Clinical trials

Use of Enhertu as a Subsequent Line of Therapy in HER2-Positive Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Adenocarcinoma.

Primary Objectives: To study podocyte specific injury markers (podocyte specific proteins, PSP) nephrin, podocalyxin and Wilms'Tumor (WT-1) protein in exosomes urine from African American Veterans with albuminuric stage 2 and 3 chronic diabetic kidney disease (DKD), using Empagliflozin or Finerenone or combination therapy. Secondary Objectives: (1). Correlate changes in exosome-based PSP with standardized biomarkers of kidney injury including urine albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) and estimated GFR. (2) with systemic inflammatory markers (focusing on vascular and endothelial function) that are already established such as interleukins (IL1, IL6, IL-12), hs-CRP and (3) arterial stiffness measures and with (4) APOL1 mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood derived mononuclear cells (MNC).

Primary Objective:To study podocyte specific injury markers in African American Veterans with non-diabetic kidney disease(NDKD), on empagliflozin therapy. Primary Endpoint: Assess the effect of Empagliflozin on podocyte-specific proteins in exosomes isolated from subjects' urine, such as nephrin, podocalyxin and Wilms'Tumor (WT-1) protein. Secondary Objective: 1. Correlate changes in exosome-based podocyte specific proteins with standardized biomarkers of kidney injury including urine albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) and estimated GFR. 2. Correlate systemic inflammatory markers (focusing on vascular and endothelial function) that are already established such as interleukins (IL1, IL6, IL-12) , hs-CRP and arterial stiffness measures with urine exosome-based podocyte protein estimation. 3. Correlate urine podocyte-specific protein markers with APOL1 mRNA expression levels in blood mononuclear cells (MNC)

In this study, the research team will use low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) to temporarily change brain activity in a brain region that is known to be involved in chronic pain. Through this, the research team hopes to learn about how the brain area works in response to pain. There are main questions this study aims to answer: * The effect of LIFU to inhibit the posterior region of the insula (PI) compared to sham stimulation in individuals with chronic back pain (CBP) and widespread pain symptoms. * The effect of LIFU to PI compared to sham stimulation to reduce pain intensity and magnitude of the Neurologic Pain Signature (NPS) in response to evoked thermal pain. * The effect of LIFU to PI compared to sham stimulation to reduce pain intensity and magnitude of Tonic Pain Signature in response to tonic pain.

The goal of this clinical trial is to to inhibit the anterior insula (AI) with low intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) to determine the causal role for the AI in pain processing, anxiety, and opiate cue-induced craving. The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are: * the safety and tolerability of LIFU delivered bilaterally to AI compared to sham stimulation in individuals with opiate use disorder (OUD), anxiety, and chronic back pain * the effects of LIFU vs sham on measures of pain processing, anxiety symptoms, and opiate cue-induced craving Participants will undergo anatomical MRI, neurological assessment, clinical assessment and patient query to assess the safety and tolerability of LIFU vs sham.

The goal of this clinical trial is to to inhibit the dorsal anterior insula (dAI) with low intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) to determine the causal role for the dAI in smoking cue induced craving in individuals with tobacco use disorder (TUD); smoking cue induced craving is a clinically important behavior which has been associated with the severity of nicotine addiction. The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are: * the safety and tolerability of dAI LIFU compared to sham stimulation in individuals with TUD * the effects of LIFU vs sham to left dAI functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) BOLD activity and craving in response to smoking cue exposure. Participants will undergo anatomical MRI, neurological assessment, clinical assessment and patient query to assess the safety and tolerability of LIFU vs sham. Participants will undergo functional magnetic resonance imaging where we will measure the effect of LIFU vs sham on 1) dAI blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) activation in response to smoking (compared to neutral) cue exposure and 2) cue-induced craving in individuals with TUD. Each participant will receive LIFU and sham stimulation.