Alireza Faridar, Nazaret Gamez, Daling Li, Yanling Wang, Reena Boradia, Aaron D Thome, Weihua Zhao, David R Beers, Jason R Thonhoff, Mohammad O Nakawah, Gustavo C Román, John J Volpi, Jon B Toledo, Michael George, Charles S Davis, Belen Pascual, Michael Grundman, Joseph C Masdeu, Stanley H Appel
{"title":"低剂量白介素-2在轻至中度阿尔茨海默病患者中的作用:一项随机临床试验","authors":"Alireza Faridar, Nazaret Gamez, Daling Li, Yanling Wang, Reena Boradia, Aaron D Thome, Weihua Zhao, David R Beers, Jason R Thonhoff, Mohammad O Nakawah, Gustavo C Román, John J Volpi, Jon B Toledo, Michael George, Charles S Davis, Belen Pascual, Michael Grundman, Joseph C Masdeu, Stanley H Appel","doi":"10.1186/s13195-025-01791-x","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>We previously documented that regulatory T cells (Tregs) immunomodulatory mechanisms are compromised in Alzheimer's disease (AD), shifting the immune system toward a pro-inflammatory response. However, Tregs are a potentially restorable therapeutic target in AD. In this study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of two dosing frequencies of low-dose Interleukin-2 (IL-2) in expanding Tregs to modify disease progression in AD individuals.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this phase 2a, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 38 participants were assigned to receive subcutaneous IL-2 (10^6 IU/day) for five days, administered either every 4 weeks (IL-2 q4wks) or every 2 weeks (IL-2 q2wks), versus placebo, for 21 weeks, followed by 9 weeks of observation. The primary endpoints were the incidence and severity of adverse events. For the secondary endpoints, changes in Treg numbers and suppressive functions were evaluated. Exploratory endpoints included changes in plasma inflammatory mediators, CSF AD-related biomarkers, and clinical scales.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 38 participants, 9 received IL-2 q4wks, 10 received IL-2 q2wks, and 19 received placebo. All participants completed the trial with no serious adverse events or deaths. Both IL-2 dosing regimens increased Treg numbers and suppressive function, but IL-2 q4wks treatment exhibited superiority in enhancing Treg percentage and Foxp3 mean fluorescent intensity. In longitudinal analysis of 45 inflammatory mediators, IL-2 q4wks administration demonstrated greater efficacy in alleviating the plasma inflammatory mediators CCL2, CCL11, and IL-15, while enhancing IL-4 and CCL13 levels. A significant improvement in CSF Aβ42 levels (p = 0.045 vs. placebo) on Day 148 was observed following IL-2 q4wks administration, compared to placebo. While CSF NfL increased by 217 pg/ml in placebo recipients, it remained stable in the IL-2 q4wks group (p = 0.060, IL-2 q4wks vs. placebo). The adjusted mean change from baseline in the ADAS-cog score at week 22 indicated a trend toward slower clinical progression in IL-2 q4wks recipients compared to placebo (p = 0.061).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The IL-2 immunotherapeutic strategy was safe and well-tolerated. IL-2 q4wks effectively expanded Treg populations, leading to modification in inflammatory mediators and CSF Aβ42 levels, while also showing promising trends on clinical scales. These findings provide a foundation for further investigation of low-dose IL-2 as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's Disease.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06096090, Registration Date: 10-17-2023.</p>","PeriodicalId":7516,"journal":{"name":"Alzheimer's Research & Therapy","volume":"17 1","pages":"146"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12231701/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Low-dose interleukin-2 in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: a randomized clinical trial.\",\"authors\":\"Alireza Faridar, Nazaret Gamez, Daling Li, Yanling Wang, Reena Boradia, Aaron D Thome, Weihua Zhao, David R Beers, Jason R Thonhoff, Mohammad O Nakawah, Gustavo C Román, John J Volpi, Jon B Toledo, Michael George, Charles S Davis, Belen Pascual, Michael Grundman, Joseph C Masdeu, Stanley H Appel\",\"doi\":\"10.1186/s13195-025-01791-x\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<p><strong>Background: </strong>We previously documented that regulatory T cells (Tregs) immunomodulatory mechanisms are compromised in Alzheimer's disease (AD), shifting the immune system toward a pro-inflammatory response. 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The adjusted mean change from baseline in the ADAS-cog score at week 22 indicated a trend toward slower clinical progression in IL-2 q4wks recipients compared to placebo (p = 0.061).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The IL-2 immunotherapeutic strategy was safe and well-tolerated. IL-2 q4wks effectively expanded Treg populations, leading to modification in inflammatory mediators and CSF Aβ42 levels, while also showing promising trends on clinical scales. These findings provide a foundation for further investigation of low-dose IL-2 as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's Disease.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06096090, Registration Date: 10-17-2023.</p>\",\"PeriodicalId\":7516,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Alzheimer's Research & Therapy\",\"volume\":\"17 1\",\"pages\":\"146\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":7.6000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-07-04\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12231701/pdf/\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Alzheimer's Research & Therapy\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"3\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-025-01791-x\",\"RegionNum\":1,\"RegionCategory\":\"医学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q1\",\"JCRName\":\"CLINICAL NEUROLOGY\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Alzheimer's Research & Therapy","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-025-01791-x","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CLINICAL NEUROLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
Low-dose interleukin-2 in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: a randomized clinical trial.
Background: We previously documented that regulatory T cells (Tregs) immunomodulatory mechanisms are compromised in Alzheimer's disease (AD), shifting the immune system toward a pro-inflammatory response. However, Tregs are a potentially restorable therapeutic target in AD. In this study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of two dosing frequencies of low-dose Interleukin-2 (IL-2) in expanding Tregs to modify disease progression in AD individuals.
Methods: In this phase 2a, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 38 participants were assigned to receive subcutaneous IL-2 (10^6 IU/day) for five days, administered either every 4 weeks (IL-2 q4wks) or every 2 weeks (IL-2 q2wks), versus placebo, for 21 weeks, followed by 9 weeks of observation. The primary endpoints were the incidence and severity of adverse events. For the secondary endpoints, changes in Treg numbers and suppressive functions were evaluated. Exploratory endpoints included changes in plasma inflammatory mediators, CSF AD-related biomarkers, and clinical scales.
Results: Of the 38 participants, 9 received IL-2 q4wks, 10 received IL-2 q2wks, and 19 received placebo. All participants completed the trial with no serious adverse events or deaths. Both IL-2 dosing regimens increased Treg numbers and suppressive function, but IL-2 q4wks treatment exhibited superiority in enhancing Treg percentage and Foxp3 mean fluorescent intensity. In longitudinal analysis of 45 inflammatory mediators, IL-2 q4wks administration demonstrated greater efficacy in alleviating the plasma inflammatory mediators CCL2, CCL11, and IL-15, while enhancing IL-4 and CCL13 levels. A significant improvement in CSF Aβ42 levels (p = 0.045 vs. placebo) on Day 148 was observed following IL-2 q4wks administration, compared to placebo. While CSF NfL increased by 217 pg/ml in placebo recipients, it remained stable in the IL-2 q4wks group (p = 0.060, IL-2 q4wks vs. placebo). The adjusted mean change from baseline in the ADAS-cog score at week 22 indicated a trend toward slower clinical progression in IL-2 q4wks recipients compared to placebo (p = 0.061).
Conclusions: The IL-2 immunotherapeutic strategy was safe and well-tolerated. IL-2 q4wks effectively expanded Treg populations, leading to modification in inflammatory mediators and CSF Aβ42 levels, while also showing promising trends on clinical scales. These findings provide a foundation for further investigation of low-dose IL-2 as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's Disease.
期刊介绍:
Alzheimer's Research & Therapy is an international peer-reviewed journal that focuses on translational research into Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. It publishes open-access basic research, clinical trials, drug discovery and development studies, and epidemiologic studies. The journal also includes reviews, viewpoints, commentaries, debates, and reports. All articles published in Alzheimer's Research & Therapy are included in several reputable databases such as CAS, Current contents, DOAJ, Embase, Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, MEDLINE, PubMed, PubMed Central, Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science) and Scopus.