Transcriptomic Analysis to Put an End to Misdiagnosis in Patients With Rare Muscle Diseases (NCT06833489) | Clinical Trial Compass
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Transcriptomic Analysis to Put an End to Misdiagnosis in Patients With Rare Muscle Diseases
France50 participantsStarted 2025-03-01
Plain-language summary
Since 2017, more than 250 analyses performed at the Molecular Genetics Laboratory of the Timone Enfant Hospital have yielded negative results in patients with rare genetic muscle diseases. The researchers hypothesise that some of these misdiagnosed patients carry pathogenic RNA (transcript) disrupting variants that were not identified by DNA sequencing. In fact, DNA sequencing analyses can be negative despite the presence of a pathogenic variant that disrupts RNA splicing or expression, causing a genetic disease. For this reason, RNA sequencing can provide a diagnosis in patients who have not been diagnosed by DNA sequencing, thus putting an end to diagnostic wandering. Thus, as a descriptive prevalence study, the objectives are first to determine the rate of positive diagnoses made by the RNAseq approach in patients with muscle diseases that have not yet been diagnosed, and then to identify the genomic characteristics of the pathogenic variants identified in patients by RNAseq analysis, in order to facilitate the identification of this type of variant in future patients.
50 patients will be included in this study during 2 years.
Who can participate
Sex
ALL
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AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Inclusion Criteria:
* patients with rare genetic muscle diseases who have benefited from high-throughput sequencing analysis (panel of 200 genes defined by the FILNEMUS Rare Neuromuscular Disease Network) carried out at the Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Medical Genetics Department, Timone Enfant Hospital since 2017.
This criterion is necessary to limit the analysis to patients with muscular diseases among all the patients analysed by the Molecular Genetics Laboratory.
* this genetic analysis did not identify pathogenic variants explaining the patient's phenotype This criterion is necessary in order to include only patients in diagnostic error.
* a muscle biopsy of the patient is available in the Biological Resources Centre (CRB) at the AP-HM.
Exclusion Criteria:
* Patients with no muscle biopsy available in the CRB.
* Patients with an established molecular diagnosis.
* Patients for whom RNA extraction from a muscle biopsy sample did not yield RNA of sufficient quality (INR \>7) will be excluded from the study. A maximum of two extraction attempts will be performed.
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
1
rate of positive diagnoses using the RNAseq approach
Timeframe: From enrollment to the end of study at 24 months