Clinical trials

This interventional prospective multicenter international study will include 54 patients with regionally metastatic (i.e. cN1 cM0) prostate cancer according to the NCCN criteria. Patients will be treated with weekly CT or MR-informed online adaptive SBRT of the prostate and elective pelvic lymph nodes with 5 x 5 Gy. A simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) of involved lymph nodes will be performed. In the case of up to 2 dominant intraprostatic lesion (DIL) a SIB of the DIL can be performed (optional). Importantly, coverage of these DIL volumes must be compromised as needed to respect OAR constraints. This study is classified as risk category A according to ClinO, Art. 61, as stereotactic radiotherapy (SBRT) for regionally metastatic prostate cancer has been extensively evaluated in prospective interventional trials and is considered an established therapeutic modality. Weekly CT- or MR-guided online adaptive SBRT to the prostate and elective pelvic lymph nodes with 5 × 5 Gy is, however, not yet routinely implemented for this specific patient population. A diagnostic high field MRI during radiotherapy, e.g. week 3 is optional. Follow-up is also according to standard of care (except for patient reported outcome measure using QLQ-C30 and QLQ-PR25 and a diagnostic MRI at 9 months after SBRT (optional), and 12 months in the case of an image non-complete response at 9 months (optional).

At present, open-face masks are used only in patients with claustrophobic anxiety, while all other patients are still immobilized with closed masks, thereby overlooking the need for improvement in patient comfort. Closed face masks in patients undergoing head and neck irradiation have never been compared to no masks in the setting of a randomized clinical trial, but only in feasibility trials. A randomized clinical trial may establish the role of no masks in terms of patient comfort, preference and setup accuracy in all patients.

Multicentric prospective model-based de-escalation of the elective clinical target volumes (CTV) in radiotherapy of oropharyngeal carcinoma of all stages with the goal to reduce toxicity. The study investigates the feasibility of this approach as measured by the number of expected out-of-field recurrencies based on the individual patient's state of disease progression and risk factors

The objective of this study is to demonstrate that higher radiation doses are necessary to induce transmural scar formation which is currently assumed to be the underlying mechanism of successful long-term efficacy of VT treatment and therefore dose-escalation will lead to a significantly reduced long-term VT recurrence rate compared to the currently applied single dose of 25 Gy.

During certain heart surgeries, the sternum is opened and must then be closed securely. The study compares two closure methods - steel wires and SuperCable - in terms of stability, healing, and patient satisfaction. This investigation aims to demonstrate that the iso-elastic properties of the SuperCable Sternal Closure System result in faster sternal bone healing, reduced postoperative pain, shorter hospital stay, and improved physical recovery compared to conventional steel wire sternal closure. Eighty-six patients are participating and are randomly assigned to one of the two groups. After the operation, pain, healing, and possible complications are checked. The patients are examined 3 and 6 months after the operation.

Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), previously known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), is a common endocrine and metabolic condition affecting women of reproductive age. It is associated with hormonal imbalances, irregular menstrual cycles, elevated androgen levels, and metabolic disturbances such as insulin resistance. These metabolic changes can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Insulin resistance means that the body's cells respond less effectively to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood glucose. This leads to compensatory increases in insulin levels, which can further disrupt hormonal balance and contribute to the clinical features of PMOS. This study aims to investigate how the bodies of women with PMOS respond dynamically to glucose intake compared with women without PMOS. A standard clinical test, the oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT), will be used. Participants consume a glucose solution, and blood samples are collected before and two hours afterward. This procedure is routinely used in clinical practice. Women with PMOS will be compared with age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched control participants without PMOS. Blood and urine samples will be analyzed using advanced multi-omics technologies to measure proteins, metabolites, extracellular vesicles, and immune-related signals. The main objective is to understand how metabolic, hormonal, and immune pathways respond over time to a glucose challenge and whether these responses differ in PMOS. Special attention is given to inter-organ communication and systemic metabolic regulation. The study includes two visits. The first visit involves health assessments, questionnaires, and body composition measurements. The second visit includes the glucose tolerance test and blood sampling. In total, approximately 100 mL of blood will be collected across both visits. Participation is voluntary, and participants may withdraw at any time without affecting their medical care. The procedures involve minimal risk and consist of standard clinical methods. The results of this study may improve understanding of PMOS and contribute to better diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in the future.

The investigators hypothesize that BFR exercise regimens result in a different acute cardiorespiratory response pattern compared to traditional exercise regimens. Furthermore, the investigators hypothesize that these patterns differ between healthy participants and participants with COPD. Regarding secondary objective, the investigators hypothesize that BFR results in lower blood pressure responses compared to traditional exercise training in both healthy and COPD participants.

Hip replacements and prostate cancer are independently and both together increasing prevalent in the aging population. In the United States, the prevalence of hip prostheses among men was 1.1 million in 20101, with approximately 500,000 hip prostheses performed annually. Bilateral total hip replacement is recommended for patients with osteoarthritis affecting both hip joints. Approximately 10-25% of total hip replacement patients undergo bilateral procedures. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has been widely adopted as an effective treatment for localized prostate cancer, offering high precision and reduced treatment time due to conventionally fractionated radiotherapy without increasing toxicity or comprising oncological outcomes. Therefore, the use of SBRT for treatment of localized prostate cancer has significantly increased. A cohort study using data from 302 035 patients in the National Cancer Database showed that use of SBRT for prostate cancer increased from 0.2% in 2004 to 12.4% in 2020 in the United States. However, both CT and MR-guided SBRT present unique challenges for patients with prostate cancer and bilateral hip prostheses. Metallic implants, such as hip prostheses, produce artifacts and magnetic susceptibility issues that can obscure MR imaging near the prosthetic sites, potentially complicating target contouring and planning. Given the close proximity of the prostate gland to the pelvis, which houses the hip joints, patients with bilateral hip prostheses may have significant imaging artifacts that could impair MR-guided radiotherapy quality. CT-based SBRT is less affected by metallic artifacts, but it lacks the soft-tissue resolution needed for precise prostate and OAR delineation, a gap MR imaging is uniquely positioned to fill. Low-field MRI systems are less prone to susceptibility artifacts, including those originating from metallic implants. As a result, signal loss and distortion are expected to occur only in the immediate vicinity of the implant, making these systems particularly advantageous for imaging patients with hip implants. A prospective study quantitatively and qualitatively compared the magnitude of metal total hip arthroplasty-induced imaging artifacts in vivo between 1.5T (i.e. high-field) and 0.55T (low-field) MRI in 15 patients. Qualitative artifact magnitude was on average rated as moderate to small on 0.55T and as large to moderate on 1.5T by 2 fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologists. In addition, metal artifacts' areas and diameters were smaller on 0.55T when compared with 1.5T MRI for all sequences (each p\>0.016). Given the limitations of current imaging systems, the investigators propose a more flexible solution: a two-room system comprising a low-field MRI scanner for optimal image quality and a C-arm linear accelerator for rapid treatment delivery. Patient transfer between the MR device and the linear accelerator will be performed with a shuttle system which uses an air-bearing patient platform for both procedures. This setup would allow for high-quality imaging with reduced artifacts while ensuring efficient treatment times, addressing the current gap in SBRT for patients with bilateral hip prostheses. This shuttle system is MR-compatible and uses an air-bearing technology that allows the patient to be effortlessly moved by a transfer sled from MR scanner couch to linac without any movement on their part as it utilises the same patient platform with treatment using supports, immobilization devices and stereotactic tools for both procedures. This means that the patient is scanned and treated in the same position, minimising the risk of translational and/or rotational positional changes during transfer between both devices. Thus, maximum use of image-based planning data is possible. By integrating a low-field MRI scanner with a dedicated treatment delivery system, the investigators can overcome existing limitations and improve treatment precision for this growing patient population.

The aim of this phase II international multicenter study is to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of CT or MRI-adaptive SBRT, delivered in five weekly fractions, in patients with newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer who have lower urinary tract symptoms and/or prostatic hyperplasia.

SBRT delivers high-dose radiation to precisely defined target volumes and is an effective locally ablative treatment option for both primary tumours and oligometastases in various settings, including lesions in the abdomen or pelvis. However, SBRT in these regions faces considerable challenges such as inter-fractional organ motion and anatomical deformation, which can compromise treatment precision. MR-guided SBRT offers a solution, providing superior soft-tissue contrast and enabling real-time, online treatment plan adaptation over the course of SBRT. This approach reduces the risk of geographical miss and overdose to adjacent, vulnerable OARs. Currently, MR-guided SBRT uses a fixed dose per fraction, only adjusting target volume and OAR contours for anatomical changes when performing plan adaptation. However, overlaps between planning target volumes (PTVs) and dose-limiting OARs regularly require compromises in PTV coverage. To address this, AF aims to also adjust dose per fraction based on daily PTV-OAR overlap. With this approach, more dose is applied on treatment days with less PTV-OAR overlap while less dose is applied on days with more PTV-OAR overlap. This trial assesses the feasibility of AF in MR-guided SBRT for abdominal and pelvic tumours that show PTV-overlap with one or more dose-limiting OARs, ultimately aiming to enhance PTV dose coverage without increasing toxicity.

There is a very urgent need to improve on the currently limited treatment options for patients with glioblastoma. Despite extensive knowledge on the molecular pathogenesis of glioblastoma obtained through genomic, transcriptional and proteomic profiling, targeted therapy efforts have not yielded major advances, likely because of interindividual and intraindividual tumor heterogeneity and redundant oncogenic pathway activation. Accordingly, there is a strong rationale to approach the challenge of glioblastoma from a different angle, e.g., by ex vivo drug sensitivity profiling which is agnostic to the molecular profile of a tumor. This approach that we have termed "pharmacoscopy", has previously been explored in liquid cancers and probably led to improved patient outcomes. Using pharmacoscopy, the antidepressant drug, vortioxetine, has been identified as a lead candidate for further exploration in patients with glioblastoma. Vortioxetine also demonstrated synergistic anti-glioma activity in combination with temozolomide or lomustine. The ReVoGlio trial aims at demonstrating that vortioxetine, a drug selected based on ex vivo drug profiling (pharmacoscopy), is of benefit for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

Pharmacoscopy refers to an ex vivo real-time drug sensitivity profiling platform that has been shown to be of value in the treatment of leukemia (Snijder et al. 2017) (Kornauth et al. 2022) and may help to identify novel treatment opportunities for brain tumors as well (Lee et al. 2022). The rationale for pharmacoscopy-based drug sensitivity testing on real-time patient biopsies or surgery material is multiple: measuring drug response and sensitivity directly in real-time patient material, overcomes the problem of limited molecular biomarkers for established targeted therapeutic options and can identify effective drugs even for non-targeted therapies such as chemotherapy. It can also identify hitherto unknown specific vulnerabilities of cancer cells. Furthermore, testing directly on patient material overcomes the limitations of patient-derived cell cultures, organoids, and patient xenografts, as their prolonged culture times risk cellular adaptations and clonal selection that alter drug sensitivity. Pharmacoscopy maintains the tumor cell composition, including bystander cells or tumor microenvironment, and limits cell culture to max 48 hours. Furthermore, pharmacoscopy measures drug responses on a single-cell and on a high-content level, uniquely allowing to measure the drug sensitivity of tumor cells, and allowing to compare it to the drug cytotoxicity on healthy cells from the same patient. This relative readout has previously been shown to be essential for the correct prediction of a clinical response in haematological malignancies (Snijder et al. 2017) (Kornauth et al. 2022). The aim of this study is to generate preliminary data regarding superiority of the personalized pharmacoscopy-guided approach compared to a standard non-pharmacoscopy-guided approach, in patients with brain metastases with an indication for surgery, and limited therapeutic systemic options according to the treating physician.

Depression is a common mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide and is a leading cause of disability. Although current treatments can be effective, many patients do not fully recover or experience long-term improvement. This study aims to better understand how lifestyle factors such as physical activity and diet-related processes may influence biological mechanisms that could be linked to depression. The study focuses on a natural cellular process called autophagy, which helps cells remove damaged components and maintain healthy function. Autophagy is influenced by energy availability in the body and may be affected by behaviors such as physical exercise and caloric restriction. Early evidence suggests that changes in autophagy may also be linked to mood regulation and depression, but this relationship is not yet well understood in humans. In this exploratory study, we will investigate how physical activity influences autophagy and related metabolic and molecular processes in healthy adults. We will also examine whether these effects differ between individuals with different body weight and fitness levels, and between women and men. A total of approximately 120 healthy adults aged 18 to 40 years will participate. Participants will be divided into four groups based on sex and body weight (normal weight or overweight). Each participant will attend study visits at the University Hospital Zurich and perform a standardized cycling exercise test under medical supervision. During the exercise test, participants will perform a graded cycling protocol that gradually increases in intensity until exhaustion. We will collect small blood samples from a vein and from a fingertip at several time points before, during, and after exercise. Saliva samples will also be collected to measure stress-related hormones. Additional measurements include heart rate, breathing parameters, oxygen consumption, and physical performance. Blood and saliva samples will be analyzed using advanced laboratory techniques to study changes in metabolism, immune signaling, hormones, gene activity, and markers related to autophagy. These analyses will help identify biological pathways that are activated by exercise and may be relevant to brain health and depression. Participants will undergo medical screening before inclusion to ensure safety. Individuals with certain medical conditions or factors that could interfere with the study results will not be included. Participation is voluntary, and participants may withdraw at any time without consequences. The study involves minimal risks associated with blood sampling and intense physical exercise, which will be performed under close medical supervision. The expected benefit is improved scientific understanding of how lifestyle-related biological processes may be linked to mental health, which could support the development of new preventive or therapeutic strategies for depression in the future.

Exposure to high altitudes, defined as locations above 2500 m, has been shown to cause cognitive alternations due to reduced blood oxygenation (SpO2). However, it remains to be determined whether cognitive changes are present in highlanders living at moderate altitudes (2500 m) and whether cognitive alterations are reversible with supplemental oxygen therapy (SOT).

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether ¹⁸F-florbetaben PET/MR can detect systemic amyloid deposits early and noninvasively in patients with monoclonal gammopathy. The main question it aims to answer is: Can ¹⁸F-florbetaben PET/MR identify systemic amyloid deposits across clinically and histologically defined patient groups? Participants will: * Be screened for eligibility and asked to sign an informed consent form * Have their vital signs measured * Receive a single intravenous injection of approximately 300 MBq ¹⁸F-florbetaben (Neuraceq®), followed by whole-body PET/MR imaging from skull base to below the kidneys. If MRI is contraindicated (e.g., pacemaker, severe claustrophobia), PET/CT will be performed instead. The scan takes approximately one hour, during which participants lie still in the scanner * Be monitored during and after the scan for any side effects or adverse events * Complete study participation at the end of the imaging session (single visit, no follow-up required)

Ananlyis of exhaled breath of patients with lung-/airway diseases to identify and distinguish respiratory diseases, and improve the disease manangament.

Identification of exhaled breath pattern of human subjects

Spinal cord injuries are anatomically mostly incomplete, showing tissue bridges of the spinal cord at the injury site. Of the 60% functionally incomplete patients, about half face a life in the wheelchair. Besides conventional rehabilitation, no prominsing further treatment options exist. One of the most plastic systems involved in locomotion is the pontomedullary reticulospinal tract, which is the oldest locomotor command system existing in most vertebrates, including primates. Muscle activation patterns for limb movements are programmed in the spinal cord and have to be activated and coordinated through commands from the so called mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR). The MLR consists of nerve cells in the lower mesencephalic tegmentum sending uni- and bilateral signals through the medullary reticulospinal tracts. Classical physiological studies showed that electrical stimulation of the MLR induce locomotion. For the first time this approach was transferred and recently published in a model of induced incomplete spinal cord injury by the Schwab group. Rats severly impaired in motor hindlimb control with only 10-20% spared white matter, recovered with fully functional weight bearing locomotion under MLR deep brain stimulation (DBS). Even rats with only 2-10% spared white matter regained weight supporting stepping. DBS is a clinical standard treatment option in patients with movement disorders but does not relieve all symptoms. Therefore, small studies of MLR stimulations have been safely used in Parkinsonian patients showing freezing of gait and frequent falls with variable results. In a translational approach, we aim at performing a multidisciplinary phase one clinical trial with 5 patients and incomplete spinal cord injury. With the means of our established universitary setup for DBS treatments the operations will be performed unilaterally under local anaesthesia in the Division of Neurosurgery, USZ, with perioperative electrophysiological recordings, clinical assessments and gait analysis under test stimulation in the Spinal Cord Injury Center Balgrist.

Bariatric surgery (BS), especially procedures like Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), is the most effective treatment for obesity. Yet, the exact mechanisms governing its effect are somewhat elusive, with current research mainly focusing on post-operative food intake outcomes based on self-reported data, which might not fully capture the nuanced changes in eating behaviours. To address these gaps, our study plans to employ the newly developed "drinkometer", a device capable of analysing the intricate changes in drinking behaviour following BS. This tool promises to bring a more detailed perspective to the changes in ingestive behaviours, bypassing the inaccuracies of self-reporting methods. By expanding our research to encompass diverse patient demographics and examining potential links to physiological shifts like gut hormone level alterations, the study aims to provide a more rounded understanding of the long-term impacts of BS on eating behaviours.

The development of neuropathic pain is one of the most debilitating sequels after a spinal cord injury (SCI). The overall aim of this study is to investigate potential underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of neuropathic pain after SCI. The functionality of the nociceptive pathway in humans as well as its plastic changes following SCI will be inferred with sophisticated sensory and pain phenotyping using quantitative sensory testing (i.e., psychophysical measures), objective neurophysiological measures of pain processing and the recording of pain-related autonomic responses (i.e., galvanic skin response, cardiovascular measures and pupil dilation). In addition, the interplay between the somatosensory and autonomic nervous system and its association with the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain after SCI will be investigated.

As of today, around 25% of all vaginal births happen after induction of labor (IOL). The internal guidelines of the University Hospital Zurich currently recommend pregnant women with a non-insulin dependent gestational diabetes an IOL around term. One possibility to prevent an IOL and increase the chance for a spontaneous onset of birth is a ripening of the cervix by alternative methods in an outpatient setting. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of natural cervical ripening methods on the time interval between 37 weeks (beginning of the intervention) and the onset of spontaneous labor.

Cardiac events can often result in debilitating and persistent psychological symptoms. A key question involves whether optimal treatment of cardiac-induced posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reduces PTSD symptoms and thereby may offset the risk of recurrent or worsening cardiovascular disease. Cardiac-induced PTSD 1) is prevalent, 2) features symptoms unique to internal ongoing somatic threat, with fears and worries that can be distinguished from PTSD resulting from external causes, 3) is persistent, 4) is associated with negative physical and emotional consequences, and 5) has not been the subject of randomized-controlled treatment trials (RCT). There is preliminary evidence suggesting that patients with cardiac-disease induced PTSD might particularly profit from EMDR. Nevertheless, this possibility has not been tested in cardiac-induced PTSD. Currently, patients with cardiac-induced PTSD are not routinely offered trauma-focused therapies, with a lack of scientific evidence likely being one major reason for this omission. If our proposed RCT shows that EMDR can be an effective treatment for patients with ACS-induced PTSD, EMDR could be routinely implemented as first-line treatment. The RCT outcomes might inform larger trials to test whether poor prognosis in terms of major adverse cardiovascular events can be improved through EMDR in patients with cardiac-induced PTSD.

The pathophysiology of primary immunodeficiencies (PID), which encompass a broad range of different diseases with susceptibility to infection and/or a deregulated inflammatory response, is poorly understood. Available treatments are often not specific for a distinct target and might be associated with side effects. To elucidate pathophysiology of different PIDs, stool, urine, blood, tissue biopsies and/or bone marrow will be collected and analysed for anti-microbial activity and inflammatory response. In a second step, targeted treatment for different PIDs might be developed preclinically and ex vivo according to underlying pathophysiology.

Extremely premature infants are at risk of developing a potentially blinding eye disease, called retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Currently available treatment, consisting of laser surgery or injection of drugs into the eye balls, may prevent most but not all cases of permanent ROP-mediated blindness. Both types of treatment are associated with significant costs and side effects. An orally administered drug commonly used to treat hypertension, propranolol, may be effective in halting progression of ROP to severe stages, as suggested by preliminary data from small studies. As severe (threshold) ROP is an overall rare disease, the effectiveness of propranolol in combating ROP can only be assessed in a large, multicenter randomized controlled trial involving hospitals caring for extremely preterm infants of diverse origin.

The STOP-stroke project aims at improving prediction of outcome early after stroke. In order to achieve this, we need to understand reasons (important variables) for prediction in a real clinical prognostication process. We aim to: 1. Test the predictive performance of stroke neurologists for outcome prediction (NIHSS at 24 hours and 3 months and mRS at 3 months after stroke onset) prospectively and in a real clinical setting, and to explore the most important baseline variables in their prognostication process. 2. Test the prediction performance of our DL models when being provided with structured clinical and/or imaging information from the same patients as the neurologists; and to discover most relevant features of the input data. 3. Use the information gained from our experiments for improving our DL algorithm. This will include an error analysis on the missclassifications of models and neurologists to understand the pitfalls of both approaches. We anticipate to develop a robust, reliable and clinically feasible application ready for testing in a prospective, observational trial.