Active clinical trials for "Motor Neuron Disease"

The project focuses on C9orf72, the most frequent genetic form of frontotemporal dementias (FTD, or frontotemporal lobar degeneration, FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). FTD is the second commonest cause of degenerative dementia in presenium after Alzheimer's disease. Behavioural and cognitive impairments progressively lead to dementia. ALS produces progressive muscle weakness leading to the death in 2 to 4 years. Since 2006, major discoveries have linked FTLD and ALS: TDP-43 aggregates in neurons and C9orf72 mutations is a major genetic cause in both disorders. Two major pathological subtypes are now defined in FTD, FTD-TDP and FTD-TAU. C9orf72 mutations (associated to FTD-TDP) are the most frequent genetic causes of FTD (15%), FTD-ALS (65%) and ALS (40%). FTD is difficult at an early stage; and no clinical, biological or imaging features can predict the underlying pathology in living patients. Therapeutic perspectives emerged against tau aggregation, progranulin deficit and C9orf72 expansion (antisense). Presymptomatic carriers of genetic FTD would benefit, before onset of symptoms, from these therapeutic that would delay or prevent the disease. At this step, it becomes crucial to develop markers to know how many years before symptoms, does the pathological progress begin, to treat the patients at the most early stage of the disease. Markers are also needed to predict the pathology (FTD-TDP/FTD-tau) in patients that will be eligible for trials targeting specific pathological lesion.

Individuals with th Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis are at high risk for swallowing impairment (dysphagia) which leads to malnutrition, decreased pulmonary health, aspiration and aspiration pneumonia. These sequelae necessitate timely identification of at risk individuals to ensure optimal management of oral intake and pulmonary function. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the discriminant ability of several non-invasive screening tools at detecting swallowing impairment in individuals with ALS.

Arimoclomol is a small molecule that upregulates "molecular chaperones" in cells under stress. Arimoclomol extends survival by five weeks when given both pre-symptomatically and at disease onset in a mutant superoxide dismutase (SOD1) transgenic mouse model of ALS. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated to have neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects in other rat models of nerve damage. Molecular chaperone proteins are critical in the cellular response to stress and protein misfolding. Recent data suggest that the SOD1 mutation responsible for ALS in some patients with familial disease reduces the availability of a variety of molecular chaperones, and thus weakens their ability to respond to cellular stress. Protein misfolding and consequent aggregation may play a role in the pathogenesis of both the familial and sporadic forms of ALS. Therapeutic agents such as arimoclomol that improve cellular chaperone response to protein misfolding may be helpful in ALS.

ALS is a debilitating disease with varied etiology characterized by rapidly progressive weakness, muscle atrophy and fasciculations, muscle spasticity, difficulty speaking (dysarthria), difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), and difficulty breathing (dyspnea). ALS is the most common of the five motor neuron diseases.Riluzole (Rilutek) is the only treatment that has been found to improve survival but only to a modest extent. It lengthens survival by several months, and may have a greater survival benefit for those with a bulbar onset. It also extends the time before a person needs ventilation support.Stem cell transplantation is a new hopeful way to improve the patients conditions and reduce the period of disabilities.

The effect of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells on Motor Neuron Disease/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis patients.

Fifty patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that is progressing rapidly will be randomized to receive either the monoclonal antibody IC14 or placebo to be given intravenously over two hours twice weekly for 12 weeks. Blood and urine tests will be done to measure biomarkers in order to evaluate clinical response and to monitor for safety. Other evaluations include patient questionnaires about function, quality of life and mental function; pulmonary function test; and sniff nasal pressure.

REPAIR-ALS is a single-center open label pilot, sequential group, investigator and patient blinded study to assess the CNS metabolic effects, safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of CNM-Au8 in patients who have been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) within twelve (12) months of Screening. The primary endpoint is the ratio of the oxidized to reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+:NADH) measured non-invasively by 31phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS).

The Synchron Motor Neuroprosthesis (MNP) is intended to be used in subjects with severe motor impairment, unresponsive to medical or rehabilitative therapy and a persistent functioning motor cortex. The purpose of this research is to evaluate safety and feasibility. The MNP is a type of implantable brain computer interface which bypasses dysfunctional motor neurons. The device is designed to restore the transmission of neural signal from the cerebral cortex utilized for neuromuscular control of digital devices, resulting in a successful execution of non-mechanical digital commands.

This is a multicenter, Phase 2a, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study to assess the biological activity, safety and pharmacokinetics of PU-AD compared to placebo in ALS. It will be conducted in approximately 20 sites in the US. Approximately 30 subjects will be enrolled in this study; subjects will be randomized 3:2 to receive either PU-AD 30 mg or matching placebo qd, added onto any current stable background treatment.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of central and peripheral motor neurons. ALS leads to death usually within 3 to 5 years from the onset of the symptoms. Available treatment can prolong the disease duration but cannot modify the disease course. Apathy is a frequent complication of ALS, affecting up to 30% of patients and affecting negatively the survival. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive method of modulation of brain plasticity with confirmed beneficial effect on apathy in several neurologic and psychiatric conditions. The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of rTMS in improving the apathy in patients with ALS with placebo stimulation.