Endocrinology

This Phase 3 study is conducted to evaluate lanifibranor in adults with NASH and liver fibrosis histological stage F2 or F3

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is the most common chronic complication of diabetes, affecting about 50% of patients with diabetes and leading to severe morbidity, poor quality of life, high mortality, and high health care costs. Due to the complex structure and anatomy of the peripheral nervous system, DPN presents with a very broad spectrum of clinical symptoms and deficits, including severe pain, sensory deficits, foot ulcers and amputations. Presently there is no treatment for DPN and even with good blood glucose control DPN develops especially in patients with type 2 diabetes. There is a need to identify effective interventions for DPN. Preclinical studies have provided evidence that the combination of fish oil and salsalate is an effective treatment of DPN. The human subject study to be performed will examine the effect of fish oil with and without salsalate on the blood lipid profile and circulating metabolites of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Fish oil is an excellent source for the nutrition dependent omega-3 PUFA, primarily eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6). These fatty acids are the source of anti-inflammatory metabolites known as resolvin, neuroprotectin and maresin. Preclinical studies have also demonstrated that the metabolites of EPA and DHA are neuroprotective. Furthermore, when fish oil is combined with salsalate the production of these metabolites is increased in vivo. Thus, the investigators hypothesize that fish oil and salsalate will be an effective therapy of DPN. However, prior to doing a formal study of the effect of fish oil + salsalate on DPN there is a need to learn more about what concentration combination will provide the most efficacious effect on the omega-3 index (defined as the sum of EPA and DHA, as a percentage of total fatty acids in red blood cells) and that will safely increase the production of the anti-inflammatory metabolites. These studies will be performed at two sites the University of Iowa (Dr. Yorek) and University of Michigan (Dr. Pop-Busui) by treating human subjects with type 2 diabetes and DPN with either 2g or 4g of fish oil per day (capsules) for 4 months and then adding salsalate 1.5 g or 3g per day (tablets) to the fish oil treatments for an additional 2 months. At baseline and after treatment with fish oil alone and after treatment with the combination of fish oil and salsalate the omega-3 index and levels of circulating omega-3 PUFA metabolites will be determined as primary endpoints. Secondary endpoints will include determination of circulatory inflammatory markers and non-invasive measurements for DPN. The risks to subjects are minimal and are very reasonable in relation to the importance of the knowledge to be gained.

This is a study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of belzutifan monotherapy in participants with advanced pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PPGL), pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (pNET), von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) Disease-Associated Tumors, Advanced Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (wt GIST), or Advanced Solid Tumors With hypoxia inducible factor-2 alpha (HIF-2α) related genetic alterations. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the objective response rate (ORR) of belzutifan per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) by blinded independent central review (BICR).

The overarching hypothesis is that CF carriers are at increased risk for developing most of the extrapulmonary conditions associated with CF compared to the general population. Specifically, it is hypothesized that this pilot data will detect subclinical evidence of pancreatic and kidney disorders among CF carriers. This will be determined by bringing CF carriers and controls to the CRU for one visit where they will answer survey questions and undergo laboratory testing. Additionally, they will collect urine and stool samples at home that will be sent to outside laboratories for testing.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common complication of obesity which can progress to deadly complications like end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. In the wake of the obesity epidemic, NAFLD is becoming the main etiology of liver transplantation in the US. Currently, there are no FDA approved pharmacological treatments for NAFLD. Weight loss through lifestyle modifications, pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery can be effective strategies for the management of NAFLD. Even though substantial weight loss and improvement in NAFLD can be achieved with bariatric surgery, only a small proportion of patients with obesity undergo surgery. Very-low calorie diets (VLCD) are replacement meals manufactured to substitute natural foods and limited total intake of 800-960 kcal in divided meals. Very low-calorie diets can produce substantial weight loss of 10% over 2 to 3 months. We hypothesize that VLCD reduce liver steatosis and, fibrosis measured non-invasively with transient elastography. Our main aim is #1 to assess the effect of VLCD on liver fatty infiltration and fibrosis. We also have three exploratory aims exploring novel pathogenic factors that mediate the improvement of NAFLD by VLCD: #2 assess the effect of VLCD on micro RNAs (miRs) associated with pathophysiology of NAFLD: #3 assess the effect of VLCD on changes of salivary and fecal microbiome in the setting of NAFLD: #4 to determine the effect of VLCD on platelet function. This pilot project will produce preliminary data for the development of a larger grant application to study the efficacy of VLCD in the management of NAFLD. Furthermore, it will potentially identify factors that mediate improvement of NAFLD after VLCD. We will treat 10 subjects with obesity and NAFLD for 8 weeks with VLCD or lower calorie diet (control group) and obtain transient elastography before and after the interventions along with other measurements of interest. Our project may have significant impact by establishing VLCD as a clinically effective option for the improvement of liver steatosis and fibrosis in patients with obesity and NAFLD ineligible or without access to bariatric surgery.

This phase II trial studies how well combination chemotherapy works in treating patients with newly diagnosed stage II-IV diffuse anaplastic Wilms tumors (DAWT) or favorable histology Wilms tumors (FHWT) that have come back (relapsed). Drugs used in chemotherapy regimens such as UH-3 (vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, carboplatin, etoposide, and irinotecan) and ICE/Cyclo/Topo (ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide, cyclophosphamide, and topotecan) 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. This trial may help doctors find out what effects, good and/or bad, regimen UH-3 has on patients with newly diagnosed DAWT and standard risk relapsed FHWT (those treated with only 2 drugs for the initial WT) and regimen ICE/Cyclo/Topo has on patients with high and very high risk relapsed FHWT (those treated with 3 or more drugs for the initial WT).

The purpose of this investigation is to examine the role of oxidative stress in aberrant microvascular function in otherwise healthy women with a history of GDM.

The objective of this study is to investigate the short- and long-term effects of multiple sessions of 4 mA M1 tDCS on fatigue and brain activity in recovered COVID-19 patients using established measures of perception of fatigue, performance fatigability, and cerebral glucose uptake. Our central hypothesis is that tDCS will improve fatigue short- and long-term, and thus will improve quality of life (QOL) in recovered COVID-19 patients and that these changes will be associated with alterations in brain activity.

The purpose of the trial is to assess the efficacy and safety of tirzepatide to dulaglutide in participants with type 2 diabetes and increased cardiovascular risk.