Clinical trial NCT06620406: Synbiotic Therapy for NP-PASC
Official title: Pilot Study of Synbiotic Therapy for Neuropsychiatric PASC
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Long COVID-19
Lead sponsor: Columbia University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2024-10-01
Enrollment: 30
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Gut microbiome dysbiosis has been noted in patients with Post-acute sequelae (PASC) of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-CoronaVirus -2 (SARS-CoV-2). A study performed at Columbia found that plasma levels of the short chain fatty acid (SCFA), butyric acid, remained lower in people with Neuropsychiatric PASC (NP-PASC) than in people with PASC after SAR-CoV-2 infection. Synbiotics improve SCFA levels and are well-tolerated in the general population but have not been studied among people with PASC in the United States. The purpose of this pilot study is to characterize changes in plasma SCFA levels and gut microbiome after treatment with synbiotics and placebo in people with NP-PASC. The intervention will be a mixture of the prebiotic resistant starch and the probiotic Bifidobacterium adolescentis in-vivo selection 1 strain (iVS-1). The placebo will be Maltodextrin.

Detailed description: In this pilot study, up to 30 participants with NP-PASC at Columbia University Medical Center (CUIMC) will be randomized to take the intervention (n=15) or placebo (n=15). Both intervention and placebo will be similar in terms of appearance and taste, and participants will be asked to take the intervention or placebo with water twice daily, for up to 4 weeks. At the enrollment and study follow-up visit, the investigators will obtain data on acceptability and feasibility, including feasibility of assessing adherence and outcomes, and collect blood, rectal swabs and stool for outcome assessment.

The study intervention is a mixture of the prebiotic potato RS (Bobs Red Mill) and the probiotic IVS-1 (Bifidobacterium adolescentis). One dose will be RS and IVS-1 mixed together in a single-use sachet. The placebo will be Maltodextrin, a carbohydrate, packaged similarly to the intervention. Participants will take one dose twice daily with water, for 4 weeks. Each participant will receive a 4-week supply of sachets at the screening/enrollment visit.

There will be a total of two visits: screening/enrollment/randomization and week 4. During the screening visit, study information will be provided to potential participants, and interested participants will sign an informed consent and undergo screening procedures. Those who meet eligibility criteria will then undergo enrollment and randomization procedures on the same day. Data on sociodemographic and medical history will be collected using surveys, and relevant samples will also be collected at the first visit as well as a self-administered rectal swab, and self-collected stool for gut microbiome studies and blood test for SCFA levels. The participant will then initiate the intervention or placebo, and the study staff will counsel and support the participants on administration of the intervention or placebo. At the 4-week visit, clinical data and samples will be collected, as well as data on acceptability, feasibility, adherence.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

1. \>18 years of age,
2. Prior mild acute SARS-CoV-2 infection (positive testing by FDA approved antigen or molecular test or positive anti-nucleocapsid antibody) and not requiring hospitalization
3. Meeting Center for Disease Control (CDC) criteria for PASC (any new or recurrent symptom present \>4 weeks after SARS-COV-2 infection)
4. Meeting 2015 Institute of Medicine (IOM) criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME-CFS) of 3 required symptoms for fatigue to select for individuals specifically with NP-PASC (a substantial reduction or impairment in ability to engage in pre-illness levels of activity, post-exertional malaise, and unrefreshing sleep) and at least one of the two following manifestations (cognitive impairment or orthostatic intolerance).
5. meets cognitive impairment threshold on neurocognitive battery.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Pregnancy or breastfeeding
2. Currently taking or using the following non-study products within 30 days prior to study entry:

   * probiotics, prebiotics, or fiber supplements
   * immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory drugs
   * antibiotics
3. Heavy drug or alcohol use
4. Known allergy to any of the study products
5. Serious illness requiring systemic treatment and/or hospitalization within 30 prior to study entry
6. Liver cirrhosis, history of inflammatory bowel disease, or other major conditions related to colon
7. Any episode of acute or persistent diarrhea within 1 day prior to study entry

Primary outcomes:
measure: Difference in plasma short chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels between study arms
timeFrame: 4 weeks
measure: Difference in gut microbiota between study arms
timeFrame: 4 weeks
measure: Difference in other biomarkers between study arms
timeFrame: 4 weeks
measure: Difference in clinical profiles between study arms
timeFrame: 4 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Number of participants enrolled per week and agree to take the intervention
timeFrame: 4 weeks
measure: Number of participants who successfully take the intervention
timeFrame: 4 weeks
measure: Difference in NP-PASC symptoms between study arms
timeFrame: 4 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: New York
country: United States
facility: Columbia University Irving Medical Center
state: New York
Study officials:
affiliation: Columbia University
name: Michael Yin, MD, MS
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Columbia Universtiy Medical Center
name: Rupak Shivakoti, PhD, MHS
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Liu Q, Mak JWY, Su Q, Yeoh YK, Lui GC, Ng SSS, Zhang F, Li AYL, Lu W, Hui DS, Chan PK, Chan FKL, Ng SC. Gut microbiota dynamics in a prospective cohort of patients with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. Gut. 2022 Mar;71(3):544-552. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-325989. Epub 2022 Jan 26.
citation: Kearney SM, Gibbons SM, Erdman SE, Alm EJ. Orthogonal Dietary Niche Enables Reversible Engraftment of a Gut Bacterial Commensal. Cell Rep. 2018 Aug 14;24(7):1842-1851. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.07.032.
citation: Pandey KR, Naik SR, Vakil BV. Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics- a review. J Food Sci Technol. 2015 Dec;52(12):7577-87. doi: 10.1007/s13197-015-1921-1. Epub 2015 Jul 22.
citation: Maldonado-Gomez MX, Martinez I, Bottacini F, O'Callaghan A, Ventura M, van Sinderen D, Hillmann B, Vangay P, Knights D, Hutkins RW, Walter J. Stable Engraftment of Bifidobacterium longum AH1206 in the Human Gut Depends on Individualized Features of the Resident Microbiome. Cell Host Microbe. 2016 Oct 12;20(4):515-526. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2016.09.001. Epub 2016 Sep 29.
citation: Sonnenburg ED, Smits SA, Tikhonov M, Higginbottom SK, Wingreen NS, Sonnenburg JL. Diet-induced extinctions in the gut microbiota compound over generations. Nature. 2016 Jan 14;529(7585):212-5. doi: 10.1038/nature16504.
citation: Committee on the Diagnostic Criteria for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; Board on the Health of Select Populations; Institute of Medicine. Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Redefining an Illness. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2015 Feb 10. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK274235/
citation: Grooms KN, Ommerborn MJ, Pham DQ, Djousse L, Clark CR. Dietary fiber intake and cardiometabolic risks among US adults, NHANES 1999-2010. Am J Med. 2013 Dec;126(12):1059-67.e1-4. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2013.07.023. Epub 2013 Oct 15.