Aclarubicin for the Treatment of Retinal Vasculopathy With Cerebral Leukodystrophy

Summary

The goal of the investigator is to utilize Aclarubicin to treat patients with Retinal Vasculopathy with Cerebral Leukodystrophy (RVCL), a rare and devastating genetic disease with no available specific treatment. RVCL results from a mutation in the tail end of the TREX1 (Three Prime Repair Exonuclease 1) gene, a major deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair enzyme. The RVCL-specific mutations cause expression of a truncated and mislocalized protein. RVCL is an inherited disorder whose symptoms begin at middle age and initially predominantly affects the eye and brain. Because it is an 'autosomal dominant' disease, it strikes both males and females equally. A person with RVCL has a 50-50 chance of transmitting the gene to each child. The investigator's published studies demonstrated in a mouse model for RVCL and in vitro studies with patients' cells that defects were corrected by use of Aclarubicin, an anthracycline antibiotic often used to treat cancer. Thus, there is a strong rationale for conducting a clinical trial of aclarubicin in patients with RVCL. The dosage to be initially administered to RVCL patients initially will be \< 10% of that typically used in cancer therapeutics and will be given monthly on four consecutive days for six months. Patients will undergo assessments every six months to determine disease response. Patients that do not have clear objective response may be dose escalated by 1 dose level with permission of the principal investigator permitting the patient has not previously experienced any toxicities requiring dose modifications. We will evaluate the safety and clinical efficacy of Aclarubicin for the treatment of RVCL and evaluate its effects on cellular function. This work will generate the first clinical research data on the investigational product's utility in treating RVCL. Patients are followed for at least 2 years upon completion of Aclarubicin administration completion. We are not longer administering the drug, but are in the post-drug follow up arm of the study.

Timeline

Start

2016-12-05

Primary completion

2020-07-23

Completion

2020-07-23

Publications

• Background Hasan M, Fermaintt CS, Gao N, Sakai T, Miyazaki T, Jiang S, Li QZ, Atkinson JP, Morse HC 3rd, Lehrman MA, Yan N. Cytosolic Nuclease TREX1 Regulates Oligosaccharyltransferase Activity Independent of Nuclease Activity to Suppress Immune Activation. Immunity. 2015 Sep 15;43(3):463-74. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2015.07.022. Epub 2015 Aug 25.
• Background Kavanagh D, Spitzer D, Kothari PH, Shaikh A, Liszewski MK, Richards A, Atkinson JP. New roles for the major human 3'-5' exonuclease TREX1 in human disease. Cell Cycle. 2008 Jun 15;7(12):1718-25. doi: 10.4161/cc.7.12.6162. Epub 2008 Jun 16.
• Background Karanes C, Young JD, Samson MK, Smith LB, Franco LA, Baker LH. Phase I trial of aclacinomycin-A. A clinical and pharmacokinetic study. Invest New Drugs. 1983;1(2):173-9. doi: 10.1007/BF00172077.
• Background Kerpel-Fronius S, Gyergyay F, Hindy I, Decker A, Sawinsky I, Faller K, Mechl Z, Nekulova M, Kolaric K, Tomek R, et al. Phase I-II trial of aclacinomycin A given in a four-consecutive-day schedule to patients with solid tumours. A South-East European Oncology Group (SEEOG) Study. Oncology. 1987;44(3):159-63. doi: 10.1159/000226469.
• Background Case DC Jr, Ervin TJ, Boyd MA, Bove LG, Sonneborn HL, Paul SD. Phase II study of aclarubicin in acute myeloblastic leukemia. Am J Clin Oncol. 1987 Dec;10(6):523-6. doi: 10.1097/00000421-198712000-00014.
• Background Stam AH, Kothari PH, Shaikh A, Gschwendter A, Jen JC, Hodgkinson S, Hardy TA, Hayes M, Kempster PA, Kotschet KE, Bajema IM, van Duinen SG, Maat-Schieman MLC, de Jong PTVM, de Smet MD, de Wolff-Rouendaal D, Dijkman G, Pelzer N, Kolar GR, Schmidt RE, Lacey J, Joseph D, Fintak DR, Grand MG, Brunt EM, Liapis H, Hajj-Ali RA, Kruit MC, van Buchem MA, Dichgans M, Frants RR, van den Maagdenberg AMJM, Haan J, Baloh RW, Atkinson JP, Terwindt GM, Ferrari MD. Retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukoencephalopathy and systemic manifestations. Brain. 2016 Nov 1;139(11):2909-2922. doi: 10.1093/brain/aww217.

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