Clinical trials

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a persistent and gradually increasing genetic autoimmune disease requiring life-long management. The disease commonly impacts children. However, a quarter of cases are diagnosed in adults. The pancreatic islet beta-cells are responsible for producing insulin, a peptide hormone that is involved in the tight regulation of blood glucose levels. In T1D, the beta-cells are mistakenly destroyed by autoreactive T cells resulting in insulin deficiency and an inability to regulate blood glucose levels. The cause for such an autoimmune reaction to beta-cells is under active investigation. T regulatory cells (Tregs), are specialized immune cells that typically act to control your immune system. Tregs can be modified in the laboratory to recognize and deactivate T1D-causing cells. This process is done by inserting a piece of DNA (the molecules inside cells that carry genetic information and pass it from one generation to the next) into the Tregs. A non-infectious virus called a lentivirus will carry the piece of DNA into the cells that were collected from a donor. Tregs are then grown to large numbers in the laboratory and stored for treatment of T1D. It is not known whether these Tregs cells will treat T1D.

This randomized phase I/II trial studies the best dose and side effects of durvalumab and to see how well it works with or without lenalidomide in treating patients with cutaneous or peripheral T cell lymphoma that has come back and does not respond to treatment. Monoclonal antibodies, such as durvalumab, may interfere with the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as lenalidomide, 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 durvalumab and lenalidomide may work better in treating patients with cutaneous or peripheral T cell lymphoma.

The prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who develop post-operative early tumor recurrence is often relatively poor. Therefore, biomarker that can detect micro metastases before the start of treatment is required. Epigenomic alterations such as DNA methylation have attracted attention as promising biomarkers. The investigators aim to predict early recurrence based on whole genome DNA methylation analysis of esophageal cancer.

This phase I trial studies how well biomarker-guided ruxolitinib works for the prevention of chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD) in patients that have undergone allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). Allogeneic HCT is the most effective therapy for patients with high-risk blood and bone marrow malignancies. GVHD is a disease caused when cells from a donated stem cell graft attack the normal tissue of the transplant patient. Symptoms include jaundice, skin rash or blisters, a dry mouth, or dry eyes. In chronic GVHD (cGVHD), symptoms occur more than three months after transplantation. Despite significant advances in how allogeneic HCTs are conducted, cGHVD remains a major limitation to the long-term success of the transplant and can impact patients' quality of life post-transplant. Checking GVHD biomarkers in patients' blood after allogeneic HCT may help doctors predict how likely the patient is to develop cGVHD. This information can be used to help guide patients with high levels to receive cGVHD preventative therapy with ruxolitinib. Ruxolitinib works by blocking some of the enzymes that are needed for the development of cGVHD, which may be an effective way to prevent cGVHD in patients with high levels of GVHD biomarkers.

Esophageal cancer remains a disease with a poor prognosis. Chemotherapy is an important part of its treatment, but there are cases in which chemotherapy is ineffective. The investigators aim to develop a model to predict the response to chemotherapy by DNA methylation of preoperative biopsy specimens to identify the chemotherapy ineffective group.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, and early detection is critical for improving patient outcomes. Despite this, reliable non-invasive biomarkers for early-stage HCC are limited. This study seeks to develop a multi-omics-based liquid biopsy assay, especially focusing on ncRNAs (e.g. tsRNA, miRNA, circRNA, lncRNA, etc.) for accurate detection of early-stage HCC.

This phase Ib trial tests the safety, side effects, and how well cytomegalovirus (CMV)-modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) Triplex vaccine works in enhancing CMV-specific immunity and preventing CMV viremia in patients undergoing haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Haploidentical stem cell transplantation (haploHCT) has advanced to become the predominant procedure for patients lacking a matched donor. Compared to matched related donor transplants, the rate of significant CMV infection is higher in patients undergoing a haploHCT. Significant CMV infection is associated with an increased risk of complications and death. Vaccination is the main preventative approach to limit complications and death in immunocompromised patients at high risk of post-stem cell transplant infections. CMV-MVA Triplex vaccine, is a CMV vaccine based on the attenuated poxvirus, modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA), developed to enhance CMV-specific immunity in both healthy stem cell transplant donors and stem cell transplant patients to prevent significant CMV infection post-stem cell transplant. Giving CMV-MVA triplex vaccine may be safe, tolerable and/or effective in enhancing cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific immunity and preventing CMV viremia in patients undergoing a haploHCT.

This phase II trial tests how well giving botensilimab and balstilimab prior or to surgery (neoadjuvent) works for the treatment of colorectal cancer that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced) and that can be removed by surgery (resectable) colorectal cancer. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as botensilimab and balstilimab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving botensilimab and balstilimab before surgery may make the tumor smaller. Giving neoadjuvant botensilimab and balstilimab may be effective for the treatment of advanced resectable colorectal cancer.

This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects and effectiveness of emapalumab with post-transplant cyclophosphamide, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil in preventing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) after reduced-intensity donor (allogeneic) hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). Giving chemotherapy, such as fludarabine, melphalan, or busulfan, before a donor \[peripheral blood stem cell\] transplant helps kill cancer cells in the body and helps make room in the patient's bone marrow for new blood-forming cells (stem cells) to grow. When healthy stem cells for a donor are infused into a patient (allogeneic HCT), they may help the patient's bone marrow make more healthy cells and platelets. Allogeneic HCT is an established treatment, however, GVHD continues to be a major problem of allogeneic HCT that can complicate therapy. GVHD is a disease caused when cells from a donated stem cell graft attack the normal tissue of the transplant patient. Emapalumab binds to an immune system protein called interferon gamma. This may help lower the body's immune response and reduce inflammation. Cyclophosphamide is in a class of medications called alkylating agents. It works by damaging the cell's deoxyribonucleic acid and may kill cancer cells. It may also lower the body's immune response. Tacrolimus is a drug used to help reduce the risk of rejection by the body of organ and bone marrow transplants. Mycophenolate mofetil is a drug used to prevent GVHD after organ transplants. It is also being studied in the prevention of GVHD after stem cell transplants for cancer, and in the treatment of some autoimmune disorders. Mycophenolate mofetil is a type of immunosuppressive agent. Giving emapalumab with post-transplant cyclophosphamide, tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil may be safe, tolerable and/or effective in preventing GVHD in patients with AML or MDS after a reduced-intensity allogeneic HCT.

This clinical trial compares the impact of four types of meditation practices, breathing only, focused attention only, mindfulness only, and breathing, focused attention and mindfulness combined, for relaxation in cancer survivors. Studies show that many patients with cancer experience stress and anxiety. Meditation therapy uses a variety of techniques, such as breathing, sound, or movement, that may help to decrease distress and anxiety and enhance the health and quality of life of patients with cancer. The trial is being done to find out how meditation can help cancer survivors feel relaxed and attain a peaceful state of mind.

This clinical trial examines an investigational scan (64Cu-DOTA-trastuzumab positron emission tomography \[PET\]/magnetic resonance imaging \[MRI\]) in imaging patients with HER2+ breast cancer that has spread to the brain (brain metastasis). Diagnostic procedures, such as 64Cu-DOTA-trastuzumab PET/MRI, may help find HER2+ breast cancer that has spread to the brain and determine whether cancer in the brain takes up trastuzumab, which may predict for response to trastuzumab deruxtecan (the standard of care chemotherapy).

This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of TAG72-chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in treating patients with epithelial ovarian cancer that remains despite treatment with platinum therapy (platinum resistant). T cells are infection fighting blood cells that can kill tumor cells. The T cells given in this study will come from the patient and will have a new gene put in them that makes them able to recognize TAG72, a protein on the surface of tumor cells. These TAG72-specific T cells may help the body's immune system identify and kill TAG72+ cancer cells.

This study investigates integrated epigenetic and epitranscriptomic features of appendiceal cancer using archived tumor tissue specimens from the same patient cohort. The study includes DNA methylation profiling and m6A epitranscriptomic profiling to define molecular subtypes, evaluate associations with clinicopathologic features, and develop molecular risk scores for prognostic stratification. The primary goal is to determine whether DNA methylation- and m6A-based molecular features can complement conventional histopathologic grading and improve risk stratification.

This phase II trial studies how well vedolizumab plus post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) and short course tacrolimus work for the prevention of graft versus host disease (GVHD) in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) after reduced intensity conditioning. Allogeneic HCT is a procedure in which a person receives blood-forming stem cells (cells from which all blood cells develop) from a donor. Giving reduced conditioning chemotherapy before an allogeneic HCT helps kill cancer cells in the body and helps make room in the patient's bone marrow for new stem cells to grow using less than standard doses of chemotherapy. Sometimes, the transplanted cells from a donor can attack the body's normal cells (called graft-versus-host disease). Vedolizumab is a monoclonal antibody, which is a type of protein that can bind to certain targets in the body, such as molecules that cause the body to make an immune response (antigens). It may reduce inflammation. Cyclophosphamide is in a class of medications called alkylating agents. It works by damaging the cell's deoxyribonucleic acid and may kill cancer cells. It may also lower the body's immune response. Tacrolimus suppresses the immune system by preventing the activation of certain types of immune cells. Giving vedolizumab plus PTCy and short course tacrolimus may be effective at preventing GVHD after allogeneic HCT.

This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects and best dose of TGFβR2KO/IL13Rα2 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells given within the skull (intracranial) in treating patients with glioblastoma or IDH-mutant grade 3 or 4 astrocytoma that has come back after a period of improvement (recurrent) or that is growing, spreading, or getting worse (progressive). CAR T-cell therapy is a type of treatment in which a patient's T cells (a type of immune system cell) are changed in the laboratory so they will attack tumor cells. T cells are taken from a patient's blood. When the cells are taken from the patient's own blood, it is known as autologous. Then the gene for special receptors that bind to a certain proteins on the patient's tumor cells are added to the T cells in the laboratory. The special receptors are called CAR. Large numbers of the CAR T cells are grown in the laboratory and given to the patient by infusion for treatment of certain tumors. Giving TGFβR2KO/IL13Rα2 CAR T cells may be safe, tolerable, and/or effective in treating patients with recurrent or progressive glioblastoma or grade 3 or 4 IDH-mutant astrocytoma.

This phase II trial tests how well fluorouracil, oxaliplatin and leucovorin calcium (folinic acid) (FOLFOX) with botensilimab and balstilimab given before surgery (neoadjuvant) works in treating patients with rectal adenocarcinoma that has not spread to other parts of the body (localized). Currently, neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer includes chemotherapy and chemoradiation. Despite these aggressive treatments, only about half of patients achieve a complete clinical response. In fact, over half of rectal cancer patients go on to have surgery and often suffer post-surgery complications involving urine and bowel problems. Thus, there has been an increased focus on non-surgical treatments. Chemotherapy drugs, such as fluorouracil, oxaliplatin and leucovorin calcium, 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. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as botensilimab and balstilimab, may help the body's immune system attack the tumor, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving neoadjuvant FOLFOX with botensilimab and balstilimab may improve the rate of complete response and decrease the need for surgery and radiation therapy in patients with localized rectal adenocarcinoma.

This trial studies the genetic and behavioral factors that may contribute to the development of specific cancers and how these factors may affect the outcome of the disease in patients with a history of cancer and their relatives.

More than 100 million U.S. adults are now living with diabetes or prediabetes. Investigators still do not fully understand how diabetes develops and how the disease worsens. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body use sugar as a fuel and control blood-sugar levels. People with diabetes have problems making insulin. This is because their insulin-producing beta cells -in the pancreas-are damaged or destroyed. A biomarker is a biological molecule (such as DNA, RNA (the genetic material of cells) or protein) that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease. A biomarker can be measured and found in blood and/or other body fluids (such as saliva and urine). Understanding the biology of beta cells could help find diabetes-related biomarkers. The discoveries from this research could help with early diagnosis of diabetes and lead to the creation of therapies for treating diabetes.

This study evaluates how useful and acceptable the components of the "Couples Coping Together Against Cancer", referred to as "The Program", are to the participants with cancer.

This phase II trial compares standard of care surgical resection to fluorescence-guided surgical resection using indocyanine green and fluorescence imaging for reducing unexpected positive margin rates in patients with sarcoma. Surgical margins are one of the criteria used in assessing the effectiveness of a given surgical procedure. They are the edges or border of the tissue removed in cancer surgery. A negative margin means that the resected tumor is surrounded by normal tissue, which implies there is no disease left in the patient. By contrast, a positive margin means that sarcoma cells are visible at the edge of the tumor. Positive margins may be classified as planned when they are expected pre-operatively due to the preservation of a critical structure, or unexpected when the pathologist reports the presence of tumor at the margin despite the surgeon having intended to remove it in its entirety. Fluorescence-guided surgery is an established surgical method that involves the administration of fluorescent dye (in this case, indocyanine green) into the tumor, which can then be visualized with a special camera during surgery to help surgeons identify tumor versus healthy tissue. Fluorescence-guided surgery may reduce the rate of unexpected positive margins in patients undergoing surgery for sarcoma.

This clinical trial studies whether the High Fiber Program can be used to increase fiber intake in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). Allogeneic HCT is a procedure in which a person receives blood-forming stem cells (cells from which all blood cells develop) from a genetically similar, but not identical, donor. This is often a sister or brother, but could be an unrelated donor. It is a potentially curative therapy for many conditions that affect the blood and blood-forming organs, but many patients must manage post-transplant complications, especially graft versus host disease (GVHD). GVHD occurs when the transplanted cells from a donor attack the body's normal cells causing skin rash or blisters, dry mouth, or dry eyes. The environment and health of the gut is important in allogeneic HCT patients, with an unhealthy gut environment and/or health leading to inflammation and possibly GVHD. Research has shown that diets high in fiber may improve the environment and health of the gut as well as outcomes following transplant; however, fiber intake remains low among patients. The High Fiber Program is a dietitian-led counseling program which teaches patients how to introduce high fiber foods into their diet and identify food choices and personalized strategies that will help them change their diet. The High Fiber Program may be an effective way to increase fiber intake in patients undergoing allogeneic HCT.

This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects and best dose of asciminib as maintenance treatment for adults with Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who have undergone cellular therapies such as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy. Maintenance treatment is given to help keep cancer from coming back after it has disappeared following initial therapy. Asciminib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving asciminib may be safe and tolerable as maintenance treatment for adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome positive ALL who have undergone cellular therapies.

This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of miRisten in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) that has come back after a period of improvement (relapsed) or that has not responded to previous treatment (refractory). MiRisten may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the molecules needed for cell growth. Giving miRisten may be safe, tolerable and/or effective in treating patients with relapsed or refractory AML.

This study aims to develop a highly sensitive, specific, and cost-effective blood assay for early detection of colorectal adenomas and cancer, using advanced machine learning and state-of-the-art biological analyses.

This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of a new 8-chloroadenosine in combination with venetoclax in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia that has come back (relapsed) or does not respond to treatment (refractory). 8-Chloroadenosine may help block the formation of growths that may become cancer. Venetoclax is in a class of medications called B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) inhibitors. It may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking Bcl-2, a protein needed for cancer cell survival. Giving 8-chloroadenosine in combination with venetoclax may help prevent the disease from coming back in patients with acute myeloid leukemia.