Transforming the Treatment of Leukemia Through Research

Physician-scientists at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center are rapidly transforming the treatment of leukemia and other blood-related malignancies. Their groundbreaking research and development of innovative immunotherapy techniques and targeted therapies expand clinical options beyond conventional chemotherapy and radiation, giving patients new hope and greater access to breakthrough therapies.

Advancing the Field of Personalized Genetically Engineered Therapies

The development of new therapies is critical for improving clinical outcomes, especially among patients with treatment-resistant cancers. The fast-growing immunology field enables physicians to harness the body’s immune system and fight cancer with more personalized, genetically based therapies. The emerging targeted therapies bolster treatment options for some patients and have been shown to improve clinical outcomes and survival rates.

At UH, pioneering clinicians and scientists work collaboratively on basic, translational, and clinical research to innovate and improve standard care. In addition to fighting the toxicity of traditional chemotherapy and radiation, they are developing novel cell-based experimental therapies to destroy leukemia cells more effectively. These nascent treatment approaches incorporate checkpoint inhibitors, which prevent cancers from escaping an immune attack; cytokine and immune modulators to regulate and direct the immune system; and cancer vaccines.

To date, physician-scientists are encouraged by early clinical trials, which have shown increased rates of remission and survival and reduced side effects among patients treated with immunotherapy, compared to conventional chemotherapy. In fact, UH Seidman Cancer Center patients who have undergone CAR T-cell therapy, an immunotherapy that uses the body’s own T-cells to fight cancer, report an 80% overall response in complete and partial remission.