate weekly schedule. The main objectives are to assess and compare the efficacy and safety of the 3 regimens. Pharmacokinetics will be assessed on the 2 NUFIRI arms.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2023

open study

This phase III trial compares the effect of modified fluorouracil, leucovorin calcium, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan (mFOLFIRINOX) to modified fluorouracil, leucovorin calcium, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX) for the treatment of advanced, unresectable, or metastatic HER2 negative esophageal, gastroesophageal junction, and gastric adenocarcinoma. The usual approach for patients is treatment with FOLFOX chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs 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. Fluorouracil stops cells from making DNA and it may kill tumor cells. Leucovorin is used with fluorouracil to enhance the effects of the drug. Oxaliplatin works by killing, stopping, or slowing the growth of tumor cells. Some patients also receive an immunotherapy drug, nivolumab, in addition to FOLFOX chemotherapy. Immunotherapy may induce changes in body's immune system and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Irinotecan blocks certain enzymes needed for cell division and DNA repair, and it may kill tumor cells. Adding irinotecan to the FOLFOX regimen could shrink the cancer and extend the life of patients with advanced gastroesophageal cancers.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2023

open study

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to test whether the 6 sessions HEARTS Healthy Relationships classes increases the satisfaction that autistic adults feel about their friendships and dating relationships compared to a 6 weeks online discussion group. The 6 HEARTS sessions cover: healthy and unhealthy relationships, launching new relationships, neurohealth, meeting and reconnecting, boundaries, and healthy endings. Participants who take part in this research study will be in this research study for three months. During this time, participants will be asked to complete two 30-minute and six 10-minute online surveys, and participate in two 20-minute interviews over Zoom.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2023

open study

This pilot randomized double blind controlled crossover study aims to determine the impact of two wrist cooling devices on symptom control of hot flashes in adult men and adult women experiencing hot flashes. The participants will record during the first two weeks of the study all of their hot flashes and severity of their hot flashes in a diary. The participants will be randomly assigned to wear one of the two wrist cooling devices that have an identical appearance at different times in the study. They will wear the first assigned device for weeks 3 and 4. They will record in their diary the severity of their hot flashes while using the device. For weeks 5 and 6 they will be ask to use a second device and record in their diary the severity of their hot flashes with the use of the device. The devices will be attached to the wrist like a watch. When activated, one device will turn on a cooling fan with the cooling plate being active for up to 5 minutes, and the other device will turn on a cooling fan only for up to 5 minutes without the cooling plate being active.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2023

open study

The purpose of this clinical trial is to learn about the safety, extent of the side effects, and immune responses of the study vaccine (called bivalent BNT162b2 Omicron containing vaccine) in healthy children. The trial is divided into 4 individual studies or substudies based on age group and prior history of COVID-19 vaccinations. All participants in each of the 4 sub-studies study vaccine as a shot depending on what group they are in. - Substudy A design: includes participants 6 months through less than 4 years 3 months of age who have not received a previous coronavirus vaccination (COVID-19 vaccine naïve) and will receive 3 doses of study vaccine as their initial which may be followed by a fourth dose of study vaccine. - Substudy B design: includes 6 months through less than 5 years of age who have either received 2 or 3 prior doses of BNT162b2 and will receive study vaccine as their third or fourth dose. - Substudy C design: includes participants 6 months through less than 5 years of age who have received 3 prior doses of BNT162b2 and will receive study vaccine as their fourth dose. - Substudy D design: includes participants 5 through less than12 years of age who have received 2 or 3 prior doses of BNT162b2 and will receive study vaccine as their third or fourth dose.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2022

open study

Brief Summary: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a significant and costly public health problem that affects one-third of the U.S. population in their lifetime. Specifically, unhealthy alcohol use is common among persons living with HIV (PLWH) and increases the risk of developing negative outcomes. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has shown increasing life expectancy and decreased HIV-related deaths, leading to a growing older adult HIV population. Yet, HIV accelerates the aging process and increases the risk for numerous chronic health conditions that compromise physical and mental health functioning and quality of life. Thus, PLWH continue to have shorter life expectancies relative to the general population and these multimorbidities explain this increased risk. In this context, unhealthy alcohol use among PLWH can further increase the risk for negative outcomes. Physical activity (PA) interventions can be used as an effective way to address unhealthy alcohol use among PLWH. Previous PA interventions have shown low generalizability and high loss to follow-up. Therefore, an intervention that is home-based, including lifestyle physical activity (LPA) with mobile health-delivered components is designed following the physical activity (PA) paradigm. Participants in this randomized controlled trial will be assigned to one of two study arms -- either the LPA or Fitbit Only intervention - both lasting 12-weeks. Both study arms will utilize a Fitbit to track daily step counts. In addition to utilizing a Fitbit, the LPA arm will receive 7 LPA sessions with a trained interventionist to assist in adding LPA to the participant's routine. The Fitbit only arm will receive only brief check-in phone calls and only related to assisting with any Fitbit functioning issues. Follow-up assessments will take place at 3 and 6 months.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2023

open study

This randomized controlled trial is a between-groups design to compare the Motivational and Cognitive Behavioral Management for Alcohol and Pain (MCBMAP) Intervention to a Brief Advice and Information Control condition. Two-hundred and fifty participants who have HIV with moderate or greater chronic pain will be randomized for the trial. Recruitment will take place through digital media. A unique feature of this intervention trial is that most of the procedures will be conducted remotely which will minimize barriers of transportation and time for participants. Consent and baseline assessment will be completed remotely. Following baseline assessment, participants will complete two weeks of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to assess alcohol use, chronic pain, physical function and mechanisms of behavior change for alcohol and pain management. Following the two-week phase, participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or control condition and meet the interventionist through videoconferencing. Participants will complete outcome assessment measures at 3- and 6-months post-baseline. Following the 3-month outcome assessment, participants will complete another two weeks of EMA.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2023

open study

Determine whether full-time patching is more effective than observation for improving distance control of IXT after 3 months of treatment (on-treatment outcome).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2022

open study

This phase II trial compares capecitabine and temozolomide to lutetium Lu 177 dotatate for the treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors that have spread to other parts of the body (advanced) or are not able to be removed by surgery (unresectable). Chemotherapy drugs, such as capecitabine and temozolomide, 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. Radioactive drugs, such as lutetium Lu 177 dotatate, may carry radiation directly to tumor cells and may reduce harm to normal cells. The purpose of this study is to find out whether capecitabine and temozolomide or lutetium Lu 177 dotatate may kill more tumor cells in patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2022

open study

This study will provide rigorous evaluation of implementing a virtual genome center into community clinical settings without highly specialized resources, thereby offering generalizable insights as to how best to implement genomic medicine at scale and for other age groups. This intervention has great potential to address disparities in genomic medicine among low-income and underrepresented minority (URM) populations and will enhance capacity for providers and health systems to utilize highly specialized genomic techniques in their communities. The goal of this study is to achieve equitable access to state-of-the-art genomic medical care to sick newborns in community centers that predominately care for low-income and racial/ethnic minority populations through the creation of a virtual genome center (VIGOR). VIGOR will provide a venue for physician and family education, genomic expert consultation, reanalysis of unsolved sequencing data, and access to cutting edge therapeutic innovation, thereby facilitating institutionalization of genomic best practices in community settings, and not just highly specialized referral centers.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Mar 2022

open study