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In Vitro Modeling of Drug-resistant Psychiatric Disorders Using Induced Pluripotent Cells

Italy50 participantsStarted 2022-08-05

Plain-language summary

Major depressive disorder (MDD), is a major medical and economic burden for today's society. About 30% of MDD patients develop treatment-resistant depression - TRD with the related sequelae in terms of worse prognosis. If several risk factors can be assessed readily on presentation, it can guide treatment planning and ultimately improve clinical outcomes. Currently, unlike other areas of medicine, poly-risk tools to facilitate this stratification in practice among patients with MDD are lacking but demanded in the era of personalised/precision medicine - a challenge that the project takes up. Ketamine - a glutamate N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, is the first exemplary agent with rapid (within hours) antidepressant effects, even in TRD patients.Its mechanisms of actions (MoA) are still unclear but greatly demanded. So far, insights about ketamine's MoA come from preclinical animal studies but it's known that animal models have limited ability/effectiveness in mimicking the clinical complexity and were not subjected to sequential application of different treatments - a key requisite in humans to be defined as TRD. This ambitious inter/multidisciplinary project, has 3 goals: 1. To develop a clinical risk stratification tool for predicting TRD development. 2. To unravel ketamine's fast-acting antidepressant mechanisms of action (MoA) on mature neurons obtained from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) obtained from (ketamine-responsive \& non-responsive) patients with TRD. 3. To give maximum visibility to the project and spreading its contents \& findings to and in a way understood by all target groups variously implicated/interested in project research \& innovation.

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

Inclusion criteria: * Age ≥ 18 years; * Diagnosis, confirmed through the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5, of: * Schizophrenic spectrum disorder; * Bipolar spectrum disorder; * Depressive Disorder * Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder * Anxiety Disorder; * Clear evidence of drug resistance (defined, according to the EMA criteria and the literature, as failure at a minimum of 2 treatments set for adequate dosage and duration); * Informed consent freely granted and acquired before the start of the study Exclusion Criteria * Age ≥ 80 years; * History of drug abuse; * Comorbidity with neurodegenerative neurological disorders; * Diagnosis of Intellectual Disability

Questions worth asking your doctor

Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.

1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?

Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.

Questions for the trial coordinator

The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.

1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?

A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.

What they're measuring

Create in vitro human cellular models of some drug-resistant psychiatric disorders.

Timeframe: Entire study duration (approximately 10 years)

Trial details

NCT IDNCT05887310

SponsorUniversity of Milano Bicocca

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeOBSERVATIONAL

Primary completion2024-08-05

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant trials