SILK: Human CNS Tau Kinetics in Tauopathies (Version 1.0)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
SILK: Human CNS Tau Kinetics in Tauopathies
IRAS ID
237620
Contact name
Ross Paterson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2018/02/93, Data Protection Number
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Researchers and physicians typically use protein called tau in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that surrounds the brain and spinal cord to help them make an accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. In disorders involving the tau protein such as Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), and Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD) - all known as ‘tauopathies’ - research suggests that the ratio of specific forms of tau in the brain and CSF is altered. However, we do not have enough understanding of how these changes occur to use it for diagnostics or therapy.
This study will examine how the production and clearance of tau changes in the Central Nervous System (CNS) in individuals with tauopathies. Since tau levels in CSF are changed in tauopathy patients, we use tau as a “biomarker”, an important physical trait used to measure or indicate effects or progress, of these tauopathies.
Washington University have recently developed a new approach to measure tau in the human CSF. UCL are collaborating with Washington University to measure tau in the human CSF within the UK using this approach.
The study is designed to determine how long tau stays in the body. It involves marking the tau with a special type of an essential amino acid called leucine. The leucine is specially labeled with a stable form of carbon found in nature (called 13C6-leucine), which will stick to certain proteins such as tau making the tau "visible" to researchers. Participants will be given labeled leucine through a line running into their vein. The researchers will collect samples of CSF at different time-points, and determine how long the tau stays in the system. This amount of time is called the “half-life.” Knowing the half-life of tau will help researchers to develop clinical trials that target tau, and future therapeutic interventions for tauopathies.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/0861
Date of REC Opinion
14 Jun 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion