TRIAL READY (Clinical Trial Readiness)

This multi-center study aims to clinically validate leading biological-fluid-based biomarker candidates as potential prognostic and pharmacodynamic biomarkers that have the potential to facilitate therapy development for patients with ALS and related disorders. Biomarker candidates that will be considered include: urinary p75 neurotrophin receptor extracellular domain (p75ECD), blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) phosphorylated neurofilament heavy (pNfH), blood and CSF neurofilament light (NfL) and, in the population with a C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion, peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and CSF levels of the dipeptide repeat protein poly(GP). In pursuit of these goals, the CReATe Consortium is already collecting longitudinal biological samples from patients with ALS and related disorders through the ongoing Phenotype-Genotype-Biomarker (PGB) study. TRIAL READY aims to identify additional patients with the C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion mutation (HREM), the most common genetic cause of ALS, who may be further followed through the PGB study. This study will also enroll and longitudinally evaluate a cohort of age- and gender-match healthy controls.

Inclusion criteria

• Member of at least one of the following categories:

• Individuals with a clinical diagnosis of ALS or a related disorder, including FTD, ALS-FTD, PLS, and PMA.
• Individuals never diagnosed with and not at particular risk of developing ALS or a related disorder.
• Able and willing to comply with relevant procedures.

Exclusion criteria

• A condition or situation which, in the PI's opinion, could confound the study finding or may interfere significantly with the individual's participation and compliance with the study protocol. This includes (but is not limited to) neurological, psychological and/or medical conditions.