Accumulating evidence indicates that inflammation is prominent both in the blood and central nervous system (CNS) of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. These data suggest that systemic inflammation plays a crucial role in the cause and effects of AD neuropathology. Capitalizing on the experience from a previous clinical trial with thalidomide, here, the investigators hypothesize that modulating both systemic and CNS inflammation via the pleiotropic immunomodulator lenalidomide is a putative therapeutic intervention for AD if administered at a proper time window during the course of the disease.
There are currently no approved treatments to treat the neuroinflammatory aspects of AD. While inflammation is pervasive to many neurological disorders, no clinical trial has yet demonstrated the efficacy of anti-inflammatory agents for AD. Interestingly, chronic peripheral low-grade inflammation is associated with aging and increases the risk for disease and mortality, including AD. Accumulating evidence indicates that nuclear factor-kappa B, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukins (e.g. IL-1beta, IL-2, and IL-6), and chemokines (e.g. IL-8) are found elevated both in the blood and central nervous system (CNS) of AD patients. These data confirm that inflammation plays a central role in the cause and effect of AD neuropathology. The immunomodulator, anti-cancer agent lenalidomide is one of the very few pleiotropic agents that both lowers the expression of TNFα, IL-6, IL-8, and increases the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines (e.g. IL-10), to modulate both innate and adaptive immune responses. In the current project the investigators aim to test the central hypothesis that lenalidomide reduces inflammatory and AD-associated pathological biomarkers, and improves cognition. For this, the investigators designed an 18-month, Phase II, double-blind, randomized, two-armed, parallel group, placebo controlled, and proof-of-mechanism clinical study in early symptomatic AD subjects (i.e. amnestic mild cognitive impairment; aMCI). The effects of lenalidomide treatment will be assessed after 12 months of treatment and 6 months washout (month 18).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
15
Lenalid
Placebo
St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain health
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Change in cognition as assessed by the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) total score
To evaluate the effect on cognition Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) of lenalidomide 10 mg/kg titrated for up to 12 months and washed out for 6 months. ADAS is 70 points. A lower score is better
Time frame: 18 months
Change in cognition as assessed by the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study - Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-ADL) total score
To evaluate the effect on cognitionAlzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study - Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-ADL) of lenalidomide 10 mg/kg titrated for up to 12 months and washed out for 6 months. The maximum score is 30. A higher score is better
Time frame: 18 months
Change in cognition as assessed by the Clinical Dementia Rating - Sum of Boxes (CDR-SOB) total score
To evaluate the effect on cognition Clinical Dementia Rating - Sum of Boxes (CDR-SOB) of lenalidomide 10 mg/kg titrated for up to 12 months and washed out for 6 months. The SOB maximum total is 18. A lower score is better
Time frame: 18 months
Change in cognition as assessed by the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) total score
To evaluate the effect on cognition Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) of lenalidomide 10 mg/kg titrated for up to 12 months and washed out for 6 months. The maximum score is 30. A higher score is better
Time frame: 18 months
Monitoring and recording of all adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs)
To evaluate the safety and tolerability of lenalidomide 10 mg/kg titrated for up to 12 months and washed out for 6 months. Particularly, we will monitor blood toxicities reported in oncology studies. Blood toxicity will be defined as platelets falling below 50,000/μL and/or neutrophils falling below 1,000/μL.
Time frame: 18 months
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