Clinical Study of Spinal Muscular Atrophy

• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00443066
• Recruitment Status: Completed
• First Posted: March 5, 2007
• Last Update Posted: March 21, 2023
• Sponsor: Columbia University
• Collaborator: The Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation
• Information provided by (Responsible Party): Columbia University

Study Description

Brief Summary:

The investigators propose to prepare for clinical trials where SMA patients are asked to join the research effort. The visits will include questions, physical exam, blood drawing, and sometimes X-rays and a skin biopsy. The investigators will use modern computer methods to process the information during which the investigators will plan a clinical trial. Once the clinical trial begins, the investigators will offer SMA patients participation if they meet the criteria for that trial.

Identifying an effective SMA treatment is very important because there is currently none. Clinical trials are the only way to decide whether a new treatment works in SMA patients or not.

Condition or disease
Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Detailed Description:

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is one of the most devastating neurological diseases of childhood. Affected infants and children suffer from progressive muscle weakness caused by degeneration of lower motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem. Clinically, four phenotypes are distinguished within the continuous spectrum of disease severity based on the age of onset and the highest motor milestone ever achieved. SMA is caused by homozygous deletion of the survival motor neuron-1 (SMN1) gene. A related gene, SMN2, produces low levels of full-length SMN protein due to inefficient splicing. There is an inverse correlation between SMN copy number and disease severity, presumably mediated by levels of full length SMN protein. Therefore, increasing the amount of full-length SMN protein is a promising treatment strategy. Several drugs targeting splicing efficiency have resulted in increased SMN protein in preclinical assays and are now awaiting clinical testing.

With the future objective to conduct clinical trials in SMA, the proposed project has 3 specific aims: 1) To establish a web-based database that will serve to enroll the patient population and that will facilitate timely recruitment for future clinical trials; (2) to plan for clinical trials by a) developing reliable outcome measures, and (b) establishing the infrastructure needed to carry out efficient clinical trials, (c) convening meetings of preclinical and clinical researchers involved in SMA drug development to select candidate drugs, and (3) to characterize the patient population from a clinical and molecular point of view.

Study Design

• Study Type: Observational
• Actual Enrollment: 120 participants
• Observational Model: Case-Only
• Time Perspective: Prospective
• Official Title: Clinical Study of Spinal Muscular Atrophy
• Study Start Date: May 2005
• Actual Primary Completion Date: August 17, 2011
• Actual Study Completion Date: August 17, 2011

Groups and Cohorts

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures :

1. Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded (HFMSE) [ Time Frame: Up to 36 months ]
   For SMAII/III patients over 2 years of age, we will additionally administer the Hammersmith SMA functional motor scale (H-SMA-FMS), a disease-specific instrument.
2. Gross Motor Function Scale (GMFM) [ Time Frame: Up to 36 months ]
   The GMFM contains 88 items in 5 dimensions: (A) lying and rolling, (B) sitting, (C) crawling, (D) standing, and (E) walking.

Biospecimen Retention:   Samples With DNA

blood and skin tissue

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child, Adult, Older Adult
• Sexes Eligible for Study: All
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

People diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy types I, II, or III before the age of 17.

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Clinical diagnosis of Spinal Muscular Atrophy
• Genetic diagnosis of SMN gene deletion
• Parents or if applicable subjects must give informed consent
• must be capable of complying with the study procedures
• Female subjects of child-bearing potential must agree to undergo pregnancy test prior to radiological studies
• Diagnosis of SMA before age 19 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unstable medical condition precluding participation
• Significant respiratory compromise that would interfere with safe travel to site of evaluation. (The clinical site PI decides when air travel is not recommended and when the patient's location is not within a reasonably safe driving distance (upper limit 150-250 miles)

Contacts and Locations

Locations

United States, New York

Columbia University SMA Clinical Research Center

New York, New York, United States, 10032

Sponsors and Collaborators

Columbia University

The Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation

Investigators

• Principal Investigator: Darryl C De Vivo, MD; Columbia University

More Information

• Responsible Party: Columbia University
• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00443066
• Other Study ID Numbers: AAAB1635; CU52029001 ( Other Identifier: SMA )
• First Posted: March 5, 2007
• Last Update Posted: March 21, 2023
• Last Verified: March 2023

Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:

• Plan to Share IPD: No

Keywords provided by Columbia University:

pediatric; neuromuscular disease

Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Muscular Atrophy; Muscular Atrophy, Spinal; Atrophy; Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Neuromuscular Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Spinal Cord Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Motor Neuron Disease; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases