Rate of Progression of PCDH15-Related Retinal Degeneration in Usher Syndrome 1F (RUSH1F)

Rate of Progression of PCDH15-Related Retinal Degeneration in Usher

The overall goal of this project, co-funded by the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the USHER 1F Collaborative is to characterize the natural history of disease progression in patients with PCDH15 mutations in order to accelerate the development of outcome measures for clinical trials.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Retinal Degeneration; Retinitis Pigmentosa; Eye Diseases, Hereditary

Detailed Description

This natural history study of patients with PCDH15 disease-causing variants will accelerate the development of outcome measures for clinical trials. Sensitive, reliable outcome measures of retinal degeneration will greatly facilitate development of treatments for retinitis pigmentosa due to PCDH15 disease-causing variants. Together these approaches are expected to have an impact on understanding PCDH15 related retinal degeneration, developing experimental treatment protocols, and assessing their effectiveness.

The goals and expected impact of this natural history study are to:

1. Describe the natural history of retinal degeneration in patients with biallelic disease-causing variants in the PCDH15 gene
2. Contribute to the identification of sensitive structural and functional outcome measures to use for future multicenter clinical trials in PCDH15 related retinal degeneration
3. Contribute to the identification of populations for future clinical trials of investigative treatments for PCDH15 related retinal degeneration

Study Objectives

The primary objectives of the natural history study are to:

1. Characterize the natural history of retinal degeneration associated with biallelic pathogenic mutations in the PCDH15gene over 4 years, as measured using functional, structural, and patient-reported outcome measures
2. Explore whether structural outcome measures can be validated as surrogates for functional outcomes in individuals with biallelic pathogenic mutations in the PCDH15 gene
3. Explore possible risk factors (genotype, phenotype, environmental, and comorbidities) for progression of the outcome measures at 4 years in individuals with biallelic pathogenic mutations in the PCDH15 gene
4. Explore variability and symmetry of left and right eye outcomes over 4 years in individuals with biallelic pathogenic mutations in the PCDH15 gene

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 40

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Coordinating Center; Phone Number: 8139758690; Email: ffb@jaeb.org

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Toronto, Ontario, Canada
      • Hospital For Sick Children
• France
  • Paris, France
    • CHNO des Quinze-Vingts
• Germany
  • Tübingen, Germany
    • University of Tubingen
• Israel
  • Jerusalem, Israel
    • Haddassah Medical Center
• Netherlands
  • Nijmegen, Netherlands
    • Radboud University
• Switzerland
  • Basel, Switzerland, 4031
    • University Hospital Basel
• United States
  • California
    • San Francisco, California, United States, 94143-0344
      • University of California, San Francisco
  • Maryland
    • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21287
      • The Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute
  • North Carolina
    • Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27710
      • Duke University, Duke Eye Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 8 years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Study participants will be recruited from approximately 10 clinical sites worldwide. All eligible participants will be included without regard to gender, race, or ethnicity. Potential eligibility will be assessed during a routine examination by an investigator prior to obtaining informed consent, as part of usual care, through referrals from other providers or self-referral.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Participants must meet all the following inclusion criteria at the Screening Visit in order to be eligible to enroll into the genetic screening phase.

1. Willing to participate in the study and able to communicate consent during the consent process
2. Ability to return for all study visits over 48 months
3. Age ≥ 8 years
4. Not planning to enroll in an experimental clinical trial for the treatment of PCDH15 for the duration of this study

5. Must meet one of the Genetic Screening Criteria, defined below:

   • Screening Group A: At least 2 disease-causing variants in the PCDH15 gene which are homozygous or heterozygous in trans, based on a report from a clinically certified lab (or a report from a research lab that has been pre- approved by the Genetics Committee)
   • Screening Group B: Only 1 disease-causing variant in the PCDH15 gene, based on a report from a clinically certified lab (or a report from a research lab which has been pre-approved by the Genetics Committee)
   • Screening Group C: At least 2 disease-causing variants in the PCDH15 gene which are unknown phase, based on a report from a clinically certified lab (or a report from a research lab which has been pre-approved by the Genetics Committee)

Note pertaining to all Screening Groups: if a participant has a variant(s) of unknown significance, he/she would still qualify if there is at least 1 disease-causing variant(s) on the PCDH15 gene.

Ocular Inclusion Criteria

Both eyes must meet all the following at the Screening Visit for a participant to be eligible to enroll into the genetic screening phase.

1. Clinical diagnosis of retinal dystrophy
2. Clear ocular media and adequate pupil dilation to permit good quality photographic imaging

Exclusion Criteria:

Participants must not meet any of the following exclusion criteria at the Screening Visit in order to be eligible to enroll into the genetic screening phase.

1. Mutations in genes that cause autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (ADRP), X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (RP), or presence of biallelic mutations in autosomal recessive RP/retinal dystrophy genes other than PCDH15
2. Expected to enter experimental treatment trial at any time during this study
3. History of more than 1 year of cumulative treatment, at any time, with an agent associated with pigmentary retinopathy (including hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, thioridazine, and deferoxamine)

Note: Pregnant women are not being specifically excluded from participation.

Ocular Exclusion Criteria

If either eye has any of the following at the Screening Visit, the participant is not eligible to enroll into the genetic screening phase.

1. Current vitreous hemorrhage
2. Current or any history of tractional or rhegmatogenous retinal detachment
3. Current or any history of (e.g., prior to cataract or refractive surgery) spherical equivalent of the refractive error worse than -8 Diopters of myopia
4. History of intraocular surgery (e.g., cataract surgery, vitrectomy, penetrating keratoplasty, or LASIK) within the last 3 months
5. Current or any history of confirmed diagnosis of glaucoma (e.g., based on glaucomatous VF changes or nerve changes, or history of glaucoma filtering surgery)
6. Current or any history of retinal vascular occlusion or proliferative diabetic retinopathy
7. History or current evidence of ocular disease that, in the opinion of the investigator, may confound assessment of visual function

8. History or evidence of active treatment for retinitis pigmentosa that could affect the progression of retinal degeneration, including:

   1. Any use of ocular stem cell or gene therapy
   2. Any treatment with ocriplasmin
   3. Treatment with an ophthalmic oligonucleotide within the last 9 months (last treatment date is less than 9 months prior to Screening Visit date)
   4. Treatment with any other product within five times the expected half-life of the product (time from last treatment date to Screening Visit date is at least 5 times the half-life of the given product)
   5. Treatment with Ozurdex (dexamethasone), Iluvien or Yutiq (fluocinolone acetonide) intravitreal implant

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Cohort
• Time Perspectives: Prospective

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Vision Cohort 1; ~25 participants with the better eye Screening Visit visual acuity ETDRS letter score of 54 or more [approximate Snellen equivalent 20/80 or better] and visual field diameter 10 degrees or more in every meridian of the central field. The better eye is defined as the eye with better Screening Visit ETDRS VA. If both eyes have the same VA (defined as the same Snellen equivalent), then the determination will be made at investigator discretion as the eye with better fixation or clearer ocular media to permit highest quality retinal imaging. The visual field (VF) is defined as the clinically determined kinetic VF III4e performed within the last 18 months prior to or including the Screening Visit date.
Vision Cohort 2; ~15 participants with the better eye Screening Visit visual acuity ETDRS letter score of 19-53 [approximate Snellen equivalent 20/100 - 20/400] or (visual acuity ETDRS letter score of 54 or more [approximate Snellen equivalent 20/80 or better] and visual field diameter less than 10 degrees in any meridian of the central field). The better eye is defined as the eye with better Screening Visit ETDRS VA. If both eyes have the same VA (defined as the same Snellen equivalent), then the determination will be made at investigator discretion as the eye with better fixation or clearer ocular media to permit highest quality retinal imaging. The visual field (VF) is defined as the clinically determined kinetic VF III4e performed within the last 18 months prior to or including the Screening Visit date.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Visual Field Sensitivity	measured by static perimetry with quantitative, topographic analysis (Hill of Vision) and assessed by a central reading center	Baseline (all Vision Cohort 1 and 2 participants will complete two tests at baseline. The results will be compared according to the visual field criteria to determine if a third test is needed), 12Month, 24Month, 36Month, and 48Month
Change in Best Corrected Visual Acuity	Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) letter score as measured on the Electronic Visual Acuity (EVA) system or ETDRS charts. Letter score range values=0-100 (with higher values = better and lower values = worse.) Berkeley Rudimentary Vision Test (BRVT) will be used for patients unable to see letters.	Screening, Baseline, 12Month, 24Month, 36Month, and 48Month
Change in Mean Retinal Sensitivity	Measured by fundus-guided microperimetry (MP) and assessed by a central reading center at selected sites with requisite equipment.	Baseline (all Vision Cohort 1 and 2 participants will complete two tests at baseline. The results will be compared according to the visual field criteria to determine if a third test is needed), 12Month, 24Month, 36Month, and 48Month
Change in Full-field Retinal Sensitivity	Measured by full-field stimulus threshold (FST) testing to blue, white and red stimuli.	Baseline, 12Month, 24Month, 36Month, and 48Month
Change in Best Corrected Low Luminance Visual Acuity (LLVA)	Measured by Letter Score. Letter score range values=0-100 (with higher values = better and lower values = worse.)	Screening, Baseline, 12Month, 24Month, 36Month, and 48Month
Change in Contrast Sensitivity Function (CSF)	Measured by the CSV-1000E VectorVision chart	Baseline, 12Month, 24Month, 36Month, and 48Month
Change in ellipsoid zone (EZ) area	Measured by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and assessed by a central reading center.	Baseline, 12Month, 24Month, 36Month, and 48Month

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Explore qualitative categorization of Fundus Autofluorescence (FAF) pattern	Assessed by a central reading center.	Baseline, 12Month, 24Month, 36Month, and 48Month
Explore quantitative measures of FAF	Assessed by a central reading center.	Baseline, 12Month, 24Month, 36Month, and 48Month

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Patient Reported Outcomes (Adults 18 years or older)	Measured by Michigan Retinal Degeneration Questionnaire (MRDQ) MRDQ - consists of 59 items using categories: : ''None: I do not have trouble with this,'' ''A little difficulty: I notice a problem, but I do not struggle,'' ''Moderate difficulty: I struggle but I can still do this,'' ''Extreme difficulty : I struggle a lot and sometimes I cannot do this,'' and ''N/A for non-vision reasons: I do not do this.'	Baseline, 24Month, and 48Month
Patient Reported Outcomes (Adults 18 years or older)	Measured by Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®-29)	Baseline, 24Month, and 48Month
Patient Reported Outcomes (less than 18 years):	L. V. Prasad-Functional Vision Questionnaire (LVP-FVQ II) The LVP-FVQ II consists of 23 items using 3 categories: 1, no difficulty; 2, some difficulty; 3, a lot of difficulty	Baseline, 24Month, and 48Month

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Jaeb Center for Health Research
• Collaborators: Usher 1F Collaborative; Marjorie C. Adams Foundation
• Investigators: Study Chair: Katarina Stingl, MD, University Hospital Tuebingen

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Foundation Fighting Blindness Public Website

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 8, 2021
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 2, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 19, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): February 21, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 29, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 28, 2023
• Last Verified: November 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: PCDH15
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Retinal Diseases; Retinal Dystrophies; Retinitis; Retinitis Pigmentosa; Eye Diseases; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Retinal Degeneration; Eye Diseases, Hereditary
• Other Study ID Numbers: RUSH1F

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: A de-identified database is placed in the public domain on the FFB/Jaeb public website after the completion of each protocol and publication of the manuscript.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: After manuscript is published
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Users accessing data must enter an email address
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No