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Contact: Elizabeth Dowling
Mount Sinai Press Office
212-241-9200
[email protected]
The ADNP gene affects brain formation, development, and function, and the protein produced from it helps control the expression of other genes. Individuals with the disorder produce roughly half of the proper amount of protein. ADNP mutations are one of the most common single-gene causes of autism spectrum disorder.
The potential of ketamine as a treatment modality for ADNP syndrome was identified by mediKanren, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that scans medical literature and uses AI reasoning. Using that information, two parents of children with ADNP syndrome—Matt Davis, MD, and Sandra Sermone, founder of the ADNP Kids Research Foundation—began their own analysis by scouring medical literature and processing the results. They found several animal model studies that showed ketamine was able to boost ADNP production in brain cells. The parents presented the evidence and their hypothesis to Joseph Buxbaum, PhD, Director of the Seaver Autism Center, who agreed that this was a potentially viable approach.
The use of a precision medicine approach considers individual variability in genes and lifestyle for each person and enables researchers to more accurately predict which treatment and prevention strategies for a particular disease will work in which groups of people.
“If we can replicate the increase in ADNP protein production in humans, it could be a major breakthrough to help reduce negative effects of this devastating disorder,” said Alexander Kolevzon, MD, Clinical Director of the Seaver Autism Center.
The Phase 2a, single dose, open-label study is the first clinical trial for ADNP syndrome. The Seaver Autism Center will enroll 10 participants, ages 5 to 12, at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Participants will receive one low-dose infusion of ketamine for 40 minutes and be monitored for four weeks. At each clinic visit, participants will undergo safety monitoring, clinical evaluations, and biomarker studies using electrophysiology and eye tracking.
“We believe our precision medicine approach to rare disorders such as ADNP syndrome is the gateway to future therapeutics for idiopathic autism,” said Ana Kostic, PhD, Director of Drug Discovery and Development at the Seaver Autism Center.
Ketamine was approved for use in the United States in 1970. It is used in anesthesia and pain management, and recently as a treatment for depression. By repurposing an already approved drug such as ketamine, the regulatory approval process may be expedited. With positive results, this study could help lead to a treatment for ADNP syndrome years earlier than what would be possible when starting with a new compound.
“To date, ADNP syndrome has no FDA-approved treatment options and if the trial is successful, this could be the first viable treatment for children who suffer with this debilitating condition and have an urgent, unmet need,” said Ms. Sermone. “We are hopeful that ketamine may benefit not only ADNP Syndrome, but other forms of autism or related neurological conditions where upregulation of ADNP may be therapeutic. If so, that could open the door to help a much larger population of patients.”
About the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment
The Seaver Autism Center is one of the most recognized institutions of its kind in the world because of its ability to translate breakthroughs in the lab to clinical trials that bring cutting-edge treatment to individuals affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and associated neurodevelopmental disorders. We offer compassionate care, including assessment and behavioral health services, to children and families, as well as educational and community outreach programs. Founded in 1993 and located at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, families come from around the world to seek our services and the expert counsel of our team of scientists, researchers and clinicians.
For more information, visit: www.seaverautismcenter.org, or find the Seaver Autism Center on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City’s largest integrated delivery system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai’s vision is to produce the safest care, the highest quality, the highest satisfaction, the best access and the best value of any health system in the nation. The Health System includes approximately 7,480 primary and specialty care physicians; 11 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 410 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. The Icahn School of Medicine is one of three medical schools that have earned distinction by multiple indicators: ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Medical Schools”, aligned with a U.S. News & World Report’s “Honor Roll” Hospital, No. 12 in the nation for National Institutes of Health funding, and among the top 10 most innovative research institutions as ranked by the journal Nature in its Nature Innovation Index. This reflects a special level of excellence in education, clinical practice, and research. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 14 on U.S. News & World Report’s “Honor Roll” of top U.S. hospitals; it is one of the nation’s top 20 hospitals in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Nephrology, Neurology/Neurosurgery, and Orthopedics in the 2019-2020 “Best Hospitals” issue. Mount Sinai’s Kravis Children’s Hospital also is ranked nationally in five out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 12th nationally for Ophthalmology, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai West are ranked 23rd nationally for Nephrology and 25th for Diabetes/Endocrinology, and Mount Sinai South Nassau is ranked 35th nationally for Urology. Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s, Mount Sinai West, and Mount Sinai South Nassau are ranked regionally.
For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org/, or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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Original post https://alertarticles.info
