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MicroRNAs as Biomarkers in First Episode Schizophrenia (MIRFEST)

10. juli 2026 oppdatert av: Juan Gallego Angel, Northwell Health

MicroRNAs in Neural-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Biomarkers in First Episode Schizophrenia

This study investigates whether tiny molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs), found in special brain-derived "packages" (neural-derived extracellular vesicles, or NDEs) that travel from the brain into the blood, can serve as helpful indicators (biomarkers) for schizophrenia. Currently, doctors diagnose schizophrenia and monitor treatment primarily through clinical interviews, which can be slow and imprecise. This study will work with 80 individuals recently diagnosed with first-episode schizophrenia who are beginning treatment with either aripiprazole or risperidone, along with 80 healthy volunteers. Blood samples will be collected from all participants. For individuals with schizophrenia, blood will be drawn at the beginning of treatment and again after 12 weeks. By comparing patterns of brain-derived miRNAs in the blood of patients versus healthy volunteers, and by observing changes in these miRNAs during treatment, the researchers hope to discover whether these molecules can help diagnose schizophrenia more quickly and predict how well a treatment will work. If successful, this study will provide initial evidence that these miRNAs could become valuable new tools leading to earlier, more accurate diagnoses and more personalized treatment selection.

Studieoversikt

Detaljert beskrivelse

Schizophrenia is a significant psychiatric illness characterized by psychosis, social withdrawal, and cognitive difficulties leading to impaired daily functioning. Diagnosis and treatment assessment remain heavily reliant on clinical interviews, which are subjective and lack objective biological indicators. Previous research has established evidence of miRNA dysregulation in schizophrenia through genome-wide association studies, post-mortem brain tissue analysis, and biological fluid studies. A more recent and promising approach involves measuring miRNAs specifically contained within neural-derived extracellular vesicles (NDEs) isolated from plasma. These NDEs carry brain-specific miRNA cargo and can be identified in peripheral blood, offering a less invasive approach compared to cerebrospinal fluid or brain tissue.

This study addresses the identified knowledge gap by investigating plasma NDE miRNAs as novel diagnostic and treatment response biomarkers specifically in first-episode schizophrenia (FES). The focus on FES participants minimizes confounding effects associated with long-term medication use and extended illness duration. The study employs a 12-week mechanistic clinical trial design with clinical assessments, neurocognitive testing (MATRICS), and blood collection for NDE miRNA sequencing at baseline and 12 weeks. MiRNA sequencing will be performed using Illumina NovaSeq6000 following NDE isolation via L1/NCAM antibody immunoprecipitation. Statistical analysis includes differential expression analysis using DESeq, Binary Elastic Net Regression for feature selection, and machine learning models (random forests, gradient boosting, SVM) for predictive performance assessment.

Studietype

Intervensjonell

Registrering (Antatt)

160

Fase

  • Ikke aktuelt

Kontakter og plasseringer

Denne delen inneholder kontaktinformasjon for de som utfører studien, og informasjon om hvor denne studien blir utført.

Studiekontakt

Studer Kontakt Backup

Studiesteder

    • New York
      • Glen Oaks, New York, Forente stater, 11004
        • Rekruttering
        • Zucker Hillside Hospital
        • Ta kontakt med:

Deltakelseskriterier

Forskere ser etter personer som passer til en bestemt beskrivelse, kalt kvalifikasjonskriterier. Noen eksempler på disse kriteriene er en persons generelle helsetilstand eller tidligere behandlinger.

Kvalifikasjonskriterier

Alder som er kvalifisert for studier

  • Barn
  • Voksen

Tar imot friske frivillige

Ja

Beskrivelse

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Acute first episode of psychosis with DSM-5 diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, or psychosis Not Otherwise Specified (NOS)
  2. Current positive symptoms rated ≥4 (moderate) on one or more of these BPRS items: hallucinatory behavior, unusual thought content, grandiosity, conceptual disorganization
  3. Early phase of illness as defined by having taken antipsychotic drugs for a cumulative lifetime period ≤2 weeks
  4. Age 15 to 40
  5. Receiving or about to start naturalistic treatment with either aripiprazole or risperidone
  6. Full capacity to consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Participant voluntarily withdraws consent at any given time during the study
  • Loss of capacity to consent during the study
  • Treating psychiatrist determines that the participant requires an antipsychotic medication other than aripiprazole or risperidone due to adverse effects, poor tolerability, poor response, or any other reason
  • The investigator, sponsor, independent safety monitor, or DSMB determines discontinuation is necessary to protect the participant
  • Pregnancy is discovered during the study

Studieplan

Denne delen gir detaljer om studieplanen, inkludert hvordan studien er utformet og hva studien måler.

Hvordan er studiet utformet?

Designdetaljer

  • Primært formål: Diagnostisk
  • Tildeling: Ikke-randomisert
  • Intervensjonsmodell: Parallell tildeling
  • Masking: Ingen (Open Label)

Våpen og intervensjoner

Deltakergruppe / Arm
Intervensjon / Behandling
Eksperimentell: First-Episode Schizophrenia - Aripiprazole/Risperidone
FES participants receiving naturalistic treatment with aripiprazole or risperidone as prescribed by their treating psychiatrist. Blood samples collected at baseline and week 12 for NDE miRNA analysis.
Blood samples collected at baseline and week 12 for isolation of neural-derived extracellular vesicles (NDEs) from plasma using L1/NCAM antibody immunoprecipitation, followed by small RNA sequencing on Illumina NovaSeq6000 to identify differentially expressed miRNAs.
Single baseline blood sample collected for DNA extraction and whole genome sequencing to analyze genetic variation associated with psychosis and treatment response.
Aktiv komparator: Healthy volunteers
Healthy volunteers providing a single baseline blood sample for NDE miRNA analysis comparison.
Blood samples collected at baseline and week 12 for isolation of neural-derived extracellular vesicles (NDEs) from plasma using L1/NCAM antibody immunoprecipitation, followed by small RNA sequencing on Illumina NovaSeq6000 to identify differentially expressed miRNAs.
Single baseline blood sample collected for DNA extraction and whole genome sequencing to analyze genetic variation associated with psychosis and treatment response.

Hva måler studien?

Primære resultatmål

Resultatmål
Tiltaksbeskrivelse
Tidsramme
Diagnostic performance of plasma NDE miRNA panel
Tidsramme: Baseline (Week 0)
Sensitivity, specificity, and Area Under the Curve (AUC) of a panel of plasma NDE miRNAs in differentiating acutely psychotic First-Episode Schizophrenia (FES) participants from Healthy Volunteers (HV), assessed using Binary Elastic Net Regression and machine learning models.
Baseline (Week 0)
Predictive performance of baseline plasma NDE miRNA levels for treatment response
Tidsramme: Baseline NDE miRNAs predicting response at Week 12
Predictive performance (AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity) of baseline plasma NDE miRNA levels for clinical response to antipsychotic treatment (aripiprazole or risperidone). Treatment response defined as all 4 BPRS Thought Disturbance factor items below psychotic level (<4) for 2 consecutive ratings with concomitant CGI ratings of much/very much improved.
Baseline NDE miRNAs predicting response at Week 12

Samarbeidspartnere og etterforskere

Det er her du vil finne personer og organisasjoner som er involvert i denne studien.

Etterforskere

  • Hovedetterforsker: Juan Gallego, MD, Northwell Health

Studierekorddatoer

Disse datoene sporer fremdriften for innsending av studieposter og sammendragsresultater til ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieposter og rapporterte resultater gjennomgås av National Library of Medicine (NLM) for å sikre at de oppfyller spesifikke kvalitetskontrollstandarder før de legges ut på det offentlige nettstedet.

Studer hoveddatoer

Studiestart (Antatt)

1. juli 2026

Primær fullføring (Antatt)

1. mai 2031

Studiet fullført (Antatt)

1. mai 2031

Datoer for studieregistrering

Først innsendt

4. juni 2026

Først innsendt som oppfylte QC-kriteriene

10. juli 2026

Først lagt ut (Faktiske)

14. juli 2026

Oppdateringer av studieposter

Sist oppdatering lagt ut (Faktiske)

14. juli 2026

Siste oppdatering sendt inn som oppfylte QC-kriteriene

10. juli 2026

Sist bekreftet

1. juli 2026

Mer informasjon

Begreper knyttet til denne studien

Plan for individuelle deltakerdata (IPD)

Planlegger du å dele individuelle deltakerdata (IPD)?

NEI

Legemiddel- og utstyrsinformasjon, studiedokumenter

Studerer et amerikansk FDA-regulert medikamentprodukt

Nei

Studerer et amerikansk FDA-regulert enhetsprodukt

Nei

Denne informasjonen ble hentet direkte fra nettstedet clinicaltrials.gov uten noen endringer. Hvis du har noen forespørsler om å endre, fjerne eller oppdatere studiedetaljene dine, vennligst kontakt register@clinicaltrials.gov. Så snart en endring er implementert på clinicaltrials.gov, vil denne også bli oppdatert automatisk på nettstedet vårt. .

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