Chapters authored
Use of 2-Hydroxypropyl-Beta-Cyclodextrin for Niemann-Pick Type C Disease
Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPD-C) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a lysosomal storage disorder. Treatment has been supportive and symptomatic. In animal studies, 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) showed a significant decrease in cerebellar damage, neurological progression, and higher lifespan. Based on these results, HP-β-CD has been tested in NPD-C patients for last 8 years. The first compassionate uses of intravenous HP-β-CD obtained a limited improvement in neurological symptoms, probably associated to the non-permeation of the blood-brain barrier. The change or combination with intrathecal administrations of HP-β-CD achieved higher benefits, especially improvement or stabilization of NPD-C progression. Biomarkers of neurological cholesterol homeostasis are being investigated in order to quantify the response of HP-β-CD treatment. The results of a clinical trial recently published have reproduced the slowing of NPD-C progression in 14 patients treated with a dose-escalation protocol of HP-β-CD intrathecal monthly infusions, with respect to a historical comparison cohort. The safety profile of this therapy is acceptable, being the loss of hearing as the most frequent adverse event. However, some severe toxicities have been reported in relation with HP-β-CD, including chemical meningitis and fever. The short experience with HP-β-CD suggested that it could be effective in the management of NPD-C.
Part of the book: Cyclodextrin