Sirolimus for Cowden Syndrome With Colon Polyposis

June 8, 2025 updated by: Peter P Stanich, Ohio State University
Colon polyposis (the presence of multiple colon polyps) is very common with Cowden syndrome, as over 60% of patients have 50 or more polyps. In a previous clinical trial, some participants had reduction in the number of colon polyps with the use of the medication sirolimus for a very short time period. This study is investigating sirolimus and its effect on the number of colon polyps in patients with Cowden syndrome and polyposis over a 1 year period.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

PTEN is a tumor suppressor gene that regulates the cell cycle through the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mTOR pathway. When germline mutations in PTEN occur, the result is Cowden syndrome (or less commonly one of several related disorders collectively called the PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome). This is characterized by the growth of hamartomas and a high risk of cancer in multiple organ systems. This includes colon polyps in 92.5% of Cowden syndrome patients and 64% with an estimated 50 or more polyps. Although outcomes of this are under reported, series suggest 20-38% of patients will receive colectomy.

Current clinical practice for Cowden syndrome is based on close surveillance for the development of cancers. Sirolimus (also known as rapamycin) is a specific inhibitor of mTOR that is FDA-approved for immunosuppression and use in several types of cancers as chemotherapy. It has also been used successfully in other hamartomatous syndromes including lymphangioleiomyomatosis. There is also a completed pilot clinical trial for adults with Cowden syndrome in which some had reduction in the number of colon polyps with the use of the medication sirolimus for a very short time period.

This will be an open-label pilot trial to determine whether sirolimus reduces colon polyp burden in Cowden syndrome. Sirolimus will be administered for one year. Colonoscopy with polyp estimation will be performed at trial entrance and at study completion.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

5

Phase

  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Ohio
      • Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43210
        • The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

14 years to 76 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Cowden syndrome or other PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome spectrum disorder
  • Confirmed pathogenic or likely pathogenic PTEN germline mutation on genetic testing
  • Previous colonoscopy with colon polyposis. This is defined for the study as either too many polyps to remove endoscopically as judged by the performing physician at the last colonoscopy or findings indicating at least an InSIGHT stage 1 score (over 20 polyps).
  • Age 18 or greater
  • Capacity to consent to study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnancy or plans for pregnancy while on treatment or within 3 months of stopping treatment (for both women and men)
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Chronic renal disease
  • History of colon cancer or colon adenoma with high grade dysplasia
  • History of colectomy

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Treatment arm

There will be a clinic visit and colonoscopy at study entrance with standard of care sampling and assessment of polyps, including resection of concerning polyps. The investigators will also collect data on well-being via the SF-36 health survey (a validated questionnaire to help monitor this aspect given anecdotal patient-level reports of improvement while on therapy).

Study subjects will then begin sirolimus 2 mg by mouth daily for 1 year.

Laboratories will be checked at 4 days after initiation, at 2 weeks after initiation, then every 4 weeks for 3 months, then every 3 months to complete the year of therapy

Participants will have a clinic visit at 3, 6 and 9 months and include well-being assessment with the SF-36 health survey.

Participants will have a clinic visit with well-being assessment and perform colonoscopy at study closure at 12 months. The investigators will perform standard of care sampling and assessment of polyps, including resection of concerning polyps.
Drug: Sirolimus
Use of sirolimus 2 mg by mouth daily for 1 year
Other Names:
  • Rapamycin
  • Rapamune

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in colon polyp burden by number
Time Frame: 1 year
Assessment of change in number of colon polyps. This will be assessed for each segment of colon (ascending, transverse, descending, sigmoid, rectum) and then aggregated into a total number of colon polyps. The entrance result will be compared to the final result for each participant.
1 year
Change in colon polyp burden by staging
Time Frame: 1 year
Assessment of change in staging of colon polyps by using the International Society for Gastrointestinal Hereditary Tumors (InSIGHT) polyposis staging system. The InSight staging system divides colorectal polyposis into 5 progressive stages based on polyp number and size (Stage 0: <20 polyps, all <5 mm; Stage 1: 20-200 polyps, most <5 mm, none, >1 cm; Stage 2: 200-500 polyps, <10 that are >1 cm; Stage 3: 500-1000 polyps or any number if there are 10-50 that are >1 cm and amenable to complete polypectomy; Stage 4: >1000 polyps and/or any polyps grown to confluence and not amenable to simple polypectomy; any high-grade dysplasia or invasive cancer). The entrance result will be compared to the final result for each participant.
1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in well-being assessment
Time Frame: 1 year
Assessment in change in overall health and quality of life as quantified by the SF-36 (Short Form) Health Survey. The SF-36 is a widely-used and standardized survey of participant responses to 36 questions that measures health-related quality of life. Each question has answers that are given a correlating score from 0 to 100, with a high score representing a more favorable health state. Through the combination of specific questions and averaging the scores, there are 8 scales (physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health, role limitations due to emotional problems, vitality, mental health, social functioning, bodily pain, and general health) that are reported with scores from 0 to 100, with a high score representing a more favorable health state. These can also be averaged into a physical component summary score and mental component summary score that is again from 0 to 100, with a high score representing a more favorable health state.
1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Ohio State University

Collaborators

Pfizer
PTEN Research

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Peter P Stanich, MD, Ohio State University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

September 16, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

February 1, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

June 5, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 13, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 16, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

September 19, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 10, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 8, 2025

Last Verified

June 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2018H0179

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Cowden Syndrome

Clinical Trials on Sirolimus

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in United States

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe