Attached is an article that is being carried this morning by many news organizations. Apparently adult luekemia patients have had blood drawn and their T Cells extracted then genetically altered in a lab which were then infused back into them with amazing results. This is an offshoot from HIV research and has been successfully done on children in the last year. However this is the first time it was successful done with adults. This new treatment holds out promise for other blood cancers possibly Multiple Myeloma.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/21/health/altered-t-cell-therapy-shows-promise-for-acute-leukemia.html?_r=0
There is a clinical study using a similar approach with multiple myeloma patients currently under way but no study results have yet been published
http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01352286
This is an exciting development as the genetically altered T Cells seek out and destroy the cancer cells.
Ron
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Ron Harvot - Name: Ron Harvot
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Feb 2009
- Age at diagnosis: 56
Re: T Cell Therapy
They are doing it here for multiple myeloma and other cancer patients.
http://www.hwicancerresearch.org
It is called Immunotherapy.
http://www.hwicancerresearch.org
It is called Immunotherapy.
Re: T Cell Therapy
I do want to point out that the T Cell therapy in this study was used to get the patients into remission so they could get the most successful form of immunotherapy we currently have - an allogeneic stem cell transplant. Since most myeloma Docs and patients are anti-allo so this type of therapy may only lead to a temporary remission. I was fortunate to be able to do the allo because I responded well to the drugs so I could do my allo from CR1.
"Patients like the ones in the study, who relapse after chemotherapy, usually have only a few months left, Dr. Sadelain said. But now, three of the five have been in remission for 5 to 24 months. Two others died: one was in remission but died from a blood clot, and the other relapsed. The survivors have gone on to have bone-marrow transplants. Their prognosis is good, but relapse is still possible, and only time will tell."
"Once he was in remission, Mr. Aponte had a bone-marrow transplant, as did three of the other patients in the study. ANOTHER HAD MEDICAL PROBLEMS THAT MADE A TRANSPLANT IMPOSSIBLE, AND IT WAS HE WHO RELAPSED AND DIED. The researchers think he may have relapsed because the steroids he needed to treat the cytokine storm may have wiped out the T-cells before they could do their job."
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/21/health/altered-t-cell-therapy-shows-promise-for-acute-leukemia.html?_r=1&
This is great news. This could be one more way to get patients into remission so they could do an allo transplant in a complete response. Being in CR before the allo transplant increases the chance that it will be curative.
"Patients like the ones in the study, who relapse after chemotherapy, usually have only a few months left, Dr. Sadelain said. But now, three of the five have been in remission for 5 to 24 months. Two others died: one was in remission but died from a blood clot, and the other relapsed. The survivors have gone on to have bone-marrow transplants. Their prognosis is good, but relapse is still possible, and only time will tell."
"Once he was in remission, Mr. Aponte had a bone-marrow transplant, as did three of the other patients in the study. ANOTHER HAD MEDICAL PROBLEMS THAT MADE A TRANSPLANT IMPOSSIBLE, AND IT WAS HE WHO RELAPSED AND DIED. The researchers think he may have relapsed because the steroids he needed to treat the cytokine storm may have wiped out the T-cells before they could do their job."
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/21/health/altered-t-cell-therapy-shows-promise-for-acute-leukemia.html?_r=1&
This is great news. This could be one more way to get patients into remission so they could do an allo transplant in a complete response. Being in CR before the allo transplant increases the chance that it will be curative.
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Anonymous
Re: T Cell Therapy
Ah ... I think there is a world of difference between what is being done by the researchers mentioned in the New York Times article and the "research" being done at the "Health & Wellness Institute Cancer Research Group" linked to in Dee777's post above.
The medical director of the H&WI is a "licensed naturopathic physician." His education was at Bastyr University, which, if you haven't heard of it (I hadn't), is focused on teaching "natural health sciences with an emphasis on integrating mind, body, spirit and nature." The university was founded in 1978.
Also, according to the HW&I website, the medical director's last four scholarly articles were published in the late 1990s, all in the journal "Alternative Medicine Review."
The medical director of the H&WI is a "licensed naturopathic physician." His education was at Bastyr University, which, if you haven't heard of it (I hadn't), is focused on teaching "natural health sciences with an emphasis on integrating mind, body, spirit and nature." The university was founded in 1978.
Also, according to the HW&I website, the medical director's last four scholarly articles were published in the late 1990s, all in the journal "Alternative Medicine Review."
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JimNY
Re: T Cell Therapy
The treatment approach described in the New York Times article is similar, I believe, to one that has been pursued at the University of Pennsylvania. The Beacon did a detailed article on that research last year, if I'm not mistaken ... Yup, here it is:
https://myelomabeacon.org/news/2012/08/31/gene-therapy-to-treat-leukemia-and-multiple-myeloma-update/
The article also links to one a year earlier that first discussed the Penn results.
https://myelomabeacon.org/news/2012/08/31/gene-therapy-to-treat-leukemia-and-multiple-myeloma-update/
The article also links to one a year earlier that first discussed the Penn results.
Re: T Cell Therapy
The clincal study that I linked to above is sponsored by the University of Pennsylvaina. The completion of that study is scheduled for April 2013. The participants were for adults aged 18-80.
Ron
Ron
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Ron Harvot - Name: Ron Harvot
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Feb 2009
- Age at diagnosis: 56
Re: T Cell Therapy
I am involved in a research study at NIH in Maryland. My T cells were collected on 4/17. I am having an auto SCT on 5/28 and the T cells will be returned 45 days after the SCT. I was diagnosed 12/19/12 with high risk del 17 tp 53 and am still learning about this disease. I am hopeful that the T cells help me!
Re: T Cell Therapy
Hi Sunny,
I just wanted to wish you the very very best with your SCT and T-cell study at the NIH.
Best to you,
Dana H
I just wanted to wish you the very very best with your SCT and T-cell study at the NIH.
Best to you,
Dana H
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DanaH - Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself, SMM as of 1/2012
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 1/2012
- Age at diagnosis: 54
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