Vanderbilt Clinical Trials

The goal of this study is to understand if SLT performed at low energy is as effective as SLT performed at standard energy, and also to see if repeating SLT at low energy once a year will prevent or delay the need for daily eye drop medications better than waiting for SLT to wear off before repeating it.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2021

open study

This randomized trial will evaluate the effect of fenofibrate compared with placebo for prevention of diabetic retinopathy (DR) worsening through 6 years of follow-up in eyes with mild to moderately severe non-proliferative DR (NPDR) and no CI-DME at baseline. In addition to evaluating efficacy, this study aims to evaluate the feasibility of a model for ophthalmologists to prescribe or collaborate with a primary care provider such as an internist/endocrinologist to prescribe and monitor the drug safely. If this study demonstrates that fenofibrate is effective for reducing the onset of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) or and the results are adopted by the community of retina specialists, a new strategy to prevent vision threatening complications of diabetes could be widely adopted. Widespread use of an oral agent effective at reducing worsening of DR would decrease the numbers of patients who undergo more invasive and much more expensive treatment for DR and who are consequently at risk for side effects that adversely affect visual function. This study will also assess the relationship of glycemic variability, as measured by continuous glucose monitoring with DR outcomes. Ancillary studies will characterize functional and structural outcomes in this cohort.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2021

open study

This phase III trial studies how well standard systemic therapy with or without definitive treatment (prostate removal surgery or radiation therapy) works in treating participants with prostate cancer that has spread to other places in the body. Addition of prostate removal surgery or radiation therapy to standard systemic therapy for prostate cancer may lower the chance of the cancer growing or spreading.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2018

open study

Chemotherapy drugs, used in the treatment of cancer, have the potential of inducing peripheral neuropathy (PN) as a side effect. This side effect is commonly referred to as CIPN, or chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. The Lilac Glove and Boot devices apply a low pressure across the surface of the hands and feet, respectively, to reduce access of chemotherapy to the peripheral nerves on the hands and feet. The small amount of pressure reduces the level of chemotherapy reaching the peripheral nerves, hence increasing the likelihood of nerve preservation during treatment and thus may potentially temporarily prevent the onset of moderate to severe PN symptoms induced by chemotherapy in the hands and feet while receiving treatment

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2025

open study

This study is being done to compare the effects of a newer class of weight loss medications to weight loss surgery on the body's muscle, metabolism, and side effects over time. People with severe obesity often lose weight using either medications like GLP-1 receptor agonists (such as semaglutide or tirzepatide) or by having bariatric surgery, such as gastric bypass. While both approaches can lead to weight loss, they may affect the body in different ways. The investigators are inviting adult patients who are planning to either start one of these weight loss medications or undergo gastric bypass surgery to join this study. Participants will be asked to complete four body composition scans (called DXA scans) over the course of a year-at the beginning of the study and again at 3, 6, and 12 months. These scans will help us measure changes in fat and muscle. Participants will also complete surveys and provide information on side effects, such as nausea or fatigue, that may affect their eating or activity levels. The investigators' goal is to better understand how different weight loss treatments impact not just weight, but also muscle mass, energy levels, and side effects. This information may help doctors and patients choose the most appropriate treatment in the future.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Aug 2025

open study

The research team is recruiting 900 children between the ages 5-17 with obesity from Tennessee and Louisiana. The team is assigning children and their caregivers by chance to one of five groups. In the first group, 300 children and their caregivers receive 26 hours of IBT. In the second group, 300 children and their caregivers receive 13 hours of IBT. The remaining three groups of 100 children and their caregivers receive 16, 19, or 22 hours of IBT. Children's healthcare providers, nutritionists, and social workers are providing IBT to each of the groups over six months. At the start of the study and again after one year, the research team is measuring the children's body mass index, or BMI. BMI is a measure of a person's body fat based on their height and weight. The team is also looking at the children's: - Diet - Exercise - Sleep - Media use - Quality of life

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2025

open study

This study aims to discover circulating microRNAs (associated with drug doses and levels) that can be used to characterize the overall immune state in pediatric heart transplant patients and predict patients that will go on to develop infection and rejection. MicroRNAs (miRs) are small, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression and serve as molecular biomarkers found in the circulation.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Feb 2025

open study

The VIVID study is structured in a master protocol format comprised of multiple parts that evaluate intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) VGA039 in healthy volunteers and subjects with von Willebrand Disease (VWD) and other bleeding disorders.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2023

open study

Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have reduced health related quality of life (HRQOL) and impaired exercise capacity. Despite fourteen approved therapies, most patients die within ten years. Increasing physical activity is highly efficacious in PAH, resulting in six-minute walk distance (6MWD) and HRQOL improvement that often exceeds the effect of medications. Prior activity studies required inpatient rehabilitation, which is impractical, hard to sustain, and poorly scalable to a rare disease. The Investigators propose a randomized trial of smart texts versus usual care for 6 months. The Investigators will randomize 100 PAH patients to the mHealth intervention or usual care. The Investigators will test the effect of a text-based mHealth intervention on HRQOL in PAH using the PAH-specific emPHasis-10 questionnaire. The Investigators will also test the effect of an mHealth intervention on exercise capacity, measured by a supervised home-based 6MWD test. Finally, the Investigators will examine the effect of the intervention on time to clinical worsening (composite of PAH therapy escalation, PAH hospitalization, and death) one year after randomization.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2023

open study

Ventilated pediatric patients are frequently over-sedated and the majority suffer from delirium, a form of acute brain dysfunction that is an independent predictor of increased risk of dying, length of stay, and costs. Universally prescribed sedative medications-the GABA-ergic benzodiazepines-worsen this brain organ dysfunction and independently prolong duration of ventilation and ICU stay, and the available alternative sedation regimen using dexmedetomidine, an alpha-2 agonist, has been shown to be superior to benzodiazepines in adults, and may mechanistically impact outcomes through positive effects on innate immunity, bacterial clearance, apoptosis, cognition and delirium. The mini-MENDS trial will compare dexmedetomidine and midazolam, and determine the best sedative medication to reduce delirium and improve duration of ventilation, and functional, psychiatric, and cognitive recovery in our most vulnerable patients-survivors of pediatric critical illness.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2021

open study

The investigational drug to be studied in this protocol, BCA101, is a first-in-class compound that targets both EGFR with TGFβ. Based on preclinical data, this bifunctional antibody may exert synergistic activity in patients with EGFR-driven tumors.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2020

open study

The purpose of this observational study is to find the best measures to define how well a person with eosinophilic disorder is doing. People with EoE, EoG, EoN and EoC normally undergo endoscopy and/or colonoscopy where cells are collected for microscopic analysis. Treatments are then decided based on how the cells look. We are aiming to compare different tissue components such as inflammatory cell types with clinical symptoms. We want to see if scores on standard questionnaires can give us an idea how well the person is doing.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jul 2015

open study

Firearm injuries are the leading cause of death for American youth. Strikingly, firearm suicide among adolescents is growing faster than other groups. Lethal means counseling is standard of care, however, infrequently occurs despite pediatricians recognizing the importance. Lack of time, topic discomfort, and inadequate resources for families are commonly reported barriers to counseling. By addressing these factors, we can improve counseling with the ultimate goal of increasing safe storage and reducing firearm injuries in youth. Children admitted in acute mental health crises while awaiting psychiatric hospital placement are a population at greater risk of suicide. We plan to implement a pilot intervention to offer secure storage counseling and storage device distribution to families of behavioral health patients who indicate firearm ownership on initial screening. The goal of this project is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of firearm secure storage counseling and device provision in the inpatient setting.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2025

open study

The primary objective of the Vanderbilt Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (VADRC) is to provide local and national researchers with access to a well-characterized and diverse clinical cohort, including participant referrals, biosamples, clinical data, and neuroimaging data. The VADRC Clinical Core will create an infrastructure to support research efforts of both local and national investigator studies to develop early detection, prevention, and treatment strategies for Alzheimer's disease. The Clinical Core intends to enroll up to 1000 participants, including individuals who are cognitively unimpaired, have mild cognitive impairment, or have Alzheimer's disease. This cohort of about 1000 participants will be called the Tennessee Alzheimer's Project. Participants will be seen annually for comprehensive clinical characterization and then referred to other studies to enhance Alzheimer's disease research activities.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Oct 2021

open study

The 2021 ACR RA treatment guideline, based on widely acknowledged low to moderate quality evidence, recommends switching to a non-tumor necrosis factor (TNFi) biologic (choose among existing medications, currently, rituximab, abatacept, tocilizumab, or sarilumab) or a targeted synthetic DMARD arm (tsDMARD; choose among existing medications, currently, tofacitinib, baricitinib, upadacitinib) in patients with active RA despite the use of a TNFi-biologic. In practice, most patients receive another TNFi-biologic, i.e., a second TNFi-biologic first. This is not based on solid evidence, but on arbitrary algorithms often proposed by health insurance plans, and/or physician experience and habit (TNFis launched 22 yrs ago vs. the first tsDMARD 8 years ago vs. first non-TNF-biologic launched 17 years ago). This study will fill a critical knowledge gap by generating CER data for important PROs between these treatment options, switching to a non-TNFi biologic or a tsDMARD in patients with active RA despite the use of a TNFi-biologic.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2021

open study

ARTFL LEFFTDS Longitudinal Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (ALLFTD) represents the formalized integration of ARTFL (U54 NS092089; funded through 2019) and LEFFTDS (U01 AG045390; funded through 2019) as a single North American research consortium to study FTLD for 2019 and beyond.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Mar 2020

open study

Using a single-case multiple baseline across participants design, this study aims to explore the effectiveness of parent-implemented Broad Treatment Speech Recast supplemented with traditional clinician-led articulation therapy on speech production in elementary-aged deaf and hard of hearing children. To address these objectives, the following research questions will be investigated: 1. Does drill-based articulation therapy, administered by a speech-language pathologist, improve speech sound production in DHH children when parent-implemented BTSR is concurrently utilized at home? 2. Does the combination of parent-implemented BTSR and clinician-led traditional articulation therapy result in generalization of speech sound accuracy at the conversation level?

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2025

open study

This is a Phase 2, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center, Phase II, dose escalation study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of Ya-101 in subjects with multiple system atrophy.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2025

open study

This study will use an anticholinergic pharmacological probe to examine attention network function in SCD using EEG. The overall hypothesis is that in older adults with SCD, normal cognitive performance is maintained by compensatory attention network activity, supported by enhanced cholinergic function. The investigators anticipate that SCD will be associated with greater compensatory attention network activity and that disrupting this compensatory process through anticholinergic challenge will result in a greater negative effect on attentional performance (Attention Network Test, ANT) and attention network functioning (EEG) in older adults with greater subjective cognitive concern.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2025

open study

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the ProTractX3™ DCB for the treatment of benign esophageal strictures.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2023

open study

This prospective randomized clinical trial will compare outcomes between patients treated primarily with a prophylactic antibiotic coated nail and those treated with traditional standard of care intramedullary (IM) nailing.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2023

open study

This study will use an observational cohort to cross-sectionally and longitudinally relate vascular health to clinical, imaging, and biological markers of early Alzheimer's disease and cerebrovascular disease among aging adults. Adjusting for relevant clinical covariates, we will test the hypothesis that vascular health is associated with clinical, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), neuropsychological, and cerebrospinal fluid markers of early cerebrovascular and Alzheimer's disease changes (i.e., prior to the onset of significant cognitive decline or dementia). Secondarily, we will examine medical and genetic factors that might mediate associations between vascular health and brain aging, such as inflammatory processes, insulin resistance, and genetic factors (e.g., APOE, a susceptibility risk factor for dementia). Findings will advance knowledge regarding the role that vascular health plays in brain aging.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Sep 2012

open study

Among people living with HIV, heavy drinking increases the risk of heart disease and death. Studies suggest that alcohol changes the number and kind of bacteria in your gut and these changes increase the risk of heart disease and death. This randomized controlled trial will determine whether a pill containing healthy gut bacteria can increase the number good bacteria in the gut, lower levels of inflammation, and lower the risk of heart disease and death.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2023

open study

This phase III trial compares the effect of giving triptorelin vs no triptorelin in preventing ovarian damage in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer receiving chemotherapy with an alkylating agents. Alkylating agents are part of standard chemotherapy, but may cause damage to the ovaries. If the ovaries are not working well or completely shut down, then it will be difficult or impossible to get pregnant in the future. Triptorelin works by blocking certain hormones and causing the ovaries to slow down or pause normal activity. The triptorelin used in this study stays active in the body for 24 weeks or about 6 months after a dose is given. After triptorelin is cleared from the body, the ovaries resume normal activities. Adding triptorelin before the start of chemotherapy treatment may reduce the chances of damage to the ovaries.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2025

open study

This is a Phase III clinical randomized control trial to investigate differences between patient with an infected nonunion treated by PO vs. IV antibiotics. The study population will be 250 patients, 18 years or older, being treated for infected nonunion after internal fixation of a fracture with a segmental defect less than one centimeter. Patients will be randomly assigned to either the treatment (group 1) PO antibiotics for 6 weeks or the control group (group 2) IV antibiotics for 6 weeks. The primary hypothesis is that the effectiveness of oral antibiotic therapy is equivalent to traditional intravenous antibiotic therapy for the treatment of infected nonunion after fracture internal fixation, when such therapy is combined with appropriate surgical management. Clinical effectiveness will be measured as the primary outcome as the number of secondary re-admissions related to injury and secondary outcomes of treatment failure (re-infection, nonunion, antibiotic complications) within the first one year of follow-up, as defined by specified criteria and determined by a blinded data assessment panel. In addition, treatment compliance, the cost of treatment, the number of surgeries required, the type and incidence of complications, and the duration of hospitalization will be measured.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2023

open study