Vanderbilt Clinical Trials

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 purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and PK of RM-718 in healthy subjects with obesity and in patients with MC4R Pathway Impairment

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2024

open study

Frailty and sarcopenia are modifiable risk factors for morbidity and mortality in patients with ESRD. Exercise is the recommended intervention to prevent frailty and sarcopenia, however, many clinical trials have shown limited clinical improvement in muscle mass and physical function. We propose that mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the deterrents to the effectiveness of the exercise. We plan to evaluate the additive effect of HIIT and CoQ10, a mitochondrial-targeted therapy, on mitochondrial function and physical performance. Understanding the interplay among CoQ10, exercise, and mitochondrial function will identify novel mechanisms to improve the efficiency of exercise. This will also serve to prevent frailty, sarcopenia, and muscle dysfunction in patients with ESRD.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2023

open study

The goal of this observational study is to learn if the donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) test can assess rejection in kidney transplant recipients. Participants will have blood and urine collected at their study visit. Researchers will compare results of the GraftAssureDx to rejection detected by standard-of-care graft biopsies.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Sep 2025

open study

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked disorder that causes muscle wasting, cardiopulmonary failure, and premature death. Heart failure is a leading cause of death in DMD, but substantial knowledge gaps exist regarding predisposing risk factors. In the general population, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and decreased heart rate variability (HRV; reflecting autonomic dysfunction) are associated with cardiomyopathy (CM). It is unclear whether these factors are associated with DMD-CM. Closing this knowledge gap may lead to novel screening and therapeutic strategies to delay progression of DMD related CM. Despite risk factors for hyperglycemia, including the use of glucocorticoids, low muscle mass, obesity, and reduced ambulation, little is known regarding glucose abnormalities in DMD. Some of these same risk factors, along with the distance needed to travel for specialty care, present significant barriers to research participation and clinical care for individuals with DMD. Remote wearable technology may improve research participation in this vulnerable population. Therefore, this study will leverage remote wearable technologies to overcome these barriers and define the relationship between dysglycemia and DMD-CM. In this Aim of the study, the investigators will assess the utility of remote wearable technology to predict changes in traditional metrics of metabolism and cardiac function. In this pilot study, 10 individuals with DMD will undergo cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) at baseline and two years. The investigators will remotely assess glycemia (using continuous glucose monitors), HRV (using extended Holter monitors), and activity (using accelerometers) every 6 months over the 2 years and evaluate if changes in wearable metrics predict changes in CMR and OGTT.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jul 2024

open study

Metabolic surgery is an emerging option to treat obesity-related metabolic diseases (e.g., type 2 diabetes) and prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD). Metabolic surgery can profoundly alter the gut microbiota; meanwhile, gut microbiota may affect surgical outcomes. Longitudinal studies that examined pre- to post-surgery changes in gut microbiota and its relation to cardiometabolic health after surgery are limited. Furthermore, few studies have included African Americans, a population with high rates of cardiometabolic diseases. The investigators aim to fill these research gaps by establishing a longitudinal, observational study of metabolic surgery patients and applying multi-omics to identify stool, blood, and/or tissue microbial features related to post-surgery cardiometabolic outcomes. In the current study, the investigators plan to enroll up to 300 patients who undergo metabolic surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and follow them for up to 10 years after surgery. Fasting blood and stool samples will be collected at pre-surgery and 3-month, 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year post-surgery clinical visits. Tissue samples (e.g., biopsies of the liver and adipose and remnants of the stomach) will be collected during operation. Meanwhile, participants will complete a REDCap survey at baseline and 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year post-surgery. Participants' electronic medical records will be used to obtain additional information and facilitate long-term follow-up. The investigators will evaluate pre- to post-surgery changes in the fecal microbiome and fecal and blood levels of metabolites and proteins and the associations of microbiome, metabolites, and proteins with cardiometabolic improvements after surgery. This study will advance our understanding of the role of gut microbiota in metabolic surgery, which may translate into novel approaches to identify and treat obese patients for better cardiometabolic health.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Aug 2021

open study

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the effects of an innovative intervention designed to improve math skills in first graders at risk for math disabilities. The main questions the trial aims to answer are: - Does combining a math word problem solving intervention with a working memory intervention improve math to a greater extent than the same math intervention without cognitive training? - Do the findings provide evidence for bidirectional effects on development? In other words, does working memory support math learning and does math learning support working memory development? Screening for eligibility will take place in two testing sessions. Students who meet the eligibility criteria will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: 1. One treatment group will receive a validated treatment for math word problem solving plus computerized working memory training. 2. Another treatment group will receive the same validated math treatment plus computerized reading instruction. 3. A control group will receive the conventional school math program, including any additional school-provided intervention. Participants in both treatment groups will receive 35 minutes of tutoring three times per week for 15 weeks. Children who are selected to participate in the study will be tested once before this project's intervention begins; twice after intervention starts; twice after intervention ends; and once near the end of second grade to see how long effects last.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2025

open study

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to study the best treatment for open lower leg fractures to prevent infection. The main questions it aims to answer is if treating tibia fracture patients with a calcium sulfate antibiotic depot is better at preventing infection that the standard of care.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2024

open study

The goal of this work is to conduct a randomized trial evaluating the effects of a behavioral intervention to increase sleep duration and quality for adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D). The impact of the sleep-promoting intervention on executive function and glycemic outcomes will be assessed. We will also explore multiple components of the recently identified central nervous system glymphatic system and evaluate how these components change and impact brain integrity and function with improved sleep.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2024

open study

The PROWL registry is an open-label retrospective, multi-center, US study of the Surmodics™ Pounce™ Thrombectomy System for the non-surgical removal of emboli and thrombi in the peripheral arterial vasculature.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Apr 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

ME&MG is a standalone software (digital solution) running on patients smartphones, connected to a web portal for physicians. It is intended to be used as an unsupervised digital self-assessment tool for the monitoring of disabilities in patients living with MG. ME&MG contains digital active tests for the assessment of ptosis, breathing, dysarthria, upper- and lower-limb (arms and legs) weakness, treatment follow-up, and validated e-questionnaires related to daily activities, pain, fatigue, sleep, and depression disorders. The objectives of this study are to validate the accuracy, reliability and reproducibility of the unsupervised at-home self-assessment of symptoms on the patient's smartphone with ME&MG versus the standard in-clinic testing, as well as to evaluate the safety of the solution, its usability and satisfaction.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2024

open study

This phase I/II trial tests the safety and efficacy of split-course adaptive radiation therapy in combination with immunotherapy with or without chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with stage IV lung cancer or lung cancer that that has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced). Radiation therapy is a standard cancer treatment that uses high energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Split-course adaptive radiation therapy uses patient disease response to alter the intensity of the radiation therapy. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies such as pembrolizumab, ipilimumab, cemiplimab, atezolizumab or nivolumab may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Chemotherapy drugs like carboplatin, pemetrexed, and paclitaxel 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. Giving split-course adaptive radiation therapy with standard treatments like immunotherapy and chemotherapy may be more effective at treating stage IV or locally advanced lung cancer than giving them alone.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2023

open study

In this study, researchers will learn more about a drug called felzartamab in people who have received a kidney transplant and later developed a condition called microvascular inflammation (MVI). MVI is a type of injury to small blood vessels in the transplanted kidney and may be a sign of rejection by the body. It can lead to serious kidney problems over time. In many cases, MVI is caused by antibodies that attack the transplanted kidney. But in some people, MVI happens without these antibodies. This type of MVI is called isolated MVI. There are currently no approved treatments for isolated MVI. The main goal of the study is to learn about the effect felzartamab has on inflammation in the transplanted kidney. The main question researchers want to answer is: • How many participants have no signs of active inflammation in the transplanted kidney after 24 weeks of treatment with felzartamab? Researchers will also study how felzartamab affects kidney function, immune activity, and overall health. They will monitor safety through kidney biopsies, lab tests, and by recording adverse events throughout the study. Adverse events are health problems that may or may not be caused by the study drug. The study will be done in 2 parts as follows: - Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either felzartamab or a placebo. A placebo looks like the study drug but contains no real medicine. - In Part A, participants will receive their assigned drug for 24 weeks. Neither the researchers nor the participants will know who is receiving felzartamab or placebo. - Part B will last another 28 weeks. All participants will receive felzartamab and both participants and researchers will know this. - All treatments will be given by intravenous (IV) infusion at the study site. - Participants will have kidney biopsies at the start of the study, at Week 24, and at Week 52 to help measure changes in inflammation. - Participants will stay in the study for about 1 year.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2026

open study

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of CA-4948 when given together with fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) plus bevacizumab in treating patients with colorectal cancer that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). CA-4948 may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. The chemotherapy drugs used in FOLFOX, fluorouracil and oxaliplatin, 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. Leucovorin is used with fluorouracil to treat colorectal cancer. Bevacizumab is in a class of medications called anti-angiogenic agents. It works by stopping the formation of blood vessels that bring oxygen and nutrients to the tumor. This may slow the growth and spread of the tumor. Giving CA-4948 with FOLFOX plus bevacizumab may be safe, tolerable and/or effective in treating patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2025

open study

This phase III trial compares the effect of adding tivozanib to standard therapy pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab alone for the treatment of patients with high-risk renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Tivozanib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It works by blocking the action of the abnormal protein that signals tumor cells to multiply. This helps stop the spread of tumor cells. Giving pembrolizumab and tivozanib together may work better than pembrolizumab alone in treating patients with RCC.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2025

open study

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the investigational oral drug AMXT 1501 in combination with oral eflornithine (DFMO). An investigational drug is one that has not been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), or any other regulatory authorities around the world for use alone or in combination with any drug, for the condition or illness it is being used to treat. The goals of this part of the study are: - Establish a recommended dose of AMXT 1501 in combination with DFMO - Test the safety and tolerability of AMXT 1501 in combination with DFMO - To determine the activity of study treatments chosen based on: - How each subject responds to the study treatment - How long a subject lives without their disease returning/progressing

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2026

open study

This is a randomized, open-label study comparing the efficacy and safety of adjuvant sacituzumab tirumotecan (MK-2870) in combination with pembrolizumab compared to treatment of physician's choice (TPC) in participants with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) who received neoadjuvant therapy and did not achieve a pathological complete response (pCR) at surgery. The primary objective is to compare sacituzumab tirumotecan plus pembrolizumab to TPC (pembrolizumab or pembrolizumab plus capecitabine) with respect to invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) per investigator assessment. It is hypothesized that sacituzumab tirumotecan plus pembrolizumab is superior to TPC with respect to iDFS per investigator assessment.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2024

open study