Natural History of Eye Diseases Related to ABCA4 Mutations

NCT ID: NCT01736293

Last Updated: 2026-01-09

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

68 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2012-10-09

Brief Summary

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Background:

\- The ABCA4 gene contains a blueprint for the ABCA4 protein. When this protein is absent or faulty (such as in Stargardt s disease), waste material from dead cells collects in the eye. The waste material may cause other cells in the eye to die. This can lead to the loss of vision. Researchers want to look at blood and skin samples from people with ABCA4 gene mutations to study related eye diseases.

Objectives:

\- To study eye diseases that are related to mutations in the ABCA4 gene.

Eligibility:

\- Individuals at least 12 years of age who have ABCA4 gene mutations.

Design:

* The study requires 12 visits to the National Eye Institute clinic over 10 years. In the first year, there will be three visits. After the first year, participants will have one visit a year for 9 more years.
* Participants will be screened with a physical exam, full eye exam, and medical history. The eye exam will check eye pressure, light and color sensitivity, and retina function.
* Participants will provide a blood sample and a skin tissue sample for study.
* No treatment will be provided as part of this study.

Detailed Description

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Objectives: The objectives of this study are to 1) establish a cohort of participants with ABCA4-related retinopathies in anticipation of future clinical trials, 2) create a repository of plasma, DNA, and skin fibroblast samples from the accrued cohort of ABCA4-related retinopathy participants, 3) formulate clinical outcome measures for future studies, and 4) acquire and perform preliminary analyses of data that may advance our understanding of genotype-phenotype correlations in ABCA4-related retinopathies.

In addition, the skin fibroblast samples collected from participants may be used to generate iPS cells, which may be differentiated into RPE and/or neural retinal cells. These cells, if produced, will be used to analyze molecular mechanisms involved in disease pathogenesis and to perform high throughput (HTP) drug screens to identify novel potential therapeutic compounds.

Study Population: Sixty-five (65) participants, age 12 or above, with ABCA4-related retinopathies, will be initially accrued for this study. However, up to an additional five participants may be enrolled to replace participants who may withdraw from the study prior to reaching the Month 12 visit.

Design: In this natural history study, participants will be followed for 10 years. Because three years may be required to enroll 65 participants, this study will last up to 13 years. Participants will be recruited through other pre-existing NIH protocols, such as the Ocular Natural History Protocol (16-EI-0134), The Genetics of Inherited Eye Disease Protocol (15-EI-0128), the NEI Screening Protocol (08-EI-0102), and the National Ophthalmic Disease Genotyping and Phenotyping Network, Phase II protocol (eyeGENE II, 10-EI-N164), or through referral from an outside clinician after a review of pertinent medical records and genetic testing. All participants will undergo a standardized medical/ophthalmic history and a complete baseline eye examination, that may include non-invasive electrophysiology (e.g., electroretinography), psychophysiology (e.g., microperimetry, static perimetry), and diagnostic imaging examinations (e.g., optical coherence tomography).

The participants will be examined three times over the course of the first year (i.e., baseline examination, Month 6, and Month 12). After the first year, they will return to the NEI clinic on an annual basis for the next nine years. This study will require a minimum of 12 study visits. Participants may be seen at more frequent intervals at the investigators discretion, depending on the clinical and research situation. Participants will be required to submit a blood sample as part of the study for DNA and serum banking, and they will have the option to provide a 3-mm punch skin biopsy to facilitate research at a cellular level.

Outcome Measures: The primary outcome for this study is the establishment of a cohort of participants with ABCA4-related retinopathies, and the secondary outcome is the creation of a repository of plasma, DNA, and skin fibroblast samples from the accrued cohort of ABCA4-related retinopathy participants. Exploratory outcomes for this study include: 1) the formulation of clinical outcome measures for future studies and 2) the acquisition and preliminary analysis of data that may advance our understanding of genotype-phenotype correlations in ABCA4-related retinopathies. Potential exploratory outcomes include: 1) the generation of iPS cells from the skin fibroblast samples, 2) the differentiation of the generated iPS cells into RPE and/or neural retinal cells, and 3) the use of the participant-specific RPE and/or neural retinal cells to perform HTP drug screens to identify novel potential therapeutic compounds. The cells obtained in this protocol may be genetically modified and may be used for in vivo research.

Conditions

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Retinal Degeneration ABCA4-Related Retinopathies

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Affected Participants

Participants with ABCA4-related retinopathies.

No interventions assigned to this group

Eligibility Criteria

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Exclusion Criteria

Participant has evidence of a systemic condition or ocular disease not related to ABCA4 mutations that would complicate the analysis of psychophysical, electrophysiological, or imaging data. For example, a participant with advanced diabetes mellitus and significant diabetic retinopathy may display changes in retinal function that could be related to either his/her diabetic retinopathy or ABCA4 mutations.
Minimum Eligible Age

12 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

100 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Eye Institute (NEI)

NIH

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Brian P Brooks, M.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

National Eye Institute (NEI)

Locations

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National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Allikmets R. A photoreceptor cell-specific ATP-binding transporter gene (ABCR) is mutated in recessive Stargardt macular dystrophy. Nat Genet. 1997 Sep;17(1):122. doi: 10.1038/ng0997-122a. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9288113 (View on PubMed)

Gomes NL, Greenstein VC, Carlson JN, Tsang SH, Smith RT, Carr RE, Hood DC, Chang S. A comparison of fundus autofluorescence and retinal structure in patients with Stargardt disease. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009 Aug;50(8):3953-9. doi: 10.1167/iovs.08-2657. Epub 2009 Mar 25.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19324865 (View on PubMed)

Gonzalez F, Boue S, Izpisua Belmonte JC. Methods for making induced pluripotent stem cells: reprogramming a la carte. Nat Rev Genet. 2011 Apr;12(4):231-42. doi: 10.1038/nrg2937. Epub 2011 Feb 22.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21339765 (View on PubMed)

Pfau M, Huryn LA, Boyle MP, Cukras CA, Zein WM, Turriff A, Ullah E, Hufnagel RB, Jeffrey BG, Brooks BP. Natural History of Visual Dysfunction in ABCA4 Retinopathy and Its Genetic Correlates. Am J Ophthalmol. 2023 Sep;253:224-232. doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2023.05.014. Epub 2023 May 20.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 37211138 (View on PubMed)

Pfau M, Cukras CA, Huryn LA, Zein WM, Ullah E, Boyle MP, Turriff A, Chen MA, Hinduja AS, Siebel HE, Hufnagel RB, Jeffrey BG, Brooks BP. Photoreceptor degeneration in ABCA4-associated retinopathy and its genetic correlates. JCI Insight. 2022 Jan 25;7(2):e155373. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.155373.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 35076026 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

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Other Identifiers

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12-EI-0203

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: secondary_id

120203

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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