Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia News and Research

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Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a cancer of the white blood cells, the cells in the body that normally fight infections. There are two main types of white blood cells-lymphoid cells and myeloid cells. ALL affects lymphoid cells.

Scientists discover genomic alterations in pediatric relapsed ALL

A group of researchers from Columbia University, Rutgers University, and institutions in Europe and Japan have identified genomic alterations in pediatric relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that cause both therapy resistance and improved clinical response to multi-agent chemotherapy treatment.

22 Sep 2016

Adolescent females have low rates of pregnancy screening prior to cancer treatment

A new study indicates that adolescent females with acute leukemia have low rates of pregnancy screening prior to receiving chemotherapy that can cause birth defects.

13 Sep 2016

Right dose of CAR T cells and lymphodepletion can achieve good response rates for NHL patients

In a paper published today in Science Translational Medicine, researchers from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center shared data from an early-phase study of patients with advanced non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) who received JCAR014, a Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell treatment, and chemotherapy.

9 Sep 2016

Novel conjugate therapy shows promise in destroying ALL cells with few side effects

Researchers at UC Davis and Ionis Pharmaceuticals have developed a hybrid treatment that harnesses a monoclonal antibody to deliver antisense DNA to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells and that may lead to less toxic treatments for the disease.

29 Jul 2016

New study sheds light on pathogenesis of DNA lesions present in leukemia

Researchers have succeeded in shedding light on the pathogenesis of DNA breakpoints that are associated with leukemia.

20 Jul 2016

Adaptive Biotechnologies demonstrates use of high-throughput sequencing platform for MRD

Adaptive Biotechnologies, the leader in combining next-generation sequencing (NGS) and expert bioinformatics to profile T- and B-cell receptors of the adaptive immune system, and collaborators will be presenting five studies demonstrating how Adaptive’s high-throughput sequencing platform enables diagnosis, detection and assessment of prognosis in hematological malignances and has increased sensitivity over flow cytometry.

16 Jun 2016

Discovery on new form ETV6-related thrombocytopenia presented at EHA Annual Congress

We recently discovered a new form of an inherited deficiency of platelets, which is caused by mutations in the ETV6-gene.

13 Jun 2016

Inotuzumab ozogamicin study reveals complete remission rates higher than standard therapy for ALL patients

In a randomized Phase III study of the drug inotuzumab ozogamicin, a statistically significant percentage of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) whose disease had relapsed following standard therapies, qualified for stem cell transplants.

13 Jun 2016

Higher blood levels of methotrexate impair executive functioning in long-term pediatric ALL survivors

Research from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital suggests that pediatric leukemia patients exposed to higher concentrations of the chemotherapy drug methotrexate are more likely to struggle with mental flexibility, organization and related skills as long-term survivors.

7 Jun 2016

Neurotoxic effects of chemotherapy may impair cognitive function in young ALL patients

The neurotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic drugs on the developing brains of young patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) may impair their cognitive functioning by disrupting the formation of neural networks that connect brain regions and transfer information.

19 May 2016

Arkin Holdings and Primera Capital lead investment of $13M in BioSight

BioSight, Ltd, an Israeli pharmaceutical development company focused on the development of innovative chemotherapy pro-drugs with reduced toxicity, announced today the closing of an investment of $13M led by the Mori Arkin's pharmaceutical investment firm, Arkin Holdings, and the US based venture firm Primera Capital. Proceeds of the financing will be used to fund a multi-center phase IIb clinical trial with the company's lead product, Astarabine™, for the treatment of AML.

16 May 2016

NCCN publishes series of patient education materials for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

It is estimated that more than 72,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas (NHL) in 2016. The sixth leading cancer diagnosis in U.S. men and women, NHL has more than 30 sub-types, each featuring unique treatment choices and challenges.

30 Apr 2016

Experimental therapy has over 90% remission rate for advanced leukemia patients

Twenty-seven of 29 patients with an advanced type of leukemia that had proved resistant to multiple other forms of therapy went into remission after their T cells (disease-fighting immune cells) were genetically engineered to fight their cancers.

28 Apr 2016

Study identifies risk factors for asparaginase-induced pancreatitis in ALL patients

Researchers have identified a rare genetic variation associated with a dramatically increased risk of severe acute pancreatitis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients treated with the chemotherapy agent asparaginase. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital led the study, which appears today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

26 Apr 2016

High doses of commonly-used chemotherapy drug may increase survival rate of ALL patients

With a cure rate approaching 90 percent, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) - the most common type of childhood cancer - is often hailed as one of the "success stories" of modern cancer treatment. But up to 20 percent of patients with a high risk of relapse are not cured. That could change with the results from a clinical trial co-led by investigators from NYU Langone Medical Center, which shows giving high doses of a commonly-used chemotherapy drug increases the survival rate for these patients.

26 Apr 2016

CCCBD offers promising new investigational therapy to treat childhood ALL

The Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at Children's Hospital Los Angeles is one of the first sites in the world to offer a promising new investigational therapy to treat pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

30 Mar 2016

Researchers find Achilles' heel of acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa have found the Achilles' heel of one of the most aggressive forms of leukemia that affects both children and adults. They have also identified a possible new treatment that exploits this fatal weakness.

2 Mar 2016

Potential link between PLCD and ALL could offer new targets for cancer prevention research

A potential correlation between pre-labor cesarean delivery (PLCD) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) could offer new targets for cancer prevention research, according to new research from the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota.

27 Feb 2016

Researchers launch clinical trials to test novel cellular-immunotherapy to treat three types of blood cancer

Cancer immunology is based upon boosting the body's own immune system to vanquish malignancies. It is among the fastest growing areas of oncology research. Researchers at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center have launched three clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of a novel cellular-immunotherapy that uses modified T cells - one of the immune system's primary weapons - to treat three different types of blood cancer that often defy existing therapies.

24 Feb 2016

Researchers Pinpoint Potential Enzyme For T-Cell Leukemia Treatment

For the first time, researchers at Boston University have shown that T-cell leukemia cells use a particular cycle, called the TCA or Kreb cycle, to support their growth and survival.

23 Feb 2016