Disease Focus: Leukemia
Niche-Focused Research: Discovery & Development of Hematopoietic Regenerative Factors
Bone marrow and peripheral blood transplantation utilizing blood stem cells can provide curative treatment for patients with cancers and non-cancerous diseases of the blood and immune systems. Such treatments can be curative because the stem cells contained within the bone marrow or peripheral blood of healthy donors are capable of replacing the entirety of the […]
Phase 1/1b study of T-allo10 infusion after HLA-partially matched abdepleted-HSCT in children and young adults with hematologic malignancies.
Dr. Matthew H Porteus and his team at Stanford will test an immunotherapy cell approach using a therapy that is enriched with specialized immune cells called type I regulatory T (Tr1) cells. These cells will be infused into the patient following the bone marrow transplant. Both the Tr1 cells and the bone marrow will come […]
Phase 1 Study of CD19/CD22 Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cells in Adults with Recurrent or Refractory B Cell Malignancies
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cell Therapy is an innovative cancer therapy with very encouraging response rates in patients. The therapy works by isolating a patient’s own T cells (a type of immune cell) and then genetically engineering them to recognize a protein on the surface of cancer cells, triggering their destruction. In some patients […]
A Phase 1b/2a Study of the ROR1-Targeting Monoclonal Antibody, Cirmtuzumab, and the Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, Ibrutinib, in B-Cell Cancers
Cancer is a leading cause of death in California. Many cancers resist current therapies due to therapy-resistant cancer stem cells (CSCs). A team at UCSD is testing an antibody therapy called cirmtuzumab in a clinical trial study to treat a blood cancer, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). The antibody recognizes and attaches to a protein on […]
Novel methods to eliminate cancer stem cells
Research Objective Our goal is to develop and optimize novel drugs that can attack blood cancer stem cells. These drugs interfere with a target protein, and will prevent relapse of disease. Impact By targeting blood cancer stem cells, these compounds can be used to treat and prevent recurrence of cancer in patients. In the future, […]
Lgr5-mediated self-renewal in B cell selection and leukemia-initiation
Research Objective LGR5-antibody drug conjugate to target LIC in B cell tumors that undergo self-renewal Impact LIC were only defined in myeloid leukemia, while LIC populations in B cell tumors remain elusive. LICs give rise to drug-resistance and relapse and remain unsolved clinical problems in B cell tumors. Major Proposed Activities Proof of concept studies- […]
Development of ROR1 CAR-T cells to target cancer stem cells in advanced malignancies
Translational Candidate Autologous ROR1 CAR-T cell transduced with a lentiviral vector containing scFv (cirmtuzumab) with CD28, CD137, CD3zeta signaling domains Area of Impact ROR1 expressing cancer stem cells in solid tumors and hematologic tumors Mechanism of Action ROR1 CAR is a 3rd generation chimeric construct with an internal endodomain that transmits a CD3 zeta signal […]
Phase 1/1b study of T-allo10 infusion after HLA-partially matched abdepleted-HSCT in children and young adults with hematologic malignancies.
Therapeutic Candidate or Device An immunotherapy cell product, T-allo10, that is enriched for specialized immune cells called type I regulatory T (Tr1) cells Indication Children and young adults with relapse/refractory acute leukemia receiving a specialized stem cell transplant, αβdepleted-HSCT Therapeutic Mechanism αβdepleted-HSCT has increased the number of patients who can safely receive transplants, however this […]
Phase 1 Study of CD19/CD22 Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cells in Adults with Recurrent or Refractory B Cell Malignancies
Therapeutic Candidate or Device T cells genetically engineered to express as bispecific Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) targeting CD19 and/or CD22 Indication Patients with relapsed and refractory B cell malignancies Therapeutic Mechanism T cells expressing the bispecific CAR will recognize cancer cells expressing one of both of the target antigens. Upon recognition, the T cells will […]
A Phase 1b/2a Study of the ROR1-Targeting Monoclonal Antibody, Cirmtuzumab, and the Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, Ibrutinib, in B-Cell Cancers
Therapeutic Candidate or Device Cirmtuzumab (UC-961) is a therapeutic monoclonal antibody that inhibits ROR1, a tumor-specific protein on the surface of many cancer stem cells Indication Cirmtuzumab will be used with the approved drug, ibrutinib, for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or mantle cell lymphoma Therapeutic Mechanism ROR1 is a cell surface protein which is […]