Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Biomarkers for Muscular Dystrophy

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Clinical Trial

Official title:

Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Biomarkers for Muscular Dystrophy

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01484678
• Other study ID #: IRB201700056-N
• Secondary ID: R01AR056973176-2
• Status: Recruiting
• Start date: September 1, 2020
• Est. completion date: August 31, 2025

Study information

• Verified date: June 2023
• Source: University of Florida
• Contact: Krista Vandenborne, PhD
• Phone: 352-273-6100
• Email: kvandenb[@]phhp.ufl.edu
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this research study is to determine the potential of magnetic resonance imaging, spectroscopy, and whole body imaging to monitor disease progression and to serve as an objective outcome measure for clinical trials in Muscular Dystrophy (MD).

The investigators will compare the muscles of ambulatory or non-ambulatory boys/men with DMD with muscles of healthy individuals of the same age and monitor disease progression in those with DMD over a 5-10 year period. The amount of muscle damage and fat that the investigators measure will also be related to performance in daily activities, such as walking and the loss of muscle strength. In a small group of subjects the investigators will also assess the effect of corticosteroid drugs on the muscle measurements.

Additionally, the investigators will map the progression of Becker MD following adults with this rare disease. The primary objective is to conduct a multi-centered study to validate the potential of non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy to monitor disease progression and to serve as a noninvasive surrogate outcome measure for clinical trials in DMD and BMD. The secondary objective is to characterize the progressive involvement of the lower extremity, upper extremity, trunk/respiratory muscles in boys/men with DMD and BMD guiding clinical trials.

Description:

The overall objective of this proposal is to validate the potential of noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy (MRS) to monitor disease progression and to serve as an outcome measure for clinical trials in muscular dystrophies. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is one of the most devastating genetically linked neuromuscular diseases and is characterized by the absence of dystrophin, resulting in progressive muscle weakness, loss of walking ability and premature death. Despite the poor prognosis therapeutic interventions have been lacking, and outcome measures for clinical trials have been limited to measures of muscle function, quality of life, serum biomarkers of muscle breakdown and invasive muscle biopsies. Closely related to DMD, Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) has also been largely neglected in therapeutic development, due to its heterogeneity, small patient population, lack of outcome measures and uncertainty surrounding the patterns of disease progression, which may be mutation-dependent. Additional quantitative outcome measures that are noninvasive and sensitive to changes in muscle structure and composition are needed to facilitate the rapid translation of promising new interventions from preclinical studies to clinical trials in both forms of muscular dystrophy. As such, this project targets the development and validation of magnetic resonance as a noninvasive biomarker of disease progression in muscular dystrophy. Using a multi-site research design this study will characterize the intramuscular lipid content, cellular muscle damage and contractile area in the lower and/or upper extremity muscles of 200 ambulatory or non-ambulatory boys/men with DMD, 105 ambulatory or non-ambulatory men with BMD, and 110 healthy age matched boys/men using a combination of sophisticated MRI and MRS technologies. The trunk and respiratory muscles will be characterized in a subgroup of subjects (80 DMD, 20 BMD and 10 controls). In order to assess the sensitivity of each MR measure individually as well as composite MR measures (combination of muscles) to disease progression, all boys/men with DMD or BMD will be re-evaluated in yearly or 6 month intervals. The predictive outcome value of MRI/MRS will be further evaluated by determining the relationship between changes in MR measures and loss in muscle strength and/or functional ability. Using MRI/MRS we will also examine the effect of initiating corticosteroid treatment on skeletal muscle characteristics and composition. Examination of muscles in BMD patients will allow us to increase our understanding of how much dystrophin is needed to protect the muscle. To this end we will specifically examine the relationship between the MR phenotype (e.g. fast or slow increases in fat fraction) and dystrophin mutations, dystrophin expression and other histological markers. Finally, to ensure the rigor of this study we will examine the day-day reproducibility, inter MR system reproducibility and inter-validate the MR measures using localized MRS (golden standard). We anticipate that the MR techniques developed and validated in this study will be suitable for clinical trials in a wide range of muscular dystrophies and other neuromuscular diseases. In addition, MR characterization may serve as a powerful tool to further advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of muscular dystrophy and help guide the design of future trials.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 550
• Est. completion date: August 31, 2025
• Est. primary completion date: August 31, 2025
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Male
• Age group: 5 Years to 62 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria for boys with DMD:

1. Ambulatory and non-ambulatory males (ages 5-30 at baseline testing) previously diagnosed with DMD based on:

• clinical features with onset of symptoms before age five

• elevated serum creatine kinase level or

• absence of dystrophin expression, as determined by immunostain or western blot (<2%) and/or DNA confirmation of a dystrophin mutation *Subjects will not be excluded based on corticosteroid treatment or other clinical trials

Inclusion Criteria for adults with Becker MD:

1. Ambulatory males (ages 18-62) without disease or injury to the lower extremities

2. Specific recruitment of a subset of individuals with deletion mutations in the dystrophin gene involving either exon 51 or exon 45.

Inclusion Criteria for age matched controls for Becker MD subjects:

1. Ambulatory males (ages 18-62) without disease or injury to the lower and/or upper extremities will be eligible to participate in this study

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Males with a contraindication to an MR examination

2. Males with unstable medical problems

3. Males who are not able to cooperate during testing

4. Males with a secondary condition that may impact muscle metabolism, muscle function or functional ability (i.e. cerebral palsy, endocrine disorders, mitochondrial disease)

5. Daytime ventilation

6. Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator- (ICD) or pace maker

7. Healthy boys/men who participate in competitive sports specific training in excess of 8 hours per week

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Becker Muscular Dystrophy
• Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
• Muscular Dystrophies
• Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	University of Florida	Gainesville	Florida
United States	Children's Hospital of Philadelphia	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania
United States	Oregon Health and Science University	Portland	Oregon

Sponsors (5)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Florida	Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), Oregon Health and Science University, Shriners Hospitals for Children

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (23)

Akima H, Lott D, Senesac C, Deol J, Germain S, Arpan I, Bendixen R, Lee Sweeney H, Walter G, Vandenborne K. Relationships of thigh muscle contractile and non-contractile tissue with function, strength, and age in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Neuromuscul Disord. 2012 Jan;22(1):16-25. doi: 10.1016/j.nmd.2011.06.750. Epub 2011 Jul 31. — View Citation

Arora H, Willcocks RJ, Lott DJ, Harrington AT, Senesac CR, Zilke KL, Daniels MJ, Xu D, Tennekoon GI, Finanger EL, Russman BS, Finkel RS, Triplett WT, Byrne BJ, Walter GA, Sweeney HL, Vandenborne K. Longitudinal timed function tests in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: ImagingDMD cohort natural history. Muscle Nerve. 2018 Nov;58(5):631-638. doi: 10.1002/mus.26161. Epub 2018 Jul 24. — View Citation

Arpan I, Forbes SC, Lott DJ, Senesac CR, Daniels MJ, Triplett WT, Deol JK, Sweeney HL, Walter GA, Vandenborne K. T(2) mapping provides multiple approaches for the characterization of muscle involvement in neuromuscular diseases: a cross-sectional study of lower leg muscles in 5-15-year-old boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. NMR Biomed. 2013 Mar;26(3):320-8. doi: 10.1002/nbm.2851. Epub 2012 Oct 9. — View Citation

Arpan I, Willcocks RJ, Forbes SC, Finkel RS, Lott DJ, Rooney WD, Triplett WT, Senesac CR, Daniels MJ, Byrne BJ, Finanger EL, Russman BS, Wang DJ, Tennekoon GI, Walter GA, Sweeney HL, Vandenborne K. Examination of effects of corticosteroids on skeletal muscles of boys with DMD using MRI and MRS. Neurology. 2014 Sep 9;83(11):974-80. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000775. Epub 2014 Aug 6. — View Citation

Barnard AM, Lott DJ, Batra A, Triplett WT, Forbes SC, Riehl SL, Willcocks RJ, Smith BK, Vandenborne K, Walter GA. Imaging respiratory muscle quality and function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. J Neurol. 2019 Nov;266(11):2752-2763. doi: 10.1007/s00415-019-09481-z. Epub 2019 Jul 26. — View Citation

Barnard AM, Riehl SL, Willcocks RJ, Walter GA, Angell AM, Vandenborne K. Characterizing Enrollment in Observational Studies of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy by Race and Ethnicity. J Neuromuscul Dis. 2020;7(2):167-173. doi: 10.3233/JND-190447. — View Citation

Barnard AM, Willcocks RJ, Finanger EL, Daniels MJ, Triplett WT, Rooney WD, Lott DJ, Forbes SC, Wang DJ, Senesac CR, Harrington AT, Finkel RS, Russman BS, Byrne BJ, Tennekoon GI, Walter GA, Sweeney HL, Vandenborne K. Skeletal muscle magnetic resonance biomarkers correlate with function and sentinel events in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. PLoS One. 2018 Mar 19;13(3):e0194283. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194283. eCollection 2018. — View Citation

Barnard AM, Willcocks RJ, Triplett WT, Forbes SC, Daniels MJ, Chakraborty S, Lott DJ, Senesac CR, Finanger EL, Harrington AT, Tennekoon G, Arora H, Wang DJ, Sweeney HL, Rooney WD, Walter GA, Vandenborne K. MR biomarkers predict clinical function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Neurology. 2020 Mar 3;94(9):e897-e909. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000009012. Epub 2020 Feb 5. — View Citation

Batra A, Vohra RS, Chrzanowski SM, Hammers DW, Lott DJ, Vandenborne K, Walter GA, Forbes SC. Effects of PDE5 inhibition on dystrophic muscle following an acute bout of downhill running and endurance training. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2019 Jun 1;126(6):1737-1745. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00664.2018. Epub 2019 Apr 4. — View Citation

Bendixen RM, Lott DJ, Senesac C, Mathur S, Vandenborne K. Participation in daily life activities and its relationship to strength and functional measures in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Disabil Rehabil. 2014;36(22):1918-23. doi: 10.3109/09638288.2014.883444. Epub 2014 Feb 6. — View Citation

Chrzanowski SM, Baligand C, Willcocks RJ, Deol J, Schmalfuss I, Lott DJ, Daniels MJ, Senesac C, Walter GA, Vandenborne K. Multi-slice MRI reveals heterogeneity in disease distribution along the length of muscle in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Acta Myol. 2017 Sep 1;36(3):151-162. eCollection 2017 Sep. — View Citation

Forbes SC, Arora H, Willcocks RJ, Triplett WT, Rooney WD, Barnard AM, Alabasi U, Wang DJ, Lott DJ, Senesac CR, Harrington AT, Finanger EL, Tennekoon GI, Brandsema J, Daniels MJ, Sweeney HL, Walter GA, Vandenborne K. Upper and Lower Extremities in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Evaluated with Quantitative MRI and Proton MR Spectroscopy in a Multicenter Cohort. Radiology. 2020 Jun;295(3):616-625. doi: 10.1148/radiol.2020192210. Epub 2020 Apr 14. — View Citation

Forbes SC, Walter GA, Rooney WD, Wang DJ, DeVos S, Pollaro J, Triplett W, Lott DJ, Willcocks RJ, Senesac C, Daniels MJ, Byrne BJ, Russman B, Finkel RS, Meyer JS, Sweeney HL, Vandenborne K. Skeletal muscles of ambulant children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: validation of multicenter study of evaluation with MR imaging and MR spectroscopy. Radiology. 2013 Oct;269(1):198-207. doi: 10.1148/radiol.13121948. Epub 2013 May 21. — View Citation

Forbes SC, Willcocks RJ, Rooney WD, Walter GA, Vandenborne K. MRI quantifies neuromuscular disease progression. Lancet Neurol. 2016 Jan;15(1):26-8. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(15)00320-8. Epub 2015 Nov 6. No abstract available. — View Citation

Forbes SC, Willcocks RJ, Triplett WT, Rooney WD, Lott DJ, Wang DJ, Pollaro J, Senesac CR, Daniels MJ, Finkel RS, Russman BS, Byrne BJ, Finanger EL, Tennekoon GI, Walter GA, Sweeney HL, Vandenborne K. Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy assessment of lower extremity skeletal muscles in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a multicenter cross sectional study. PLoS One. 2014 Sep 9;9(9):e106435. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106435. eCollection 2014. Erratum In: PLoS One. 2014;9(10):e111822. — View Citation

Lott DJ, Taivassalo T, Senesac CR, Willcocks RJ, Harrington AM, Zilke K, Cunkle H, Powers C, Finanger EL, Rooney WD, Tennekoon GI, Vandenborne K. Walking activity in a large cohort of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Muscle Nerve. 2021 Feb;63(2):192-198. doi: 10.1002/mus.27119. Epub 2020 Nov 27. — View Citation

Rooney WD, Berlow YA, Triplett WT, Forbes SC, Willcocks RJ, Wang DJ, Arpan I, Arora H, Senesac C, Lott DJ, Tennekoon G, Finkel R, Russman BS, Finanger EL, Chakraborty S, O'Brien E, Moloney B, Barnard A, Sweeney HL, Daniels MJ, Walter GA, Vandenborne K. Modeling disease trajectory in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Neurology. 2020 Apr 14;94(15):e1622-e1633. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000009244. Epub 2020 Mar 17. — View Citation

Senesac CR, Barnard AM, Lott DJ, Nair KS, Harrington AT, Willcocks RJ, Zilke KL, Rooney WD, Walter GA, Vandenborne K. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Studies in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Linking Findings to the Physical Therapy Clinic. Phys Ther. 2020 Oct 30;100(11):2035-2048. doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzaa140. — View Citation

Senesac CR, Lott DJ, Forbes SC, Mathur S, Arpan I, Senesac ES, Walter GA, Vandenborne K. Longitudinal Evaluation of Muscle Composition Using Magnetic Resonance in 4 Boys With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Case Series. Phys Ther. 2015 Jul;95(7):978-88. doi: 10.2522/ptj.20140234. Epub 2015 Jan 15. — View Citation

Triplett WT, Baligand C, Forbes SC, Willcocks RJ, Lott DJ, DeVos S, Pollaro J, Rooney WD, Sweeney HL, Bonnemann CG, Wang DJ, Vandenborne K, Walter GA. Chemical shift-based MRI to measure fat fractions in dystrophic skeletal muscle. Magn Reson Med. 2014 Jul;72(1):8-19. doi: 10.1002/mrm.24917. Epub 2013 Sep 4. — View Citation

Willcocks RJ, Arpan IA, Forbes SC, Lott DJ, Senesac CR, Senesac E, Deol J, Triplett WT, Baligand C, Daniels MJ, Sweeney HL, Walter GA, Vandenborne K. Longitudinal measurements of MRI-T2 in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: effects of age and disease progression. Neuromuscul Disord. 2014 May;24(5):393-401. doi: 10.1016/j.nmd.2013.12.012. Epub 2014 Jan 11. — View Citation

Willcocks RJ, Forbes SC, Walter GA, Vandenborne K. Magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of injection site reactions after long-term subcutaneous delivery of drisapersen. Eur J Pediatr. 2019 May;178(5):777-778. doi: 10.1007/s00431-019-03349-0. Epub 2019 Feb 21. No abstract available. — View Citation

Willcocks RJ, Triplett WT, Forbes SC, Arora H, Senesac CR, Lott DJ, Nicholson TR, Rooney WD, Walter GA, Vandenborne K. Magnetic resonance imaging of the proximal upper extremity musculature in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. J Neurol. 2017 Jan;264(1):64-71. doi: 10.1007/s00415-016-8311-0. Epub 2016 Oct 24. — View Citation

* Note: There are 23 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change from baseline in intramuscular lipid up to 3-10 years	In BMD and DMD, the from baseline in intramuscular lipid of upper/ lower extremity and trunk/respiratory muscles, as well as composite measures.; MR measures of intramuscular lipid will be measured in yearly intervals for a period up to 3-10 years.	Change in baseline up to 3-10 years
Primary	Change from baseline in muscle T2 up to 3 months in DMD	In a subgroup of subjects the effect of corticosteroids on muscle T2 will be measured at 3 and 6 months. Muscle T2 is a noninvasive marker of muscle damage/inflammation and will be measured using MR. This substudy requires its own Primary and Secondary Outcome measures.	Change in baseline up to 3 months
Primary	Correlation between MR measures of intramuscular lipid, functional endpoints and histological markers.	In both BMD and DMD, the correlation between MR measures and functional endpoints will be determined, as well as the ability of MR measures to predict future change and loss in function.	Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Secondary	Change from baseline in muscle T2 up to 5-10 years	Muscle T2 will be measured in the lower extremity and/or upper extremity muscles using MR at yearly intervals up to 5-10 years.; We will report the change for each year interval.	Change in baseline up to 5-10 years
Secondary	Change from baseline in muscle contractile area up to 5-10 years	Muscle contractile area will be measured in the lower extremity and/or upper extremity muscles using MR at yearly intervals up to 5 years. We will report the change for each year interval.	change in baseline up to 5-10 years
Secondary	Change from baseline in muscle T2 at 6 months	In a subgroup of subjects the effect of corticosteroids on muscle T2 will be measured at 3 and 6 months. Muscle T2 is a noninvasive marker of muscle damage/inflammation and will be measured using MR. This substudy requires its own Primary and Secondary Outcome measures.	Change in baseline up to 6 months

External Links

•   Study Website