5 replies to this topic

[elvis]

I feel there is a little bit of slowdown in finding new drugs or combination therapy for finding cure or destroying Leukemic stem cells especially in 2013, 2014 and 2015. I see even number of research papers have slowed down in this area and not many trials using new drugs, therapies or approaches.

 

I am not hearing any new information in this area or renewed interest on trials other than STIM trials that may not be suitable for everyone.  Most people see their PCR bounce and lose response when they stop TKI's.

 

The only thing that can slow this down is to hit Leukemic stem cells(killing LSCs) and handling T315i mutation which is proving to be deadly but I see no new drugs other than ponatinib which introduced some serious side effects for many and even serious CVD events.

 

May be the big pharma lost interest here.... No incentive since they want people lifetime on TKI's, that is the core revenue model... right?

 

Any other thoughts or information???

 

elvis

[gerry]

Hi Elvis,

 

They are looking at gene therapy for CML and AML

 

In the British study, led by Dr Emma Morris - a haematologist at University College London and the Royal Free Hospital, T-cells from up to 20 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia or chronic myeloid leukaemia are to be extracted, inserted with DNA so they recognise WT1, and then put back again.

'Most people have immune cells which can't recognise cancer cells, which is one of the major problems with tackling the disease,' Dr Morris explained. 'We have genetically engineered patients' immune cells so they develop receptors for the WT1 protein, making them much better at recognising leukaemia cells.'

One patient has already received an infusion containing genetically engineered' T-cells and there are others whose cells are being prepared. The DNA is transferred into the T-cells using a 'dummy' virus that does not cause an infection. These then provide the blueprint to build the WT1 receptor.

 

http://www.dailymail...me-changer.html

[gerry]

Leukemia like Achilles, has its own weakness

Date:

March 25, 2015

 

Source:

Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology

 

Summary:

Leukemia cells from patients suffering from chronic myeloid leukemia, especially in the advanced stage, lack one of the proteins: the famous BRCA1. Importantly, the protein is not present even if the patient carries the proper, not mutated gene responsible for BRCA1 production.

 

http://www.scienceda...50325093407.htm

[Lucas]

That's not all true. Yes, it's true that there's not much interest in create new drugs. there are already five that suits for 90% of the patients in chronic phase and if you have more drugs there will be more competition. despite all this, there were nice news in the past 6 months. axatinib seems to battle cml and the t315I mutation. there's a trial with a drug called abl001 and tasigna that seems to overcome resistance and kill cml stem cells. new substances were also discovered . so, i think that despite of not a great commercial interest, there are a lot of things going on and maybe we'll have new treatments soon and maybe a cure in a 15-20 years timespan.

 

http://www.cmlsuppor...clinical_trials

 

http://www.medscape....warticle/839507

 

http://www.scienceda...1128111330.htm 

[mdszj]

I posted this article recently, you may have missed it.

 

http://community.lls...mia-stem-cells/

[elvis]

I sincerely hope Axitinib and may other approaches succeeds.  We need Gleevec like miracle to these difficult scenarios that are currently not easily treatable. A similar success of that magnitude alone can alleviate the T315i mutation and also finding a lasting cure for CML by attacking LSCs. 

 

A lot of immunotherapy I have been hearing is on ALL side (Dr. Carl Juno) University of Penn who pioneered this for ALL. But I have not been hearing that applied to some of the difficult to treat cases for CML.  May be it is not out in the open.  I heard the vaccine trials in John Hopkins were not considered very successful.

 

Also I see some the clinical trials the results are not posted when I go to trial site.  Does that mean it failed? In many cases on combination therapy the results are not posted or available.

 

Anyway thanks for the information.  Hoping to hear more as it give us all more comfort that we have many more options and not limited to 3-4 TKI that work in a very similar pathway.