The MURDOCK Study Community Registry and Biorepository Multiple Sclerosis Cohort
- Conditions
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Registration Number
- NCT01723709
- Lead Sponsor
- Duke University
- Brief Summary
The goal of this study is to enroll 1000 participants with a history of Multiple Sclerosis into the MURDOCK Study (Duke IRB Pro00011196) as well as into the Multiple Sclerosis Cohort study (Duke IRB Pro00023791). All 1000 participants will answer a 4-page questionnaire administered by a trained study coordinator which is designed to collect information on the participant's diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. The goal of the study is to seek genetic explanations for response to treatment, progression of the disease, and biomarker validation.
- Detailed Description
Despite tremendous research efforts, the targets of immune response and the mechanisms for neuronal loss associated with MS have not been fully characterized. Although substantial advances have been made in the development of therapeutic treatments, the drugs currently available to MS patients do not significantly alter the long-term prognosis of the disease. Better markers that represent the biological activity of the disease process and response to therapy are desperately needed. MS is thought to be mediated by autoimmunity which causes demyelination and transection of axons throughout the brain and spinal cord resulting in the formation of multiple scars (or scleroses) on axon myelin sheaths and reducing electrical conductivity and decreased CNS signaling. It is most common in young adults; more than 90% of patients are diagnosed before the age of 55 and less than 5% before the age of 14. Females are 2-3 times more frequently affected than males and children of affected females are at a significantly higher risk of developing MS than children of affected males. A strong genetic component is suggested by the co-occurrence of cases within families and the high disease prevalence in some ethnic populations (particularly those of northern European origin) compared with others (African and Asian groups) irrespective of geographic location.7 The incidence of MS in northern Europe, where the genetically associated haplotype HLA DR2 is most common, is as high as 1 per 750 individuals. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and 2.5 million worldwide.
Although numerous putative MS-specific biomarkers, representing different mechanisms of pathogenesis and steps along the inflammatory cascade have been proposed, none have been fully validated. To date, the majority of studies identifying biomarkers associated with MS initiation or progression have been limited to investigation of one to several markers at a time; only one study has attempted open platform proteomic profiling in MS; however, the study size was relatively small and the clinical homogeneity of the dataset of the study is not clear. To understand a complex disease like MS, high throughput technologies capable of profiling multiple etiological changes is needed as well as a well-define population of those with the disease.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 973
- 18 years of age or older
- Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis or self report Multiple Sclerosis
- Participants who are not willing to participate in this study
Study & Design
- Study Type
- OBSERVATIONAL
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Serum-based proteomic biomarkers associated with disease initiation and progression in MS 5 years Biological material (serum, urine, whole blood and Paxgene RNA) collected in the MURDOCK Study(Pro00011196) will permit the initiation of a biomarker discovery project for all patients consented under the MS cohort protocol. Participants in this study will be followed for 5 years after consent with additional blood draws and questionnaires occurring biannually during this period.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
Trial Locations
- Locations (5)
Ada Jenkins Center
🇺🇸Davidson, North Carolina, United States
Raleigh Neurology Associates
🇺🇸Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
Carolinas Medical Center Northeast Medical Arts Building
🇺🇸Concord, North Carolina, United States
The Stedman Center on the Duke Center for Living Campus
🇺🇸Durham, North Carolina, United States
Kannapolis Internal Medicine
🇺🇸Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States