中国神经再生研究(英文版) ›› 2016, Vol. 11 ›› Issue (1): 83-85.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.169632

• 观点:退行性病与再生 • 上一篇    下一篇

知情同意在神经退行性疾病干细胞临床试验中的未来需求

  

  • 收稿日期:2015-10-15 出版日期:2016-01-15 发布日期:2016-01-15
  • 基金资助:

    Claire Henchcliffe教授的研究工作得到了NYSTEM,NIH/ NINDS赠款支持。

Future needs for informed consent in stem cell clinical trials in neurodegenerative diseases

Natalie Hellmers, Yaa Obeng-Aduasare,Inmaculada de Melo-Martín, Claire Henchcliffe   

  1. Weill Cornell Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Institute, Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA (Hellmers N, Obeng-Aduasare Y, Henchcliffe C)
    Division of Medical Ethics, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA (de Melo-Martín I)
  • Received:2015-10-15 Online:2016-01-15 Published:2016-01-15
  • Contact: Claire Henchcliffe, M.D., D.Phil.,clh2007@med.cornell.edu.
  • Supported by:

    Claire Henchcliffe receives grant support from: NYSTEM,NIH/NINDS. Inmaculada de Melo-Martín receives grant support from: NYSTEM. This work was also supported by the Solomon Family Foundation and CV Starr Foundation.

摘要:

干细胞研究进入人类疾病临床试验的转化速度已经大大加快,并且干细胞治疗在神经退行性疾病中的临床应用也得到了强烈关注,如帕金森病、亨廷顿病以及肌萎缩性侧索硬化症。特别是首次人胚胎干细胞和诱导多能干细胞的细胞脑内移植可能会在未来几年内应用,以及最近报道的人类胚胎干细胞来源的细胞脊柱内移植治疗肌萎缩性侧索硬化症。由于临床试验是要进行策划和实施的,因此科学转译中的伦理框架是至关重要的,但针对人类的干预措施尤其具有风险,特别是这些临床试验将对知情同意过程提出多种挑战。文章审查了神经退行性疾病早期阶段中干细胞临床试验中获得真正的知情同意壁垒,并检查已经研究过的潜在解决和克服这些障碍的程序与措施。目前使用干细胞为基础的干预恢复治疗被认为可适合于多种神经退行性疾病。然而,根据有关充分披露的试验信息来看,许多已经引起关注研究提出的“标准”同意过程可能不足以确保潜在参与者参加这种试验的报名决定确实是自主自愿的。虽然其中一些问题是所有试验共有的,但关于干细胞临床试验在神经退行性疾病中的风险和潜在效果会产生不确定性,这需要开发指导方针并对研究人员进行必要的培训。同时建议可以对可能随时间延长发生的同意程序加以处理,这能够传达复杂微妙的科学信息,并减少治疗误解的效果。作为该领域一个对工作达成的整体共识,他们建议不仅需要临床前和临床研究团队之间的密切合作,还要提高生命伦理学家和个人(通常是精神科医生)熟练评估能力。

Abstract:

Translation of recent advances in stem cell research into clinical trials for restorative therapies for human disease is dramatically accelerating. There is a strong focus upon neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In particular, first-in-human intracerebral transplantation of cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and inducible pluripotent cells (iPS) is likely within the next few years and intraspinal transplantation of hESC-derived cells has been recently reported in ALS. As clinical trials are planned and implemented, it will be critical to attend to the ethical framework necessary for responsible translation of scientifically compelling, but risky, interventions in humans. In particular, these clinical trials will present a variety of challenges to the informed consent process. We therefore review barriers to obtaining a truly informed consent in early phase stem cell clinical trials in neurodegenerative conditions, and examine procedures and interventions that have been investigated to potentially address and overcome these barriers. A variety of neurodegenerative disorders are thought to be amenable to restorative therapies using stem cell-based interventions. However, many studies raise concerns that “standard” consent processes may be insufficient to ensure that potential study participants’ decisions to enroll in such trials are indeed autonomous and made voluntarily, based upon their understanding of adequately disclosed information about the trial. Although some of these concerns are common to all trials, the important uncertainty regarding the risks and potential benefits of stem cell trials in neurodegeneration makes the need for development of guidelines for researchers imperative. We suggest that conveying complex and nuanced scientific information and reducing the effects of the therapeutic misconception could be addressed by extended consent procedures that might take place over time, and that can incorporate tablet-based or web-based materials. Researchers will need support in the use of expanded consent processes that may involve multiple media. The recognized need for long term follow up also necessitates changes in how capacity is assessed over time, and how to address a situation in which a subject loses capacity, for example due to progressive cognitive decline associated with some neurodegenerative disorders. As the field as a whole works towards consensus, we recommend close collaborations, not only between preclinical and clinical research teams, but also with bioethicists and individuals (usually psychiatrists) skilled in assessing capacity, and local IRBs familiar with issues particular to a given geographic region or culture.