Clinical Research Directory

Obeticholic Acid for Prevention in Barrett's Esophagus

This phase II trial studies the effect of obeticholic acid in treating patients with Barrett's esophagus. Bile acids present in duodenogastroesophageal reflux contribute to neoplastic progression in Barrett's esophagus. Obeticholic acid has shown anti-cholestatic, anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects mediated by FXR activation. It down regulates bile acid availability and decreases proinflammatory cytokine production including IL-1beta and TNFalpha in human enterocytes and immune cells. This chain of events reduces the bile acid exposure in esophagus tissue thereby limiting bile acid induced damage and dysplastic progression.

Impact of RFA on Esophageal Distensibility and Mucosal Impedance

Patients undergoing ablative therapy for management of dysplastic Barrett's Esophagus (BE) will have decreased distensibility over the course of treatment, but improvement in mucosal impedance as BE epithelia is replaced by neosquamous epithelia. This information may lead to further research in predicting therapeutic response and complications. The purpose of this research is to collect information while measuring changes related to the esophagus in patients that receive radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for dysplastic Barrett's Esophagus (BE) or esophageal cancer. Study participation includes measurements of the esophagus with the use of two different devices. This takes place during clinically indicated upper endoscopies during the timeframe the participant is receiving RFA treatments. This process will take up to an additional 10 minutes during the upper endoscopy and be done while the participant is sedated.

Trans-Oral Sampling as an Alternative Surveillance of Barrett's Esophagus Pilot

The study aims to address the increasing incidence of esophageal cancer and Barrett's esophagus (BE) in the Western world by exploring a more efficient surveillance method. Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has a poor prognosis if diagnosed late, emphasizing the need for early detection strategies. Current surveillance methods, involving regular endoscopies, are burdensome and costly, particularly for low-risk patients. The study investigates the potential of the Endosign, a Trans Oral Sampling (TOS) device, as an alternative to endoscopic surveillance. The objective is to determine if Endosign can provide sufficient quality samples, containing columnar cells and clot preparations at least 5mm in size, thus offering a reliable substitute for endoscopic sampling. The study includes non-dysplastic and dysplastic BE patients undergoing surveillance or treatment and employs a single-center, prospective feasibility approach.

Clinical Utility of WATS3D: A 5-Year Prospective Study

The purpose of this study is to create a registry (collect data and keep it in a research database) to learn more about two methods of taking small tissue samples from your esophagus (the esophagus is the tube that carries food and liquid from your mouth to your stomach). The two methods of sampling are: 1) Using forceps that take biopsies (small tissue samples) from your esophagus, and 2) Using a brush that also takes biopsies from your esophagus.

Itraconazole in Combination With Ablation for the Prevention of Esophageal Cancer in Patients With High-risk Barrett's Esophagus

This phase II trial tests how well itraconazole works in combination with the usual standard of care endoscopy with ablation for the prevention of esophageal cancer in patients who have high-risk Barrett's esophagus (BE). BE is a condition in which the lining of the esophagus changes and becomes more like the tissue that lines the intestine. People with Barrett's esophagus have a higher risk of developing esophageal cancer. Itraconazole is a drug used to prevent or treat fungal infections. Ablation refers to the removal of abnormal tissue using heat. Endoscopy is a procedure for looking at the esophagus using a long, flexible tube called an endoscope, which has a video camera at the end. Radiofrequency ablation is a type of heat therapy that uses radiofrequency energy (similar to microwave heat) to destroy the abnormal tissue in the esophagus. Giving itraconazole in combination with standard of care endoscopy with ablation may improve the effects of ablation and prevent esophageal cancer in patients with high-risk Barrett's esophagus.

Non-Endoscopic Detection of Barrett's Esophagus Using Methylation Biomarkers on EndoSign® Cell Collection Device Samples

This study is looking at cells collected from the esophagus using a diagnostic device called the EndoSign® Cell Collection Device (a sponge on a thread). Subjects swallow a capsule, which dissolves in the stomach and releases a sponge that collects cells from the esophagus as the sponge is withdrawn using the thread. These cells will be tested to check for a condition called "Barrett's Esophagus." The cells from the sponge will be tested using Cyted Health biomarkers and compared to the results from a regular endoscopy and any biopsies that are taken. To do this, we need sponge samples from people who might have Barrett's Esophagus based on their risk factors, and from people with Barrett's Esophagus. Subjects will have one visit to have the Endosign Cell Collection Device administered prior to having a standard of care endoscopy. They will answer some questions about their medical history and experience with the cell collection procedure as part of the study. Data will be collected from medical records including post-endoscopy.

A Study of Barrett's Esophagus Patients: Optimization of a Risk Model to Better Predict the Development of Cancer Recurrence and the Effect of Risk Profile Disclosure on Patient Quality of Life and Fear of Cancer

The goal of the study is: * The collection of various tissue samples (blood, biopsies and "esophageal brushes") and their analysis. * To test a risk model based on genetic analyses (DNA-FISH and so-called single cell sequencing) on esophageal tissue samples. * Evaluating the quality of life of Barrett's Esophagus patients and the degree of fear of getting cancer. Patients with a Barrett's Esophagus can participate in the study if they are minimally 18 years old, are capable of giving informed consent (fully understanding what the study entails before giving consent to participate), have Barrett Esophagus and are referred to one of the participating centers due to suspicion of early esophageal cancer, for which the participant will be evaluated by endoscopic imaging and biopsy. Study procedures: An intake consultation will be planned, wherein the eligibility criteria will be assessed, and participant characteristics will be collected. A routine gastroscopy will be planned twice during which several minimally-invasive interventions will be performed: drawing a blood sample, brush cytology during the endoscopy (a brush is used to obtain cells from the surface of the esophagus) and obtaining biopsy samples (small pieces of tissue). Each participant will need to undergo all the interventions. Patients will have to complete questionnaires at several time points to assess their quality of life (EQ-5D-DL questionnaire) and fear of cancer recurrence (Cancer Worry Scale). This study is a randomized trial, meaning the study participants will be divided into two groups by the computer. One group will be informed of their risk profile, established based on the genetic analyses. The other group will not be informed of their risk profile. All patients will be followed-up in a more intensive surveillance schedule compared to the standard of care, for study purposes.

Nitrous Oxide For Endoscopic Ablation of Refractory Barrett's Esophagus (NO FEAR-BE)

A multicenter, prospective, single arm, non randomized clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the C2 CryoBalloon Focal Ablation System (CbFAS) for the treatment of persistent dysplasia or intestinal metaplasia (IM) in the tubular esophagus after 3 or more radiofrequency ablations (RFA) for dysplastic BE, or \<50% eradication of Barrett's Esophagus (BE) after 2 RFA treatments.

Molecular Assessment for Gastro-Esophageal Cancer

The goal of this minimally invasive interventional study is to learn if oncometabolic biomarkers, detected in the exhaled breath and blood can identify early-stage gastro-oesophageal cancer in patient at risk for gastro-oesophageal cancer. The main questions this study aims to answer: Are oncometabolites proficient and reproducible enough to function as diagnostic biomarkers? Can these biomarkers identify early-stage gastro-esophageal cancer? Researchers will compare participants with gastro-oesophageal cancer to healthy controls and participants with Barrett's esophagus to detect meaningful differences between the groups. Participants will provide a breath and blood sample during their routine standard of care visits.

Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD)

This registry is to evaluate the procedural and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing endoscopic submucosal dissection. All patients will receive standard of medical care and no experimental interventions will be performed.

Minimally Invasive Molecular Approaches for the Diagnosis of Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

This study will evaluate if the sponge capsule device can accurately detect the presence of Barrett's Esophagus and prevalent dysplasia/adenocarcinoma detection, in a screening population, with and without chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Minimally Invasive Approaches for the Diagnosis of Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Cancer, SOS5C Trial

This clinical trial studies how well minimally invasive approaches (an artificial intelligence \[AI\] powered risk tool, nurse navigation, and a sponge on a string \[SOS\] test) work in diagnosing patients with Barrett's esophagus (BE) and esophageal cancer. Esophageal cancer has a poor 5-year survival rate when diagnosed after onset of symptoms. While rising, incidence of esophageal cancer remains too low to screen the entire population. BE is a condition in which the cells lining the lower part of the esophagus have changed or been replaced with abnormal cells that could lead to esophageal cancer. Currently, patients are screened for BE based on certain risk factors (reflux, age \> 50 years, White race, family history of esophageal cancer, obesity, male sex, and smoking), followed by endoscopies and surgery for treatment. These standard procedures may result in under-recognition of BE risk due to inaccurate and difficult to use risk assessment tools, high cost, invasiveness, low access to endoscopy, and sub-optimal recognition of abnormal cells during routing endoscopy. An AI powered risk tool that integrates symptoms, health history, and laboratory values from electronic health record data may more accurately assess BE and esophageal cancer risk that manual assessment. The BE-SOS screening test combines a swallowable cell collection device with assessment of DNA, which may more accurately diagnose abnormal cells. Nurse navigation involves trained personnel assisting individuals through the screening process and completing the follow-up diagnostic test if the screening test is positive. Navigators address cultural, social, access, and logistical barriers to screening. Nurse navigation may increase completion rates of diagnostic procedures following a positive screening test. These minimally invasive approaches may enable higher rates of BE screening than currently being accomplished.

Minimally Invasive Molecular Approaches for the Detection of Barrett's Esophagus- High Grade Dysplasia and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

This study explores the use of a minimally invasive screening tool (a sponge on a string device) to detect Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma and to develop a laboratory test for the detection of Barrett's esophagus-high grade dysplasia and esophageal adenocarcinoma.

The Johns Hopkins Heartburn Center Registry

A multi-center, multi-year registry of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) undergoing diagnostic evaluation and/or treatment of GERD and associated diseases and complications.

Novel Biomarkers in the Neoplastic Progression of Barrett's Esophagus

The purpose of this study is to determine if there are any early changes in DNA markers of blood and esophageal tissue in people with gastric reflux, Barrett's esophagus or esophageal cancer that can warn of a progression to esophageal cancer.

Assessment of a Minimally Invasive Collection Device for Molecular Analysis of Esophageal Samples

This clinical trial evaluates the use of cytosponge, a minimally invasive collection device, for the detection of Barrett's esophagus (BE) in patients undergoing endoscopy. Non-endoscopic swallowable encapsulate sponge cell collection devices combined with markers for BE/esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) detection are a guideline-endorsed alternative to endoscopy for BE screening. The Oncoguard registered trademark Esophagus test (OGE) test uses esophageal cytology specimens collected with a minimally invasive, non-endoscopic, encapsulated sponge sampling device to identify BE/EAC biomarkers that indicate whether a patient should undergo diagnostic endoscopy. The OGE test is a simple and cost effective screening method that may lower barriers to widespread adoption of BE screening in at risk patients, resulting in increased and earlier detection of BE/EAC.

EsophaCap for the Detection of Early Esophageal Carcinoma

This study is to identify potential biomarkers for the early detection of Barrett's Esophagus, esophageal carcinoma (both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma), and gastric cancer via sponge cytology.

Barrett's Esophagitis in Anorexia Nervosa Binge/Purge Subtype

To better define the presence of Barrett's esophagus (BE) via non-endoscopic testing in an eating disorder cohort with purging (vomiting/rumination) behaviors

Surveillance vs. Endoscopic Therapy for Barrett's Esophagus With Low-grade Dysplasia

The purpose of this study is to learn the best approach to treating patients with known or suspected Barrett's esophagus by comparing endoscopic surveillance to endoscopic eradication therapy. To diagnose and manage Barrett's esophagus and low-grade dysplasia, doctors commonly use procedures called endoscopic surveillance and endoscopic eradication therapy. Endoscopic surveillance is a type of procedure where a physician will run a tube with a light and a camera on the end of it down the patients throat and remove a small piece of tissue. The piece of tissue, called a biopsy, is about the size of the tip of a ball-point pen and is checked for abnormal cells and cancer cells. Endoscopic eradication therapy is a kind of surgery which is performed to destroy the precancerous cells at the bottom of the esophagus, so that healthy cells can grow in their place. It involves procedures to either remove precancerous tissue or burn it. These procedures can have side effects, so it is not certain whether risking those side effects is worth the benefit people get from the treatments. While both of these procedures are widely accepted approaches to managing the condition, there is not enough research to show if one is better than the other. Barrett's esophagus and low-grade dysplasia does not always worsen to high-grade dysplasia and/or cancer. In fact, it usually does not. So, if a patient's dysplasia is not worsening, doctors would rather not put patients at risk unnecessarily. On the other hand, endoscopic eradication therapy could possibly prevent the worsening of low-grade dysplasia into high-grade dysplasia or cancer (esophageal adenocarcinoma) in some patients. Researchers believe that the results of this study will help doctors choose the safest and most effective procedure for their patients with Barrett's esophagus and low-grade dysplasia. This is a multicenter study involving several academic, community and private hospitals around the United States. Up to 530 participants will be randomized. This study will also include a prospective observational cohort study of up to 150 Barrett's esophagus and low grade dysplasia patients who decline randomization in the randomized control trial but undergo endoscopic surveillance (Cohort 1) or endoscopic eradication therapy (Cohort 2), and are willing to provide longitudinal observational data.

Multi-Site Detection of Barrett's Esophagus in Patients Without Chronic GERD Symptoms

The goal of this clinical trial is to develop a method to detect Barrett's esophagus in individuals with a new office based diagnostic test. Barrett's esophagus is a condition in which the flat pink lining of the swallowing tube that connects the mouth to the stomach (the esophagus) becomes damaged by acid reflux. The main question it aims to answer is: Can this approach demonstrate efficacy for screening of Barrett's esophagus? Participants will: * Participate in a questionnaire. * Undergo a capsule balloon test, called EsoCheck. * Have their EsoCheck sample sent to the laboratory for an EsoGuard test, which is used to detect Barrett's esophagus. * Participants will undergo upper endoscopy as part of standard of care.

Aspirin in Preventing Disease Recurrence in Patients With Barrett Esophagus After Successful Elimination by Radiofrequency Ablation

This randomized phase II trial studies the safety of and how well aspirin works in preventing Barrett's esophagus from returning after it has been successfully eliminated by radiofrequency ablation. Studying samples of tissue from patients with Barrett's esophagus for the levels of a specific protein that is linked to developing Barrett's esophagus may help doctors learn whether aspirin can prevent it from returning after it has been successfully treated.

Coordinating Center: Natural History of Barrett's Esophagus Using Tethered Capsule Endomicroscopy

The goal of this research is to follow Barrett's Esophagus participants for 3 years using the tethered capsule endomicroscopy device with distal scanning and a compact imaging system in a multi-site clinical study.

Pilot Study for OCT Guided In Vivo Laser Capture Microdissection for Assessing the Prognosis of Barrett's Esophagus

The investigators have developed a new technology, termed in-vivo laser capture microdissection (IVLCM), that addresses the limitations of endoscopic biopsy for screening for BE and provides targeted genomic profiling of aberrant tissue for more precise prediction of EAC risk. The device is a tethered capsule endomicroscope (TCE) that implements optical coherence tomography (OCT) to grab 10-mm-resolution, cross-sectional microscopic images of the entire esophagus after the capsule is swallowed. This OCT-based TCE technology is used in unsedated patients to visualize images of BE and dysplastic BE. During the IVLCM procedure, TCE images of abnormal BE tissue are identified in real time and selectively adhered onto the device. When the capsule is removed from the patient, these tissues, targeted based on their abnormal OCT morphology, are sent for genomic analysis. By enabling the precise isolation of aberrant esophageal tissues using a swallowable capsule, this technology has the potential to solve the major problems that currently prohibit adequate BE screening and prevention of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma EAC.

Evaluation of Tethered Capsule Endomicroscopy as a Screening Tool for Barrett's Esophagus in the Primary Care Setting

The investigators will conduct a large study in the primary care clinic to determine the feasibility of using tethered capsule endomicroscopy as a screening method for Barrett's esophagus (BE) in the primary care practice environment. The investigators are also determining the prevalence of Barrett's esophagus in a primary care practice cohort at MGH.