Multiplication on, multiplication off: Targeting an enzymatic switch to develop oncology drugs

Interdisciplinary research highlighted lipid-protein interaction as a new avenue for oncology drug development, demonstrating its functionality by designing small molecule-based inhibitors to target acute myeloid leukemia.

MD Anderson Research Highlights for June 1, 2022

Current advances include new biomarkers to predict chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy outcomes and neurotoxicities, novel treatment targets for pre-cancerous pancreatic lesions and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a new approach to improve immunotherapy responses in cold tumors, a profile of synthetic lethal targets for cancers with tumor suppressor loss, and promising clinical data for acute myeloid leukemia and cancers of unknown primary.

Investigational Combo Therapy Shows Benefit for TP53 Mutant MDS and Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients

Moffitt Cancer Center is leading a national, multicenter clinical trial investigating a new therapy option for this group of patients. It builds upon the standard of care therapy, combining eprenetapopt (APR-246) with the chemotherapy azacitidine. Results of the phase 1b/2 trial to determine the safety, recommended dose and efficacy of the combination therapy were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Targeted Drugs and Immunotherapies May Lower Risk of Therapy-Related Hematologic Cancers

While breakthrough treatments have emerged for several cancers over the last two decades, driving striking improvements in survival and other clinical outcomes, too little is known about the risk of therapy-related hematologic cancers following targeted and immunotherapeutic approaches. In a study to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2020 virtual meeting, a Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center team reports that in many cases, these newer treatment approaches may reduce the risk of therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myeloid leukemia (tMDS/AML) compared to chemotherapy-based treatment strategies.

Use of venetoclax in reduced-intensity transplant conditioning regimen in patients with high-risk myeloid cancers shows promise in early trial

For patients with high-risk myeloid cancers undergoing a donor stem cell transplant, adding the targeted drug venetoclax to a reduced-intensity drug regimen prior to transplant is safe and does not impair the ability of the donor cells to take root in recipients’ bodies, a study led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers suggests.

Genomic features of AML in patients over age 60 can predict success of bone marrow stem cell transplant, research shows

For older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the prospects for success of a stem cell transplant can often be predicted based on the particular set of genetic mutations within the tumor cells, investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and other research centers will report today at the ASH Annual Meeting.