Clinical trials

Ischemic cerebrovascular disease is a common neurological disorder with high incidence, mortality, and disability. Early reperfusion to salvage the ischemic penumbra is the cornerstone of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) treatment. Current reperfusion strategies include intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and endovascular therapy (EVT). Although alteplase is the first-line thrombolytic agent, its recanalization rate for large vessel occlusion (LVO) is only 10-20%, and for medium vessel occlusion (MeVO), approximately 50% of patients fail to achieve recanalization, leading to poor outcomes. Prourokinase has recently been shown to be non-inferior to alteplase with a better safety profile, and studies suggest that repeated thrombolysis may improve recanalization rates in patients without early clinical improvement after standard IVT. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an additional intravenous infusion of prourokinase in AIS patients with confirmed medium or large vessel occlusion who show no significant clinical improvement at 1 hour after standard IVT (within 4.5 hours of symptom onset). Patients without early neurological improvement (e.g., \<2-point reduction in NIHSS) and persistent vessel occlusion on imaging will receive a second dose of prourokinase. The primary outcomes include 24-hour recanalization rate (by CTA/MRA), 90-day functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale), and safety endpoints (symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, mortality). The hypothesis is that additional prourokinase following standard IVT in non-improving patients with medium or large vessel occlusion will significantly increase recanalization rates and improve clinical outcomes without an unacceptable increase in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage.

Non selective beta blockers (NSBBs), such as propranolol and nadolol, are mainstay therapies for portal hypertension in cirrhosis, but their efficacy and safety vary depending on the stage of the disease. Emerging evidence suggests that NSBBs may worsen the prognosis of advanced cirrhosis, especially in patients with a model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score of \>9. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effects of the use of propranolol as recommended by the guideline on the prognosis in cirrhotic patients with a MELD score of \>9.

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is the most common type of stroke, with high incidence rate and mortality. Endovascular therapy is currently the most effective treatment for AIS with large vessel occlusion, but only about 50% of patients achieve good outcome after endovascular therapy, while 50% of patients have poor prognosis, commonly referred to as ineffective perfusion. Therefore, how to improve ineffective perfusion is currently a hot topic. Numerous studies have shown that Remote Ischemic Therapy (RIC) has a protective effect on ischemic stroke. Our recent RICAMIS study has demonstrated that RIC can significantly improve the functional prognosis of moderate acute ischemic stroke. Furthermore, direct ischemic conditioning has also showed neuroprotective effect. For example, in a rat model, within 2 minutes after reperfusion, using three cycles of 30 s reperfusion and 10 s occlusion for direct ischemic conditioning can effectively alleviate hyperperfusion and reduce cerebral infarction volume. Meanwhile, in previous clinical exploration studies, it was found that even induction by 5-minute ischemia and 5-minute reperfusion for up to 4 cycles is safe, feasible, and well tolerated for AIS patients receiving endovascular treatment. Immediate control of bilateral carotid artery blood flow after ischemia-reperfusion can significantly reduce cerebral infarction area and brain edema, and improve neurological function recovery in rats. Subsequent molecular mechanism studies have shown that direct ischemic conditioning can reduce the production of free radicals after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, inhibit inflammatory reactions and cell apoptosis, downregulate the expression of signaling molecules mediating brain edema, promote Akt survival pathway, and improve the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, thereby exerting neuroprotective effects. Recent studies have also confirmed the safety and feasibility of direct ischemic conditioning for stroke patients achieving successful recanalization. More importantly, a recent cohort study has shown that direct ischemic conditioning can reduce infarct growth and brain edema after reperfusion in patients with AIS who have undergone thrombectomy for occlusion of large blood vessels in the anterior circulation, and improve prognosis after 90 days. Based on the above discussion, this trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of direct ischemic conditioning for patients with AIS who have undergone thrombectomy for occlusion of large blood vessels in the anterior circulation.

A substantial body of basic and clinical research has demonstrated the protective effects of remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) in ischemic stroke. While these clinical studies support the safety of RIC, the neuroprotective benefits of RIC in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients lack robust evidence due to small sample sizes, heterogeneous RIC protocols, and variability in the severity of neurological deficits among study populations. Our recent multicenter randomized clinical trial, the RICAMIS study, investigated the efficacy of RIC in patients with acute moderate ischemic stroke. The results showed that RIC administered within 48 hours of onset significantly improved 90-day neurological outcomes in patients with moderate stroke severity. It is well established that anterior circulation stroke (ACS) and posterior circulation stroke (PCS) differ in multiple aspects, including anatomical structure, collateral circulation, blood supply, clinical manifestations, prognosis, ischemic tolerance time, and treatment response. For instance, compared to the anterior circulation, the posterior circulation has poorer collateral circulation, a higher proportion of stroke etiologies attributed to atherosclerosis, and longer ischemic tolerance time. Consequently, intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular therapy may offer a more extended therapeutic time window for PCS patients. A prespecified subgroup analysis of the RICAMIS study revealed that patients with PCS derived greater benefit from RIC than those with ACS. However, this finding requires further validation through prospective studies, as prior research has never specifically examined the efficacy of RIC in PCS patients. Based on the above discussion, this study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of RIC in patients with acute moderate PCS.

Intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) is a common cause of stroke, especially in East and South Asia, and is significantly associated with stroke recurrence and early neurological deterioration (END) despite aggressive medical management. Minor stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke, NIHSS score ≤ 5) patients with ICAS often has higher risk of END. The early realization of blood flow patency is closely related to the improvement of patient outcomes. Submaximal balloon angioplasty (SBA) as a safer and simpler intervention which can improve cerebral blood flow. Thus, SBA may be an effective strategy for preventing END in acute ischemic stroke patients with ICAS.

The goal of this clinical trial is to explore the influence of chronic RIC on collateral status evaluated by DSA in ischemic stroke patients with LAA etiology.

The effect of head position as a nonpharmacological therapy on acute ischemic stroke (AIS) remains inconclusive. Recent HOPES2 (Head dOwn-Position for acutE moderate ischemic Stroke with large artery atherosclerosis) suggest the safety, feasibility, and potential benefit of the head-down position (HDP) in acute ischemic stroke. The current study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of HDP in acute moderate ischemic stroke patients with large artery atherosclerosis.

Intracranial atherosclerotic disease is the most common cause of ischemic stroke that is directly attributed to the progression or rupture of intracranial high-risk plaque in Asia. Many studies mainly from Euro-American population with a focus on extracranial carotid plaque have fully demonstrated the advantages of intensive statin therapy on stabilizing or reversing plaque burden, reversing plaque composition presenting that lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC) is gradually replaced by fibrous tissue, and even reversing pattern of arterial remodeling to reduce the occurrence of cerebrovascular events. Yet, direct evidence of the effect of intensive statin therapy on intracranial atherosclerotic plaques is lacking and the effect of statin intensity and duration on intracranial plaque burden and composition is still unclear. High resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI) is a new and non-invasive technique that enable to assess the morphologic characteristics of vascular wall and plaque composition of intracranial artery. Based on above discussion, the investigators conduct this study to further determine the effect of intensive statin in ischemic stroke with intracranial atherosclerotic plaques.

The purpose of this prospective cohort study is to investigate whether antithrombotic therapy in the secondary prevention of ischemic stroke increases the risk of the emerging CMBs and whether the change is associated with an increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage, providing an imaging evidence for individualized antithrombotic therapy in such patients.

While intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) within 4.5 hours is the standard medical reperfusion therapy, its efficacy is limited, particularly for large or medium vessel occlusions (LVO/MeVO), with low recanalization rates for IVT with rt-PA. The newer thrombolytic agent, tenecteplase (TNK), offers practical advantages-including single bolus administration, a longer half-life, and potentially higher fibrin specificity-and has been shown to be non-inferior to rt-PA. Despite advances, a significant proportion of patients with LVO/MeVO do not achieve early clinical improvement after standard IVT, likely due to persistent occlusion from a high thrombus burden. Endovascular therapy, while highly effective for LVO, has limited accessibility. Therefore, there is an urgent need for more effective and widely accessible pharmacological strategies. This study proposes a rescue strategy based on the hypothesis that a second dose of IVT may improve outcomes in patients with imaging-confirmed LVO or MeVO who show no significant neurological improvement one hour after standard TNK thrombolysis (administered within 4.5 hours of stroke onset). The primary aim of this study is to formally evaluate the efficacy and safety of a repeated dose of intravenous tenecteplase in this specific patient population.

Despite being the standard pharmacological reperfusion therapy for acute ischemic stroke, intravenous thrombolysis is limited by suboptimal recanalization rates. Tenecteplase (TNK), a newer thrombolytic agent, offers practical advantages over alteplase, including single bolus administration. However, a significant proportion of patients fail to achieve early clinical improvement after standard thrombolysis, likely due to persistent vessel occlusion. This study proposes to investigate a rescue strategy for patients who do not show significant neurological improvement within one hour after receiving standard intravenous tenecteplase within 3 hours of stroke onset. The primary objective is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of administering a second dose of tenecteplase in this scenario. The study will also explore the potential efficacy of this approach in improving recanalization and functional outcomes.

Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) has emerged as a promising non-invasive strategy to protect the brain, with evidence suggesting its benefit in patients with carotid artery stenting (CAS). However, the long-term benefit and safety of chronic RIC in this population remain unknown. This trial aims to evaluate whether chronic RIC reduces the incidence of major vascular events and improves clinical outcomes in high-risk patients with carotid artery stenosis who received CAS.

Carotid artery stenting (CAS) prevents stroke but carries risks of perioperative cerebral embolism. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound can detect microemboli during CAS and may offer therapeutic benefits through ultrasound-enhanced thrombolysis. Trials like SONOBUSTER and SONOBIRDIE suggest TCD reduces new brain infarctions during carotid procedures. The TCD-ICAS trial will investigate whether TCD application during and after CAS reduces perioperative cerebral emboli and improves outcomes.

Lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) is a microsurgical technique that involves anastomosing fine lymphatic vessels with adjacent veins to reestablish lymphatic drainage pathways. It is used in the treatment of lymphedema-related conditions and is characterized by minimal invasiveness and rapid recovery. Based on findings from animal studies, some physicians in China have attempted deep cervical lymphatic-venous anastomosis to improve intracranial lymphatic drainage in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Most studies, including those from our center, have observed early postoperative improvements in various domains such as mood, memory, executive function, and communication abilities in the majority of patients. However, these symptomatic improvements are not sustained. The reasons for the early improvements remain unclear. Are they due to enhanced lymphatic drainage resulting from the surgery itself, or are they attributable to other factors such as anesthetic effects, vascular release, or modulation of sympathetic nerves? Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a randomized controlled trial with a sham surgery group to clarify the causes of early clinical symptom improvements. Based on this, this project aims to carry out a prospective, single-center, randomized double-blind controlled study to evaluate whether the early symptomatic improvements following deep cervical LVA in AD patients are attributable to the surgical intervention itself or to other aspects of the procedure.

The severity of hypertriglyceridemia induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP) is closely related to the serum triglyceride (TG) levels. The higher the TG levels, the greater the risk of developing severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Previous expert consensus has pointed out that the key to treating HTG-AP is to rapidly lower serum TG levels to below 5.65 mmol/L. Evolocumab is a proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor, which is often used to treat familial hypercholesterolemia, mixed dyslipidemia and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. At the same time, evolocumab also has the effect of reducing TG and may provide a feasible option for the management of HTG-AP. However, its efficacy and safety in reducing TG in patients with HTG-AP remain controversial. This study is a multicenter randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adding evolocumab to conventional lipid-lowering therapy in patients with HTG-AP.

Human urinary kallidinogenase (HUK) is a tissue kallikrein extracted from human urine. Under certain conditions, tissue kallikrein can convert kininogen into kallidin and kinins, thereby promoting vascular endothelial function, and exerting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that HUK can salvage the ischemic penumbra and significantly promote the establishment of collateral circulation. Existing research suggests that the combination of HUK with intravenous alteplase significantly improves neurological function in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) without increasing the risk of hemorrhage. However, whether its combination with tenecteplase can further enhance neurological recovery in patients remains unreported. Based on the above discussion, this study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of combining tenecteplase with HUK in the treatment of AIS.

Acute cerebral infarction (ACI), often linked to arterial stenosis, is a major cause of death and disability. Statins are cornerstone therapies for secondary prevention, effectively lowering LDL-C and stabilizing plaques. However, patient response to intensive statin therapy varies significantly. This prospective study aims to analyze the short-term lipid-lowering effects and influencing factors of such therapy in ACI patients with stenosis, to guide personalized treatment and improve outcomes.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) can lead to potentially fatal complications, such as acute liver failure and even death. In clinical practice, glucocorticoids have been considered in some cases of DILI, especially patients with hyperbilirubinemia. However, the available evidence remains controversial and its quality is also very limited. Herein, a multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) has been designed to explore the efficacy and safety of glucocorticoids in patients with acute DILI and hyperbilirubinemia.

Due to the increasing number and prolonged survival of malignant tumor patients treated with radiotherapy, the complication, such as acute radiation-induced intestinal injury, has become increasingly significant. Glucocorticoids may play a therapeutic role by regulating the inflammatory response in patients with acute radiation-induced intestinal injury. However, the conclusions of related studies were controversial.

It remains uncertain whether intravenous tirofiban administered before endovascular thrombectomy could improve disability severity for patients with LVO due to intracranial atherosclerosis.The current study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of administering intravenous tirofiban before endovascular thrombectomy for improving clinical outcomes in patients with anterior circulation LVO due to intracranial atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a group of disorders sharing atherosclerosis as a common pathological basis, primarily affecting the heart, brain, kidneys, and other peripheral arteries, leading to clinical syndromes characterized mainly by arterial ischemia. It has become the group of diseases with the highest morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Patients with very high-risk ASCVD face an even greater risk of recurrence. Previous studies have discovered that remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) has protective effects on major organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys. Given the cardiorenal and cerebrovascular protective effects of RIC, the invesitgators believe that long-term remote ischemic conditioning is a promising approach to preventing the recurrence of ASCVD events. Based on this hypothesis, the investigators have designed a prospective, multicenter cohort study with blinded outcome assessment to investigate the protective effects of long-term remote ischemic conditioning in very high-risk ASCVD populations.

Acute gastrointestinal bleeding (AGIB) is a common complication in the decompensated stage of liver cirrhosis, of which approximately 70% is acute variceal bleeding (AVB) caused by portal hypertension. Existing evidence suggests that both terlipressin and somatostatin can be used to control AVB in cirrhotic patients, but terlipressin may be the first-line treatment for cirrhotic patients with AGIB complicated by acute kidney injury (AKI). Herein, a multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) has been designed to compare the efficacy of terlipressin and somatostatin in the treatment of cirrhotic patients with AGIB complicated by AKI.

Recent studies suggest that head-down positioning (HDP) intervention may improve outcomes in ischemic stroke. In the era of reperfusion therapy, a key protective strategy is to administer neuroprotective interventions before recanalization to reduce the loss of the ischemic penumbra, thereby salvaging more penumbral tissue after revascularization and ultimately improving clinical outcomes. Based on this concept, and considering the neuroprotective effects of HDP, the investigators hypothesize that HDP intervention prior to endovascular therapy (EVT) in patients with large vessel occlusion could improve clinical outcomes. This hypothesis is further supported by a recent clinical study (NCT03728738), which demonstrated that compared to a sitting up position (30°), a flat supine position (0°) before EVT significantly reduced the incidence of neurological deterioration prior to the procedure. Building on the above rationale, this trial aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of HDP intervention prior to EVT in patients with large vessel occlusion.

Stem cells are non-terminal cells that can self renew and replicate through symmetric or asymmetric division, with the potential to differentiate into different types of cells and tissues. Multiple studies have shown that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell has good safety and effectiveness in improving acute or chronic liver injury. Stem cell therapy for end-stage liver disease (ESLD) can be administered through various routes, among which hepatic artery and peripheral vein infusions are the most commonly used in clinical practice. The efficacy of hepatic artery infusion appears to be greater than that of peripheral vein infusion.

Acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) results in high rates of neurological morbidity and mortality, especially in patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO). Endovascular therapy (EVT) has been approved as the most effective treatment for patients with LVO , but about half patients undergoing EVT did not achieve good outcome. The mechanisms of poor prognosis are complex. How to accurately identify serological biomarkers related to patients' clinical prognosis is an important research topic nowadays.