Clinical Research Directory

Collagenase Biobank Study

The purpose of this study is to look at how bacteria present within the stool at the time of surgery and postoperatively may contribute to the development of cancer recurrence after surgery. By collecting stool and blood before and after surgery, the researchers hope to determine if certain types of bacteria, or products that the bacteria produce, promote the development of tumors after surgery. By collecting tumor tissue and growing cell lines, we hope this will help researchers better understand the behavior of these types of tumors.

Integrating Peritoneal Histological Growth Patterns Into Preoperative Decision-Making for Colorectal Peritoneal Metastses

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the third most commonly diagnosed malignancy worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related death, with approximately 15% of patients presenting with synchronous liver metastases (LM) and 7% with peritoneal metastases (PM) at diagnosis. Despite curative-intent resection of the primary tumor, 16-20% of patients subsequently develop metachronous LM and up to 19% develop PM within three years \[1-5\]. Surgery remains the only potentially curative treatment for patients with colorectal peritoneal metastases (CRPM), offering long-term (\>10years) disease-free survival (DFS) in a subset of highly selected patients \[6,7\]. However, selecting candidates for cytoreductive surgery (CRS) ± hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) remains challenging and requires balancing the potential oncologic benefit of complete cytoreduction against perioperative risks and postoperative morbidity \[6-8\]. Consequently, strong prognostic markers-clinical, biological, or genetic-are crucial to refine surgical decision-making. Currently, the two most consistent clinical determinants of outcome are the extent of disease (Peritoneal Cancer Index, PCI) and the completeness of cytoreduction (CC-score) \[6-8\]. Over the last decade, surgical selection has become more restrictive (e.g., PCI threshold moving from 25 to 17), and molecular profiles such as BRAF mutations have been associated with poor outcomes, potentially guiding against aggressive surgery in selected cases \[8,9\]. Yet, these markers are insufficient to fully capture inter-patient heterogeneity and do not reliably individualize surgical benefit \[8,9\]. In colorectal liver metastases (CRLM), the histological growth pattern (HGP) at the tumor-liver interface has emerged as a robust prognostic biomarker, with the desmoplastic HGP (d-HGP) associated with superior survival compared with replacement or pushing patterns \[10,11\]. International consensus guidelines have standardized HGP scoring for CRLM, enabling reproducible assessment and cross-study comparison \[12\]. Large multicentric cohorts also suggest possible modulation of HGP by systemic chemotherapy, supporting its value as a marker of intrinsic tumor biology and treatment response \[13,14\]. Transposing this concept to the peritoneum, our group identified two reproducible peritoneal HGP in colorectal peritoneal metastases: the pushing pattern (P-HGP) and the infiltrating pattern (I-HGP). Across two monocentric studies, a dominant P-HGP (\>50-60% of the tumor-peritoneum interface) was strongly associated with prolonged disease-free and overall survival (OS) \[15,16\]. Taken together, these findings support HGP of PM as a potential histological biomarker to refine patient selection for CRS ± HIPEC beyond current clinical and molecular criteria. However, existing data derive exclusively from retrospective single-center cohorts, underscoring the need for prospective validation to: Confirm the independent prognostic value of HGP of PM (for overall and disease-free survival) in contemporary clinical practice; Standardize sampling and pathological assessment (standard operating procedures, central review, and interobserver reproducibility studies); Develop and validate a histo-prognostic scoring system integrating PM HGP with relevant clinicopathological variables, aimed at predicting patient outcomes and supporting preoperative decision-making for CRS ± HIPEC candidacy. This prospective cohort study is designed to address these objectives without modifying standard care. By collecting clinicopathological and survival data prospectively, it will provide robust evidence for the integration of HGP into a multivariable prognostic model capable of stratifying surgical candidates and guiding individualized treatment strategies.

A Phase Ⅱ/Ⅲ Clinical Trial of RC148 Plus Chemotherapy as 1L Therapy for Unresectable or Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

This is a Phase Ⅱ/Ⅲ study. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RC148 combined with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC)

A Study to Investigate the Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Anti-tumor Activity of CBI-1214 T Cell Engager in Participants With Advanced or Metastatic MSS/MSI-L Colorectal Cancer

This study will investigate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and anti-tumor activity of CBI-1214 in participants with advanced or metastatic Microsatellite Stable (MSS)/Microsatellite Instability Low (MSI-L) Colorectal Cancer

Utero-ovarian Transposition in Patients With Pelvic Malignancies Undergoing Whole Pelvic Radiotherapy

This study is designed as a Phase I clinical trial enrolling female patients aged 18-40 years who have been diagnosed with pelvic malignancies requiring whole pelvic external radiation therapy (WPXRT) and who express interest in preserving fertility and ovarian function. The trial's primary objective is to assess the feasibility and safety of uterine and ovarian transposition (UOT). Premenopausal women under the age of 40 will undergo UOT using a novel minimally invasive approach. Feasibility and safety will be evaluated through standardized postoperative assessments, including: (A) success in mobilizing and repositioning the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes while maintaining vascular integrity; (B) documentation of surgical complications; (C) monitoring the timeliness and adherence to planned WPXRT. To enhance safety and optimize outcomes, intraoperative imaging with indocyanine green fluorescence and Doppler ultrasonography will be employed. Short-term success will be defined by technical success in repositioning the uterus and ovaries with preserved vascular integrity, absence of major surgical complications, and timely initiation and completion of WPXRT. Long-term success will be evaluated by the preservation of fertility. The study's primary objective is also to evaluate surgical, reproductive, and quality-of-life outcomes following UOT. This objective will determine the procedure's efficacy in preserving ovarian and menstrual function and its potential to support future pregnancies. Endpoints include: (A) maintenance of normal premenopausal levels of FSH, LH, AMH, and estradiol at defined postoperative intervals; (B) assessment of menstrual timing, regularity, and characteristics to document return of ovulatory cycles; (C) evaluation of uterine integrity and reproductive potential using pelvic ultrasonography; (D) comprehensive evaluation of patient quality of life encompassing physical, emotional, sexual, and reproductive well-being. These measures will inform optimization of surgical techniques and provide a foundation for scaling the procedure to a broader population in future studies.

Evaluation of Circulating Immune Response After Histosonics in Colorectal Cancer (ECHO-CRC)

This is a single-center, non-randomized, open-label, single-arm pilot study investigating the systemic immune response to histotripsy in patients with colorectal cancer with liver metastasis. Histotripsy is an FDA-approved, non-invasive therapeutic modality for the treatment of liver tumors, including both primary and metastatic lesions. In this study, investigators aim to evaluate the kinetics of peripheral T-cell response following histotripsy of colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRCLM). Given the well-documented immune-tolerant tumor microenvironment of liver metastases and their role in systemic resistance to checkpoint inhibitors, investigators hypothesize that histotripsy-induced tumor disruption will lead to measurable alterations in peripheral T-cell clonal expansion and exhaustion markers. Investigators will assess these changes via serial blood draws before and after histotripsy, with the goal of characterizing the systemic immune impact of local tumor ablation. Findings from this study may inform future combination strategies integrating histotripsy with immunotherapy to enhance treatment response in microsatellite-stable CRC

Colorectal Cancer Screnning Colonoscopy Under Hypnosis

Through this study, the effectiveness of hypnosis in the realization of a colonoscopy for the detection of colorectal cancer will be evaluated

Comparison of Intravenous Lidocaine vs Ketamine in Colorectal Surgery

Patients undergoing open colorectal surgery were randomly divided into two groups: Intravenous Lidocaine (IV-Lido) vs Intravenous Ketamine (IV-Keta). For the IV-Lido group, patients received a loading dose of Lidocaine than a continuous infusion over twenty-four hours. For the IV-Keta goup, patients received a loading dose of Ketamine than a continuous injection of Ketamine over twenty-four hours. Plasma concentrations of Interleukin-6(IL-6) were measured preoperatively before anesthetic induction and at twenty-four hour post operatively.