Targeting a Genetic Mutation in Glycine Metabolism With D-cycloserine

Summary

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of d-cycloserine (DCS) as an augmentation strategy in two psychotic patients with a triplication (4 copies) of the glycine decarboxylase (GLDC) gene. Subjects will first undergo an eight-week open-label arm of treatment with DCS (50 mg/d) followed by six 6-week double-blind placebo-controlled exposures to DCS or placebo. The length of each double-blind arm is limited to six weeks to minimize the length of symptom exacerbation experienced by the subjects when they are receiving placebo. The randomization scheme will allow two consecutive exposures to DCS, but will not allow two consecutive exposures to placebo, again to minimize the length of any symptom exacerbation. At the end of the open-label DCS trial, the following procedures will be carried out: structural MRI (3T), proton 1H MRS (4T), fMRI (3T), steady-state auditory evoked potentials, and electroretinogram recordings. In addition, 1H MRS (4T) for 2 hours after a single oral dose of a DCS will be assessed. Baseline data on all of these measures were previously obtained as part of a different study registered in clinical trials.gov - NCT01720316). Positive, negative, and affective symptoms and neurocognitive function as well as plasma levels of large neutral and large and small neutral and excitatory amino acids and psychotropic drug levels will be assessed periodically. Pharmaceutical grade DCS) or placebo will be compounded and dispensed by the McLean Hospital Pharmacy. The investigators hypothesize that mutation carriers will have reduced endogenous brain glycine and GABA levels and increased brain glutamate and glutamine levels. DCS administration will increase brain glycine in the two carriers compared to baseline and treatment with glycine (0.8g/kg). The investigators hypothesize reduced activation of magnocellular pathways and abnormal ERPs modulated by NMDA in mutation carriers compared with non-carrier family members and controls. . The investigators hypothesize that DCS, but not placebo, will improve positive, negative and affective symptoms as well as neurocognitive function. The investigators also hypothesize that DCS will improve clinical and cognitive functioning, will partially normalize decreased baseline glycine and GABA and increased glutamate and glutamine, and will partially normalize magnocellular pathway activation and abnormal evoked potentials.

Timeline

Start

2015-09-27

Primary completion

2016-09-30

Completion

2017-07-31

Publications

• Background Sebat J, Levy DL, McCarthy SE. Rare structural variants in schizophrenia: one disorder, multiple mutations; one mutation, multiple disorders. Trends Genet. 2009 Dec;25(12):528-35. doi: 10.1016/j.tig.2009.10.004. Epub 2009 Oct 31.
• Background Malhotra D, McCarthy S, Michaelson JJ, Vacic V, Burdick KE, Yoon S, Cichon S, Corvin A, Gary S, Gershon ES, Gill M, Karayiorgou M, Kelsoe JR, Krastoshevsky O, Krause V, Leibenluft E, Levy DL, Makarov V, Bhandari A, Malhotra AK, McMahon FJ, Nothen MM, Potash JB, Rietschel M, Schulze TG, Sebat J. High frequencies of de novo CNVs in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Neuron. 2011 Dec 22;72(6):951-63. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.11.007.
• Background Heinzen EL, Radtke RA, Urban TJ, Cavalleri GL, Depondt C, Need AC, Walley NM, Nicoletti P, Ge D, Catarino CB, Duncan JS, Kasperaviciutey D, Tate SK, Caboclo LO, Sander JW, Clayton L, Linney KN, Shianna KV, Gumbs CE, Smith J, Cronin KD, Maia JM, Doherty CP, Pandolfo M, Duncan JS, Sander JW, Delanty N, Leppert D, Middleton LT, Gibson RA, Johnson MR, Matthews PM, Hosford D, Kalviainen R, Eriksson K, Kantanen A-M, Dorn T, Hansen J, Kramer G, Steinhoff BJ, Wieser H-G, Steinhoff BJ, Kramer G, Hansen J, Dorn T, Zumsteg D, Ortega M, Wood NW, Huxley-Jones J, Mikati M, Gallentine WB, Husain AM, Buckley PG, Stallings RL, Podgoreanu MV, Delanty N, Sisodiya SM, Goldstein DB. Rare deletions at 16p13.11 predispose to a diverse spectrum of sporadic epilepsy syndromes. Am J Hum Genet 2010;86:707-718.
• Background Weiss LA, Shen Y, Korn JM, Arking DE, Miller DT, Fossdal R, Saemundsen E, Stefansson H, Ferreira MA, Green T, Platt OS, Ruderfer DM, Walsh CA, Altshuler D, Chakravarti A, Tanzi RE, Stefansson K, Santangelo SL, Gusella JF, Sklar P, Wu BL, Daly MJ; Autism Consortium. Association between microdeletion and microduplication at 16p11.2 and autism. N Engl J Med. 2008 Feb 14;358(7):667-75. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa075974. Epub 2008 Jan 9.
• Background McCarthy S, Makarov V, Kirov G, Addington A, McClellan J, Yoon S, Perkins D, Dickel DE, Kusenda M, Krastoshevsky O, Krause V, Kumar RA, Grozeva D, Malhotra D, Walsh T, Zackai EH, Kaplan P, Ganesh J, Krantz ID, Spinner NB, Roccanova P, Bhandari A, Pavon K, Lakshmi B, Leotta A, Kendall J, Lee Y, Vacic V, Gary S, Iakoucheva L, Crow TJ, Christian SL, Lieberman J, Stroup S, Lehtimaki T, Puura K, Haldeman-Englert C, Pearl J, Goodell M, Willour VL, DeRosse P, Steele J, Kassem L, Wolff J, Chitkara N, McMahon F, Malhotra AK, Potash JB, Schulze T, Nothen MM, Cichon S, Rietschel M, Leibenluft E, Sutcliffe JS, Skuse D, Gill M, Gallagher L, Mendell NR, Consortium WTCC, Craddock N, Owen MJ, O'Donovan MC, Shaikh TH, Susser E, DeLisi LE, Sullivan PF, Deutsch CK, Rapoport J, Levy DL, King M-C, Sebat J. Microduplications of 16p11.2 are associated with schizophrenia. Nat Genet 2009;41:1223-1227.
• Background Olney JW, Farber NB. Glutamate receptor dysfunction and schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1995 Dec;52(12):998-1007. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1995.03950240016004.
• Background Coyle JT. Glutamate and schizophrenia: beyond the dopamine hypothesis. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2006 Jul-Aug;26(4-6):365-84. doi: 10.1007/s10571-006-9062-8. Epub 2006 Jun 14.
• Background Javitt DC. Glutamate and schizophrenia: phencyclidine, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, and dopamine-glutamate interactions. Int Rev Neurobiol. 2007;78:69-108. doi: 10.1016/S0074-7742(06)78003-5.
• Background Tsai GE, Lin PY. Strategies to enhance N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated neurotransmission in schizophrenia, a critical review and meta-analysis. Curr Pharm Des. 2010;16(5):522-37. doi: 10.2174/138161210790361452.
• Background Lin CH, Lane HY, Tsai GE. Glutamate signaling in the pathophysiology and therapy of schizophrenia. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2012 Feb;100(4):665-77. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2011.03.023. Epub 2011 Apr 1.
• Background Heresco-Levy U, Javitt DC, Ermilov M, Mordel C, Horowitz A, Kelly D. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of glycine adjuvant therapy for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Br J Psychiatry. 1996 Nov;169(5):610-7. doi: 10.1192/bjp.169.5.610.
• Background Heresco-Levy U, Javitt DC, Ermilov M, Mordel C, Silipo G, Lichtenstein M. Efficacy of high-dose glycine in the treatment of enduring negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1999 Jan;56(1):29-36. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.56.1.29.
• Background Heresco-Levy U, Javitt DC. Comparative effects of glycine and D-cycloserine on persistent negative symptoms in schizophrenia: a retrospective analysis. Schizophr Res. 2004 Feb 1;66(2-3):89-96. doi: 10.1016/S0920-9964(03)00129-4.
• Background Tsai G, Yang P, Chung LC, Lange N, Coyle JT. D-serine added to antipsychotics for the treatment of schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry. 1998 Dec 1;44(11):1081-9. doi: 10.1016/s0006-3223(98)00279-0.
• Background Tsai GE, Yang P, Chung LC, Tsai IC, Tsai CW, Coyle JT. D-serine added to clozapine for the treatment of schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry. 1999 Nov;156(11):1822-5. doi: 10.1176/ajp.156.11.1822.
• Background Tsai G, Lane HY, Yang P, Chong MY, Lange N. Glycine transporter I inhibitor, N-methylglycine (sarcosine), added to antipsychotics for the treatment of schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry. 2004 Mar 1;55(5):452-6. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2003.09.012.
• Background Tsai GE, Yang P, Chang YC, Chong MY. D-alanine added to antipsychotics for the treatment of schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry. 2006 Feb 1;59(3):230-4. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.06.032. Epub 2005 Sep 9.
• Background Javitt DC, Silipo G, Cienfuegos A, Shelley AM, Bark N, Park M, Lindenmayer JP, Suckow R, Zukin SR. Adjunctive high-dose glycine in the treatment of schizophrenia. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2001 Dec;4(4):385-91. doi: 10.1017/S1461145701002590.
• Background Goff DC, Tsai G, Manoach DS, Flood J, Darby DG, Coyle JT. D-cycloserine added to clozapine for patients with schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry. 1996 Dec;153(12):1628-30. doi: 10.1176/ajp.153.12.1628.
• Background Lane HY, Liu YC, Huang CL, Chang YC, Liau CH, Perng CH, Tsai GE. Sarcosine (N-methylglycine) treatment for acute schizophrenia: a randomized, double-blind study. Biol Psychiatry. 2008 Jan 1;63(1):9-12. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.04.038. Epub 2007 Jul 20.
• Background Goff DC, Henderson DC, Evins AE, Amico E. A placebo-controlled crossover trial of D-cycloserine added to clozapine in patients with schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry. 1999 Feb 15;45(4):512-4. doi: 10.1016/s0006-3223(98)00367-9.
• Background Evins AE, Fitzgerald SM, Wine L, Rosselli R, Goff DC. Placebo-controlled trial of glycine added to clozapine in schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry. 2000 May;157(5):826-8. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.157.5.826.
• Background van Berckel BN, Evenblij CN, van Loon BJ, Maas MF, van der Geld MA, Wynne HJ, van Ree JM, Kahn RS. D-cycloserine increases positive symptoms in chronic schizophrenic patients when administered in addition to antipsychotics: a double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled study. Neuropsychopharmacology. 1999 Aug;21(2):203-10. doi: 10.1016/S0893-133X(99)00014-7.
• Background Wonodi I, Schwarcz R. Cortical kynurenine pathway metabolism: a novel target for cognitive enhancement in Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull. 2010 Mar;36(2):211-8. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbq002. Epub 2010 Feb 10.
• Background Erhardt S, Schwieler L, Nilsson L, Linderholm K, Engberg G. The kynurenic acid hypothesis of schizophrenia. Physiol Behav. 2007 Sep 10;92(1-2):203-9. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.05.025. Epub 2007 May 21.
• Background Kaufman MJ, Prescot AP, Ongur D, Evins AE, Barros TL, Medeiros CL, Covell J, Wang L, Fava M, Renshaw PF. Oral glycine administration increases brain glycine/creatine ratios in men: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. Psychiatry Res. 2009 Aug 30;173(2):143-9. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2009.03.004. Epub 2009 Jun 24.
• Background Buchanan RW, Javitt DC, Marder SR, Schooler NR, Gold JM, McMahon RP, Heresco-Levy U, Carpenter WT. The Cognitive and Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia Trial (CONSIST): the efficacy of glutamatergic agents for negative symptoms and cognitive impairments. Am J Psychiatry. 2007 Oct;164(10):1593-602. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.06081358.
• Background Goff DC, Tsai G, Levitt J, Amico E, Manoach D, Schoenfeld DA, Hayden DL, McCarley R, Coyle JT. A placebo-controlled trial of D-cycloserine added to conventional neuroleptics in patients with schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1999 Jan;56(1):21-7. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.56.1.21.
• Background Goff DC, Herz L, Posever T, Shih V, Tsai G, Henderson DC, Freudenreich O, Evins AE, Yovel I, Zhang H, Schoenfeld D. A six-month, placebo-controlled trial of D-cycloserine co-administered with conventional antipsychotics in schizophrenia patients. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2005 Apr;179(1):144-50. doi: 10.1007/s00213-004-2032-2. Epub 2004 Oct 21.
• Background Goff DC, Cather C, Gottlieb JD, Evins AE, Walsh J, Raeke L, Otto MW, Schoenfeld D, Green MF. Once-weekly D-cycloserine effects on negative symptoms and cognition in schizophrenia: an exploratory study. Schizophr Res. 2008 Dec;106(2-3):320-7. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2008.08.012. Epub 2008 Sep 16.
• Background Heresco-Levy U, Javitt DC, Ermilov M, Silipo G, Shimoni J. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of D-cycloserine adjuvant therapy for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 1998 Dec;1(2):131-135. doi: 10.1017/S1461145798001242.
• Background Heresco-Levy U, Ermilov M, Shimoni J, Shapira B, Silipo G, Javitt DC. Placebo-controlled trial of D-cycloserine added to conventional neuroleptics, olanzapine, or risperidone in schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry. 2002 Mar;159(3):480-2. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.159.3.480.
• Background Prescot AP, de B Frederick B, Wang L, Brown J, Jensen JE, Kaufman MJ, Renshaw PF. In vivo detection of brain glycine with echo-time-averaged (1)H magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 4.0 T. Magn Reson Med. 2006 Mar;55(3):681-6. doi: 10.1002/mrm.20807.
• Background Martinez A, Hillyard SA, Dias EC, Hagler DJ Jr, Butler PD, Guilfoyle DN, Jalbrzikowski M, Silipo G, Javitt DC. Magnocellular pathway impairment in schizophrenia: evidence from functional magnetic resonance imaging. J Neurosci. 2008 Jul 23;28(30):7492-500. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1852-08.2008.
• Background Butler PD, Schechter I, Zemon V, Schwartz SG, Greenstein VC, Gordon J, Schroeder CE, Javitt DC. Dysfunction of early-stage visual processing in schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry. 2001 Jul;158(7):1126-33. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.158.7.1126.
• Background Jensen JE, Licata SC, Ongur D, Friedman SD, Prescot AP, Henry ME, Renshaw PF. Quantification of J-resolved proton spectra in two-dimensions with LCModel using GAMMA-simulated basis sets at 4 Tesla. NMR Biomed. 2009 Aug;22(7):762-9. doi: 10.1002/nbm.1390.
• Background Ongur D, Jensen JE, Prescot AP, Stork C, Lundy M, Cohen BM, Renshaw PF. Abnormal glutamatergic neurotransmission and neuronal-glial interactions in acute mania. Biol Psychiatry. 2008 Oct 15;64(8):718-726. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.05.014. Epub 2008 Jul 7.
• Results Duncan EJ, Szilagyi S, Schwartz MP, Bugarski-Kirola D, Kunzova A, Negi S, Stephanides M, Efferen TR, Angrist B, Peselow E, Corwin J, Gonzenbach S, Rotrosen JP. Effects of D-cycloserine on negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res. 2004 Dec 1;71(2-3):239-48. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2004.03.013.
• Bodkin JA, Coleman MJ, Godfrey LJ, Carvalho CMB, Morgan CJ, Suckow RF, Anderson T, Ongur D, Kaufman MJ, Lewandowski KE, Siegel AJ, Waldstreicher E, Grochowski CM, Javitt DC, Rujescu D, Hebbring S, Weinshilboum R, Rodriguez SB, Kirchhoff C, Visscher T, Vuckovic A, Fialkowski A, McCarthy S, Malhotra D, Sebat J, Goff DC, Hudson JI, Lupski JR, Coyle JT, Rudolph U, Levy DL. Targeted Treatment of Individuals With Psychosis Carrying a Copy Number Variant Containing a Genomic Triplication of the Glycine Decarboxylase Gene. Biol Psychiatry. 2019 Oct 1;86(7):523-535. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.04.031. Epub 2019 May 9.

Drugs

Indications