Alzheimer's Disease clinical trials at UCSD

This is a first-in-human clinical trial to test whether a protein administered into the brain continuously by gene therapy, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), will slow or prevent cell loss in the brains of people affected by Alzheimer's disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment. The protein may also activate cells in the brain that have not yet deteriorated. Gene therapy refers to the use of a harmless virus to have brain cells make the potentially protective protein, BDNF.

The primary objective of the study is to assess the safety and tolerability of intravenous (IV) infusions of E2814 in participants with dominantly inherited Alzheimer's disease (DIAD), and to evaluate target engagement (TE) of E2814 on microtubule binding region (MTBR)-tau species in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in participants with DIAD.

This is a phase 2A multi-center, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study of varoglutamstat, with a stage gate to phase 2B. In phase 2A there will be adaptive dosing evaluation of three dose levels with exposure to varoglutamstat or placebo for a minimum of 24 weeks, with preliminary evaluation of both cognitive function and pharmacodynamic changes on EEG spectral analysis in approximately 180 participants. In the event that the stage gate for phase 2B is reached, then phase 2B will assesses efficacy and longer-term safety in a larger study group, i.e., 414.

The effects of the medication, memantine, on brain functions and the symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease will be tested

To assess the safety, tolerability, biomarker, cognitive, and clinical efficacy of investigational products in participants with an Alzheimer's disease-causing mutation by determining if treatment with the study drug improves disease-related biomarkers and slows the rate of progression of cognitive or clinical impairment.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common in older adults and has recently been implicated in pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Research has shown that sleep disruptions have caused memory impairment. Sleep apnea is a form of sleep disruption. We would like to examine how obstructive sleep apnea may contribute to the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

The Syn-D Study will be evaluating α-synuclein in patients with suspected MCI-AD and MCI-DLB. Using a simple diagnostic test will improve clinical accuracy in diagnosing, earlier diagnosis, and distinguish between neurodegenerative diseases.