journal articles
A POLYMORPHISM CLUSTER AT THE 2Q12 LOCUS MAY PREDICT RESPONSE TO PIROMELATINE IN PATIENTS WITH MILD ALZHEIMER\'S DISEASE
L.S. Schneider, M. Laudon, T. Nir, J. Caceres, G. Ianniciello, M. Capulli, N. Zisapel
J Prev Alz Dis 2022;2(9):255-261
Background: Piromelatine is a novel melatonin MT1/2/3 and serotonin 5-HT-1A/1D receptors agonist developed for mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In a randomized, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study (ReCognition) of piromelatine (5, 20, and 50 mg daily for 6 months) in participants with mild dementia due to AD (n=371, age 60-85 years), no statistically significant differences were found between the piromelatine and placebo-treated groups on the primary (i.e., computerized neuropsychological test battery (cNTB)) and secondary outcomes (ADCS-CGIC, ADCS-MCI-ADL, ADAS-cog14, NPI, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)) nor were there safety concerns (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02615002).
Objectives: This study was aimed at identifying genetic markers predicting piromelatine treatment response using a genome-wide association approach (GWAS).
Design: Variant genotyping of a combined whole genome and whole exome sequencing was performed using DNA extracted from lymphocytes from consenting participants. The general case-control allelic test was performed on piromelatine-treated participants, taking “responders” (i.e., >0.125 change from baseline in the cNTB) as cases and “non responders” as controls, using a Cochran-Armitage trend test.
Setting: 58 outpatient clinics in the US.
Participants: 371 participants were randomized in the trial; 107 provided informed consent for genotyping.
Results: The GWAS sample did not differ from the full study cohort in demographics, baseline characteristics, or response to piromelatine. Six single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in chromosome 2q12 (2:107,510,000-107,540,000) were associated with response (p-value < 1x10 -4 each). Post hoc analyses suggested that the carriers of the 2q12 polymorphism cluster (27% of the GWAS sample) improved significantly on the cNTB on piromelatine as compared to placebo but significantly worsened on the ADAS-Cog14 and PSQI. By contrast, “non-carriers” improved significantly with piromelatine compared to placebo on the ADAS-Cog14 ( 2.91 (N=23) with piromelatine 20 mg vs 1.65 (N=19) with placebo (p=0.03)) and PSQI.
Conclusions: The 2q12 (2:107,510,000-107,540,000) 5-6 SNPs cluster may predict efficacy of piromelatine for mild AD. These findings warrant further investigation in a larger, prospective early-stage AD clinical trial for patients who are non-carriers of the 2q12 polymorphism cluster.
CITATION:
L.S. Schneider ; M. Laudon ; T. Nir ; J. Caceres ; G. Ianniciello ; M. Capulli ; N. Zisapel ; (2021): A Polymorphism Cluster at the 2q12 locus May Predict Response to Piromelatine in Patients with Mild Alzheimer's Disease. The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease (JPAD). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jpad.2021.61