This Week in Pediatric Oncology
Science
August 05, 2011
Host Dr. Tim Cripe and co-host Maureen O’Brien discuss recent papers on immunotherapy and DNA sequencing studies revealing new potential targets in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
1:45 min. Results on use of BiTE antibody (Bi-specific T-cell engaging) blinatumomab in adults with lymphoma and leukemia:
Exp Cell Res. 2011 May 15;317(9):1255-60. Epub 2011 Mar 16. Immunomodulatory therapy of cancer with T cell-engaging BiTE antibody blinatumomab
J Clin Oncol. 2011 Jun 20;29(18):2493-8. Epub 2011 May 16. Targeted therapy with the T-cell-engaging antibody blinatumomab of chemotherapy-refractory minimal residual disease in B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients results in high response rate and prolonged leukemia-free survival.
Use of blinatumomab in pediatrics was recently reported in Germany, and an international phase I/II trial for pediatrics is due to begin accruing this year.
Leukemia. 2011 Jan;25(1):181-4. Epub 2010 Oct 14. Complete remission after blinatumomab-induced donor T-cell activation in three pediatric patients with post-transplant relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
23:00 min. Recent findings from the TARGET Initiative (Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments) http://target.cancer.gov/
Through NIH's TARGET initiative, scientists sequenced 120 candidate genes in 187 high-risk childhood B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemias (HR B-ALL) and normal tissues and combined the results with data from previous studies using microarry and gene copy number studies. Sorting through this massive amount of information revealed a high frequency of recurrent genetic alterations in several specific cancer signaling pathways. The information appears to be useful to stratify these patients into subcategories, some of whom do much better than others. These data highlight potential new therapeutic targets in certain subsets of childhood ALL.
Blood. 2010 Dec 2;116(23):4874-84. Epub 2010 Aug 10. Identification of novel cluster groups in pediatric high-risk B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia with gene expression profiling: correlation with genome-wide DNA copy number alterations, clinical characteristics, and outcome
Blood. 2011 Jun 16. [Epub ahead of print] Key pathways are frequently mutated in high risk childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a report from theChildren's Oncology Group
Please send all questions or comments to twipo@solvingkidscancer.org
TWIPO #32 ~ Ethics in Childhood Cancer Clinical Trials
TWIPO #31 ~ Secondary Cancers in Childhood Cancer Survivors
TWIPO #30 ~ Cancer Risk in Families
TWIPO #29 ~ Understanding the Circuitry Behind Pediatric Solid Tumors
TWIPO #28 ~ Uniting the Childhood Cancer Community
TWIPO #27 ~ Advocating for Better Research for our Kids
TWiPO #26 ~ Killer Immunoglobulin Receptor (KIR) Mismatch in Neuroblastoma
TWiPO #25 ~ Histones in Pediatric Gliomas
TWiPO #24 ~ Cord Blood Banking: Interview with Machi Scaradavou
TWiPO #23 ~ Neuroblastoma Jeopardy 2011
TWiPO #22 ~ Brain Tumor Year-End Round Robin
TWiPO #21 ~ Interview with Dr. Beatrice Lampkin
TWiPO #20 ~ The F-word in Pediatric Cancer Research
TWiPO #19 ~ More on Hedgehog signaling, brain tumor risk from cell phone use, and FDA approval of cancer drugs
TWiPO #18 ~ Targeting EWS-FLI1 in Ewing's Sarcoma: Interview with Dr Jeff Toretsky
TWiPO #17 ~ Personalized medicine: Interview with Dr Giselle Sholler
TWiPO #16 ~ Genetic Underpinnings of Ewing Sarcoma: Interview with Dr Stephen L. Lessnick
TWiPO #15 ~ MicroRNAs and hereditary cancer
TWiPO #14 ~ Interview with Dr Kate Matthay
TWiPO #13 ~ Updates, epidemiology of CNS tumors, birth order, and cell phone risks
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