A Study to Evaluate Feasibility, Safety, and Clinical Responses of Implanting Autologous Peripheral Nerve Tissue Into the Brain for Non-motor or Motor Symptoms in Patients With Parkinson's Disease Undergoing DBS Surgery

NCT ID: NCT06683378

Last Updated: 2025-08-14

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

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

PHASE1

Total Enrollment

24 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-07-21

Study Completion Date

2028-02-28

Brief Summary

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The investigators propose a Phase I single surgical-center, double-blinded randomized parallel clinical trial involving bilateral autologous peripheral nerve tissue (PNT) delivery into the NBM or the alternate target also affecting cognition in this population, the substantia nigra (SN), to address "repair cell" support of these areas. Twenty-four participants with idiopathic Parkinson's Disease (PD) who have selected, qualified and agreed to receive as standard of care deep brain stimulation (DBS) will be enrolled and randomly allocated to receive bilateral PNT deployment to either the NBM or SN at the time of DBS surgery. Participants will be allocated equally among both assignments over the course of three years (8 Year 1, 10 Year 2, 6 Year 3). Participants will be evaluated for neurocognitive, motoric function, activities of daily living, and quality of life at enrollment before surgery, two-weeks after surgery, and 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Parkinson's Disease

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Peripheral nerve tissue (PNT) deployment to the Substantia Nigra

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Reparative Autologous peripheral nerve tissue

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

At the time participants are receiving the standard of care deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, a standard incision on the lateral aspect near the ankle is made, the sural nerve is identified, an about 3 cm biopsy of the sural nerve is obtained and the incision is closed.

From the biopsied section, the epineurium is removed, fascicles are cut, and (\~5 pieces per side; \~ 5mm length x 1.5 mm diameter: approximately 10 cubic millimeters) implanted bilaterally into the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) or substantia nigra (SN).

Peripheral nerve tissue (PNT) deployment to the nucleus basalis of Meynert

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Reparative Autologous peripheral nerve tissue

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

At the time participants are receiving the standard of care deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, a standard incision on the lateral aspect near the ankle is made, the sural nerve is identified, an about 3 cm biopsy of the sural nerve is obtained and the incision is closed.

From the biopsied section, the epineurium is removed, fascicles are cut, and (\~5 pieces per side; \~ 5mm length x 1.5 mm diameter: approximately 10 cubic millimeters) implanted bilaterally into the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) or substantia nigra (SN).

Interventions

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Reparative Autologous peripheral nerve tissue

At the time participants are receiving the standard of care deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, a standard incision on the lateral aspect near the ankle is made, the sural nerve is identified, an about 3 cm biopsy of the sural nerve is obtained and the incision is closed.

From the biopsied section, the epineurium is removed, fascicles are cut, and (\~5 pieces per side; \~ 5mm length x 1.5 mm diameter: approximately 10 cubic millimeters) implanted bilaterally into the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) or substantia nigra (SN).

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Undergoing DBS
* Diagnosis of clinically established or clinically probably PD as defined by MDS criteria
* Age 45-75, inclusive
* Able to tolerate the surgical procedure
* Able to undergo all planned assessments
* Available access to the sural nerve

Exclusion Criteria

* Any condition that would not make the subject a candidate for DBS
* Dementia diagnosis
* Previous PD surgery or intracranial surgery
* Unable to undergo an MRI
* An obstructed trajectory path to the substantia nigra and nucleus basalis of Meynert
Minimum Eligible Age

45 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

75 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Institute on Aging (NIA)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Craig van Horne, MD, PhD

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Craig van Horne, MD, PhD

Department of Neurosurgery Chair

Responsibility Role SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Craig G van Horne, MD, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Kentucky

Locations

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University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Jaimie Hixson

Role: CONTACT

8593231908

Group Monitored Email

Role: CONTACT

Facility Contacts

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Jaimie Hixson

Role: primary

859-323-1908

References

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Quintero JE, Chau MJ, Slevin JT, Koehl L, Gurwell JA, Wallace E, Kryscio RJ, El Khouli R, Anderson-Mooney AJ, Schmitt FA, Gerhardt GA, van Horne CG. Two-year feasibility and safety of open-label autologous peripheral nerve tissue implantation during deep brain stimulation in patients with Parkinson's disease. J Parkinsons Dis. 2025 Mar;15(2):397-408. doi: 10.1177/1877718X241312409. Epub 2025 Feb 25.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 40007169 (View on PubMed)

van Horne CG, Quintero JE, Slevin JT, Anderson-Mooney A, Gurwell JA, Welleford AS, Lamm JR, Wagner RP, Gerhardt GA. Peripheral nerve grafts implanted into the substantia nigra in patients with Parkinson's disease during deep brain stimulation surgery: 1-year follow-up study of safety, feasibility, and clinical outcome. J Neurosurg. 2018 Dec 1;129(6):1550-1561. doi: 10.3171/2017.8.JNS163222. Epub 2018 Feb 18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29451447 (View on PubMed)

Quintero JE, Slevin JT, Gurwell JA, McLouth CJ, El Khouli R, Chau MJ, Guduru Z, Gerhardt GA, van Horne CG. Direct delivery of an investigational cell therapy in patients with Parkinson's disease: an interim analysis of feasibility and safety of an open-label study using DBS-Plus clinical trial design. BMJ Neurol Open. 2022 Jul 14;4(2):e000301. doi: 10.1136/bmjno-2022-000301. eCollection 2022.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35949912 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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1R01AG081356-01A1

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

90066

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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