CAR T-cell therapy is a promising treatment that can sometimes cure children whose leukemia has returned or did not respond to standard therapies. In this approach, a patient\u2019s own immune cells (called T cells) are modified to recognize and attack leukemia cells, then infused back into the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One major challenge is that CAR T cells can become \u201cexhausted,\u201d meaning they gradually lose their ability to grow and kill cancer cells effectively. The St. Jude team identified a gene called DNMT3A that plays an important role in this exhaustion. In earlier clinical studies, they found that DNMT3A-related changes reduced the long-term effectiveness of CAR T cells. Importantly, they also discovered that removing or blocking DNMT3A allows CAR T cells to stay active longer, helping them persist, multiply, and better eliminate leukemia cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based on these findings, they have developed a new clinical trial designed to improve CAR T-cell therapy for children with high-risk leukemia. This study will test the safety and anti-cancer activity of CAR T cells that target CD19 and CD22 leukemia markers and have DNMT3A removed (DNMT3A knockout).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trial will be open to children, adolescents, and young adults age 21 or younger whose leukemia is CD19- and\/or CD22-positive and has either returned or not responded to prior treatment. Patients will receive lymphodepleting chemotherapy followed by a single infusion of these novel CAR T cells. In addition to helping participants, this study aims to advance CAR T-cell therapy for future patients with leukemia and other serious diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CAR T cells gene-edited to resist exhaustion for pediatric and young adult patients with CD19- and\/or CD22-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" CAR T-cell therapy is a promising treatment that can sometimes cure children whose leukemia has returned or did not respond to standard therapies. In this approach, a patient\u2019s own immune cells (called […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":40186,"template":"","tax_cancer_type":[363,358],"tax_grant_type":[725],"tax_award_year":[881],"tax_institutions":[606],"tax_location_states":[501],"class_list":["post-40209","cri_scientists","type-cri_scientists","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"scientist_subhead":"CRI Clinical Innovator","quote":"","scientist_last_name":"Talleur","show_on_landing":true,"scientist_publish_until":"20290831"},"yoast_head":"\n