Inhibitors of shuttle molecule show promise in acute leukemia

 

• An estimated 10,200 Americans will die of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 2012, so new ways of treating the disease are needed.
• This study uses a novel class of experimental drugs to halt a process that helps AML cells develop and survive.
• The findings show that the agent is promising and should be considered for clinical trials testing.

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New drug strategy attacks resistant leukemia and lymphoma

Scientists at the Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center have developed an anti-cancer peptide that overcomes the stubborn resistance to chemotherapy and radiation often encountered in certain blood cancers when the disease recurs following initial treatment.

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Novel compound demonstrates anti-leukemic effect in zebrafish, shows promise for human treatment

A novel anti-leukemia compound with little toxicity successfully treated zebrafish with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), suggesting its potential to become a new highly targeted therapy for humans – even those resistant to conventional therapies – according to results from a study published online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).

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Antidepressant shows promise as cancer treatment

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A retinoid called all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), which is a vitamin A-derivative, is already used successfully to treat a rare sub-type of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), however this drug has not been effective for the more common types of AMLs.

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A leukemia drug kills cancerous T-cells while sparing normal immunity

MA—Leukemic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (L-CTCL) is a leukemia arising from T-cells, a type of white blood cell. This cancer can involve the skin and other organs, and patients often die within three years.

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New culprit discovered in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

A new study published in the journal Nature Medicine by NYU Cancer Institute researchers, shows how the cancer causing gene Notch, in combination with a mutated Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) protein complex, work together to cause T- cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL).

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Fish oil may hold key to leukemia cure

A compound produced from fish oil that appears to target leukemia stem cells could lead to a cure for the disease, according to Penn State researchers. The compound — delta-protaglandin J3, or DPGJ3 — targeted and killed the stem cells of chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML, in mice, said Sandeep Prabhu, associate professor of immunology and molecular toxicology in the Department of Veterinary and Medical Sciences. The compound is produced from EPA — Eicosapentaenoic Acid — an Omega-3 fatty acid found in fish and in fish oil, he said.

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First comprehensive DNA study of mast cell leukemia uncovers clues that could improve therapy

Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. – Cancer researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have carried out the first comprehensive study of the changes seen in the DNA of a patient with mast cell leukemia (MCL), an extremely aggressive subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a very poor prognosis.

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AML patients have high response rate with vorinostat added to treatment

Adding a drug that activates genes to frontline combination therapy for acute myeloid leukemia resulted in an 85 percent remission rate after initial treatment, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

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Penn researchers repair immune system in leukemia patients following chemotherapy

–– A new treatment using leukemia patients’ own infection-fighting cells appears to protect them from infections and cancer recurrence following treatment with fludarabine-based chemotherapy, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The new process is a step toward eliminating the harsh side effects that result from the commonly prescribed drug, which improves progression-free survival in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) but destroys patients’ healthy immune cells in the process, leaving them vulnerable to serious viral and bacterial infections. The drug’s effects on the immune system tend to be so violent that it has been dubbed “AIDS in a bottle.”

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