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ALSGTACNCT02795897

Genomic Translation for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Care

An observational study of ALS, run by Columbia University at 14 sites in 2 countries.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this study is to look for abnormal genes and gene expression profiles that help determine why a person develops amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and related motor neuron diseases (MND) and why their symptoms present and progress with a particular pattern. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 80 years
Conditions the study is for
ALS
How many people
254 participants
Where
14 sitesin 2 countries
Study dates
8 Jun 2016to 29 Jun 2022
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 80 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Patients with ALS (meeting El Escorial criteria for definite, probable or possible ALS), or primary lateral sclerosis or progressive bulbar/muscular atrophy.

Who may be able to join

  • Study participants meeting all of the following criteria will be eligible for enrollment in GTAC:
  • Men or women of any race or ethnicity aged 18 or older
  • Diagnosis of familial or sporadic ALS (definite, probable, or possible according to El Escorial Criteria, Appendix 1), or those with primary lateral sclerosis or progressive bulbar/muscular atrophy forms of motor neuron disease. All-comers with ALS/MND should be enrolled without regard to familial vs sporadic or gene mutation status (i.e. participants with known gene mutations should still be enrolled), or phenotype.
  • Capable of providing informed consent and following study procedures (in the case that a subject lacks the ability to provide informed consent, informed consent will be sought from the subject's surrogate representative).
  • Willing to return to clinic site (or another participating center) for follow-up care.

Who cannot join

  • Study participants meeting any of the following criteria during screening evaluation will be excluded from enrolling in GTAC:
  • Invasive ventilation (i.e. tracheostomy) in place.
  • Non-invasive ventilation dependent (defined as >22 hours per day)
  • Pregnancy.
  • Known Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) , chronic Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C (because cells will be frozen down for future cell line generation).

Trial locations and contacts

14 sites in 2 countries.

14 sites in 2 countries

United States13 sites
  • Univeristy of Michigan

    Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48104

  • University of Colorado School of Medicine

    Aurora, Colorado, 80045

  • Duke University

    Durham, North Carolina, 27705

  • Penn State College of Medicine

    Hershey, Pennsylvania, 17033

  • Houston Methodist Neurological Institute

    Houston, Texas, 77030

  • Cedar Sinai Medical Center

    Los Angeles, California, 90048

  • University of Minnesota

    Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455

  • Columbia University

    New York, New York, 10032

  • University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213

  • Oregon Health & Sciences University

    Portland, Oregon, 97239

  • University of Utah

    Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112

  • University of Washington

    Seattle, Washington, 98195

  • Washington University

    St Louis, Missouri, 63110

Other trials in United States

United Kingdom1 site
  • The University of Edinburgh

    Edinburgh

Other trials in United Kingdom

About this study

The purpose of this study is to look for abnormal genes and gene expression profiles that help determine why a person develops amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and related motor neuron diseases (MND) and why their symptoms present and progress with a particular pattern.

Read the detailed description

In all patients, ALS/MND is caused by the progressive death of motor neurons. However, every patient is affected differently. Some develop symptoms in their 80's while others get sick in adolescence. Swallowing/speech are affected first in some patients, but most have weakness in their hands or feet at onset. Some individuals show very rapid progression, even as others live for decades. Finally, some patients have loss of mainly motor neurons in the brain (as in primary lateral sclerosis), while others lose mainly lower motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain stem (as in progressive muscular atrophy). Research has uncovered a few genetic factors that contribute to the variability of ALS/MND. For example, mutations in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene makes onset in the legs more likely and decreases the chance of developing dementia. Conversely, having a mutated C9ORF72 gene makes dementia much more likely. Uncovering additional factors causing ALS variability is an important research priority and is likely to provide clues about how to better diagnose and treat the disease.

This study is called "Genomic Translation for ALS Care" (GTAC). The investigators will analyze the genome and gene expression patterns of people with ALS/MND and carry out research on that data, finding insights that the investigators hope will translate into better care for ALS/MND patients.

Conditions
ALS
Keywords
genetics, genomics, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), progressive muscular atrophy (PMA), motor neuron disease
Medical subject headings
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Motor Neuron Disease, Muscular Atrophy, Spinal

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Correlation of DNA genotype with ALS phenotypes

    Because subjects are followed over their entire disease course and undergo whole genome sequencing of their DNA, this project will study the distinct features (progression and particular symptoms) of subjects with and without mutations in already known ALS genes.

    Measured: 36 months

  2. Correlation of gene expression in blood with ALS phenotypes

    Because subjects are followed over their entire disease course and undergo gene expression profiling on their blood sample, this project will study the distinct features (progression and particular symptoms) of subjects with different types of gene expression profiles.

    Measured: 36 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted10 Jun 2016 (estimated)
  2. Study start8 Jun 2016
  3. Primary completion27 Jul 2021
  4. Study completion29 Jun 2022

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
254 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02795897
Sponsor's protocol ID
AAAQ7026
Acronym
GTAC
Status last verified
Aug 2022
First submitted
7 Jun 2016
Last updated
19 Aug 2022
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: The investigators intend to share DNA, sequencing data, and phenotypic data broadly. Participants will be consented for sharing of GTAC data and samples with the Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) repository, with others carrying out ALS/MND research (including other consortia), for biomedical research in general (including use as controls and use by for-profit companies), and with Biogen Idec. Additionally, GTAC has plans to share coded genomic and clinical data with Database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP) and a ALS/MND consortium for genomic discovery (ASLGEN). This includes sharing of genetic and phenotypic data with Biogen Idec, a pharmaceutical company that is partnering with GTAC to fund the sequencing of samples.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of ALS, run by Columbia University at 14 sites in 2 countries.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 Aug 2022. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 14 sites in United States, United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Correlation of DNA genotype with ALS phenotypes (time frame: 36 months). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 19 Aug 2022.

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