5 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
This study is an open label Phase II study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AMX0035 in adults with Wolfram syndrome.
Wolfram syndrome (WFS; OMIM #222300) is a rare autosomal recessive disease clinically defined in 1938 as the combination of childhood-onset insulin dependent diabetes, optic nerve atrophy, diabetes insipidus and deafness. Based on early descriptions, neurological features were thought to appear later in the disease with death occurring in middle adulthood. Importantly, the major causative gene (WFS1) was identified in 1998. This discovery allowed researchers to determine that the WFS1 gene encodes the protein wolframin, which helps protect cells from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated apoptosis, potentially via intracellular calcium homeostasis. Pathogenic mutations in WFS1 can result in death or dysfunction of cells that are under high ER stress, such as insulin-producing pancreatic β cells, causing insulin dependent diabetes. In addition, knowing the causative gene has allowed researchers to identify patients by their WFS1 mutation rather than the classic set of symptoms, leading to the increasing realization that the WFS1-related phenotype (including neurologic symptoms) is much more variable than previously understood. The first iteration of this grant (HD070855 "Tracking Neurodegeneration in Early Wolfram Syndrome") contributed to this shift in understanding. In this time, the research team has built a successful annual research clinic for WFS, that has met or exceeded recruitment goals for patients and controls, validated a clinical severity rating scale for WFS, described an unexpectedly early neurophenotype of reduced balance, smell identification and ventral pons volume, identified alterations in traditional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics that suggest hypomyelination as a pervasive neuropathological feature of WFS and provided justification for the selection of two primary outcomes (visual acuity and ventral pons volume) in a newly funded clinical efficacy study in WFS (Barrett, PI).
In this study, the investigators hypothesize that studying monogenic variants with strong effect associated with severe insulin deficiency of Wolfram syndrome will provide important insights into the more complex type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Aim 1. Establish and maintain a registry of patients with Wolfram syndrome. An Internet based registry will be employed to enroll participants with the clinical diagnosis of Wolfram syndrome (insulin dependent DM and bilateral OA). Clinical information regarding age of diagnosis and progression of the disease will be collated and analyzed to better define its natural history, along with potential metabolic phenotypes such as glucose intolerance of heterozygous parents and unaffected sibs. If not already completed, blood for WFS1 sequence analysis will be obtained on the participants (parents and sibs also for control purposes) and sent to a CLIA certified lab to define the mutation. This information will benefit patient families and referring physicians by providing a genetic diagnosis and where indicated. The Wolfram Syndrome Registry will foster international collaborations to more efficiently and systematically collect Wolfram syndrome patients and their clinical and experimental data.
Wolfram syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, optic nerve atrophy, hearing loss, and neurodegeneration. The purpose of this study is to assess the safety and tolerability of dantrolene sodium in patients with Wolfram syndrome. In addition, we will assess the efficacy of dantrolene sodium on the cardinal manifestations of Wolfram syndrome, including visual acuity, remaining beta cell functions, and neurological functions. There is a screening period up to 56 days, a 6-month treatment period with an optional extension phase up to 24 months, and a 4-week safety follow-up period. Study assessments include medical \& medication history, physical exams, neurological exams, eye exams, endocrine exams, vital signs, height, weight, electrocardiograms, blood and urine tests, pregnancy test if applicable, and questionnaires.
The goal of this study is to determine the pattern of early neurodegenerative changes in WFS (Wolfram Syndrome). The investigator will perform cross-sectional and longitudinal assessments of youth with WFS, targeting sensitive neural systems with quantified neuroimaging and behavioral measures. In addition, the investigator will establish the utility of a WFS severity rating scale (WFS Unified Rating Scale or WURS). Preliminary data support the feasibility of this approach and its potential to generate important new information about neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative patterns in WFS. This work is necessary to position the field for future clinical trials to test interventions for WFS neurodegeneration. Ultimately, a better understanding of the trajectory of neurodegeneration in WFS and the development of effective interventions may be relevant to other more common neurodegenerative and endocrine (Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes) diseases in which ER stress has been implicated.