Active clinical trials for "MELAS Syndrome"

MELAS patients suffer from exercise intolerance, weakness, poor vision or blindness, poor growth, developmental delay, and deafness. They also have unique 'stroke-like' episodes (SLEs) which are not due to blockages of large or medium arteries. These 'strokes' are thought to be due to energy failure of very small brain blood vessels combined with energy failure in the mitochondria (cell battery) of the brain cells, especially in the back region of the brain in the vision centre. This leads to visual loss and paralysis. The overall goal of this study is to better understand the mechanism of these SLEs at the level of the brain cells and small blood vessels.

Mitochondrial diseases, estimated prevalence 1 in 4,300 adults, is caused by pathogenic mutations in genes finally encoding for mitochondrial proteins of the various enzyme complexes of the OXPHOS. Among these mutations, the 3243A>G nucleotide change in the mitochondrially encoded transfer RNALeu(UUR) leucine 1 gene (MT TL 1) is the most prevalent one. The OXPHOS dysfunction resulting from such mutations leads to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), ultimately leading to irreversible oxidative damage of macromolecules, or to more selective and reversible redox modulation of cell signaling that may impact (adult) neurogenesis. Despite advances in the understanding of mitochondrial disorders, treatment options are extremely limited and, to date, largely supportive. Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel treatments. KH176, a new active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), is an orally bio-available small molecule under development for the treatment of these disorders (see Section 1.4). The current study will further evaluate the effect of KH176 in various cognitive domains and evaluate the effect of different doses of KH176 (See Section 1.5). In view of the growing recognition of the importance of mitochondrial function in maintaining cognitive processes in the brain, as well as the understanding of the safety profile and pharmacokinetics of KH176 following the two clinical studies described above, a more detailed study is indicated of the effects of KH176 in various cognitive domains, using the confirmed safe and well-tolerated KH176 dose of 100 mg bid, as well as a lower dose of 50 mg bid. The primary objective is an evaluation of KH176 in the attention domain of cognitive functioning, as assessed by the visual identification test score of the Cogstate computerised cognitive testing battery.

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of two (2) different doses of idebenone with that of a placebo over a one month period on cerebral lactate concentration as measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The current study is a prospective evaluation of the ability of ketosis to shift mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) heteroplasmy in subjects harboring a known mutation in their mtDNA at position 3243 (A>G). Subjects will be given supplemental medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) for a period of 6 months. mtDNA heteroplasmy will be measured 3 months prior to treatment, at treatment initiation, and 6 months after initiation. The primary objective of the current study is to determine if there is a shift in heteroplasmy in patients harboring the 3243 A>G mtDNA mutation to a more favorable (higher wild-type) profile while in a state of ketosis.

This pilot clinical study evaluated the safety and metabolic responses to a licensed inactivated seasonal influenza vaccine (TIV) in mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes syndrome (MELAS) volunteers and controls.

Patients with the MELAS syndrome experience devastating mental impairment. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of the drug dichloroacetate (DCA) to reduce the symptoms of MELAS.

OBJECTIVES: I. Study the metabolism of pyruvate and related problems in patients with lactic acidemia. II. Define the nature of the metabolic defect.

Mitochondrial diseases are multisystem disorders that present with a wide range of clinical manifestations. Mitochondrial DNA nt3243A>G mutation is one of the most common mutations seen in mitochondrial diseases. Syndromes associated with this mutation include mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS), maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD), myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibers (MERRF), and chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO). Clinical analyses of mitochondrial DNA nt3243A>G mutation from Taiwan remain scarce. The present study aims to investigate the clinical features and prognostic factors of patients with mt3243A>G mutation in Taiwan.