Evaluate the Efficacy of Anti-Jak1 Inhibitors as Treatment for Patients With Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome

Plain-language summary

Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome (AGS) is a hereditary multisystem autoinflammatory disorder that predominantly affects the central nervous system. It is characterized by severe neurological disability and chronic inflammation caused by the persistent overproduction of type I interferon. To date, nine causative genes of AGS have been identified, each of which can lead to classic AGS presentations, atypical forms, or other manifestations that do not meet the formal diagnostic criteria for AGS and are referred to as "AGS-related interferonopathies." Janus Kinase 1 (JAK1) inhibitors, including Baricitinib and Ruxolitinib, offer a promising therapeutic strategy for Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome (AGS) by directly targeting the central pathogenic pathway of the disease. Patients treated with JAK1 inhibitors for AGS have shown significant improvement in systemic symptoms, though the effect on neurological symptoms and brain imaging remains unclear. The aim of this project is to retrospectively analyze the efficacy, particularly on neurological symptoms and brain imaging, and the safety of JAK1 inhibitor treatment in AGS patients treated at Italian tertiary centers. Data will be collected before starting the therapy and during follow-up at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months, where available. Preliminary data collection was carried out through a survey conducted by the AGS Italy group to assess the number of patients treated with JAK1 inhibitors. Clinical, brain imaging, genetic, and laboratory data routinely recorded in nine different Italian centers as part of the standard clinical care of these patients will be retrospectively collected and analyzed. In the second phase of the study, brain MRI data from AGS patients treated with JAK1 inhibitors will be compared to untreated AGS patients matched for age and genotype, in order to evaluate the potential therapeutic efficacy of JAK1 inhibitors on brain imaging compared to the natural clinical progression of the disease. Through the analysis of the Italian experience, this study could lay the groundwork for drafting a potential consensus on the use of JAK1 inhibitors for the treatment of AGS patients.

Who can participate

What they're measuring

Trial details