View clinical trials related to Leukemia.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to compare the effects (good and bad) of the medication basiliximab in combination with cyclosporine with cyclosporine alone for the prevention of graft-versus-host disease. This research is being done because there is no completely safe and effective prevention for graft-versus-host disease. It is known that cyclosporine helps with GVHD but we would like to know if the addition of basiliximab will decrease the incidence and/or severity of GVHD after a transplant known as nonmyeloablative ("mini" transplant).
The purpose of this study is to determine if haplotype-mismatched HSCT is associated with an improvement in treatment-related mortality (TRM) rate at 6 months.
This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of iodine I 131monoclonal antibody BC8 when given together with fludarabine phosphate, cyclophosphamide, total-body irradiation, and donor bone marrow transplant, and to see how well they work in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia or acute lymphoblastic leukemia that has spread to nearby or other places in the body (advanced), or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome. Giving chemotherapy drugs, such as fludarabine phosphate and cyclophosphamide, and total-body irradiation before a donor bone marrow transplant helps stop the growth of cancer or abnormal cells and helps stop the patient's immune system from rejecting the donor's stem cells. Also, radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies, such as iodine I 131 monoclonal antibody BC8, can find cancer cells and carry cancer-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. When the healthy stem cells from a donor are infused into the patient they may help the patient's bone marrow make stem cells, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can make an immune response against the body's normal cells. Giving cyclophosphamide together with mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus after the transplant may stop this from happening. Giving a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody together with donor stem cell transplant, fludarabine phosphate, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, and tacrolimus may be an effective treatment for advanced acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or myelodysplastic syndromes.
This is a study designed to test whether giving campath (also known as alemtuzumab) on a maintenance schedule will prolong the time until the patient requires chemotherapy.
The purpose of this study is to test the safety and effectiveness of combining a drug known as Lovastatin to the chemotherapy drug cytarabine. Lovastatin is currently used to lower blood cholesterol levels and lab data suggests that it increases the anti-leukemia activity of cytarabine. This research is being done because high doses of cytarabine induce remissions in only about 25% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia.
This study will assess the feasibility of utilizing a reduced intensity conditioning regimen, in the setting of haploidentical transplantation, for patients with recurrent acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), AML and high risk or refractory solid tumors. In addition, the feasibility and safety of administering post-transplant NK cell infusions will be evaluated. Data obtained from this study will help determine the efficacy of allogeneic HSCT in the treatment of pediatric sarcomas and add to the small body of literature utilizing haploidentical HSCT to treat acute leukemia in pediatric patients. This study will also further elucidate the role of NK cells in mediating a graft vs. tumor effect in allogeneic HSCT. The main benefit to society is that this study will explore a novel therapy for children with highly refractory cancer who are felt to be incurable with conventional approaches. If feasibility is demonstrated, and there is evidence of anti-tumor activity, then this will open up a new area of clinical research to better define the efficacy of this approach for specific childhood malignancies.
Blood disorders such as leukemia or lymphoma or hemoglobinopathies can benefit from receiving an allogeneic (meaning that the cells are from a donor) stem cell transplant. Stem cells are created in the bone marrow. They grow into different types of blood cells that the body needs, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. In a transplant, the body's stem cells would be killed and then replaced by stem cells from the donor. Usually, patients are given very high doses of chemotherapy (drugs which kill cancer cells) prior to receiving a stem cell transplant. However, patients that are older, have received several prior treatments, or have other organ diseases are at a high risk of getting life-threatening treatment-related side effects from high doses of chemotherapy. Over the past several years, some doctors have begun to use lower doses of chemotherapy for preparing patients for a stem cell transplant. A condition that can occur after a stem cell transplant from a donor is Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD). It is a rare but serious disorder that can strike persons whose immune system is suppressed and have received either a blood transfusion or a bone marrow transplant. Symptoms may include skin rash, intestinal problems similar to inflammation of the bowel and liver dysfunction. This research study uses a combination of lower-dose chemotherapy agents that is slightly different from those that have been used before. The medicines that will be used in this study are Fludarabine, Busulfan, both chemotherapy medicines, and Campath. Campath is a monoclonal antibody (a type of substance produced in the laboratory that binds to cancer cells). It helps the immune system see the cancer cell as something that needs to be destroyed. This research study will help us learn if using Fludarabine, Busulfan and Campath prior to an allogeneic stem cell transplant can provide treatment for blood disorders while decreasing the incidence of side effects.
Patients have a type of blood cell disorder that is very hard to cure. We are now suggesting a treatment that might help patients live longer without disease than other treatment plans would. This treatment is known as a stem cell transplant. We believe this may help patients as it allows us to give much stronger doses of drugs and radiation to kill the diseased cells than we could give without the transplant. We also think that the healthy cells may help fight any diseased cells left after the transplant. Stem Cells are special "mother" cells that are found in the bone marrow (the spongy tissue inside bones), although some are also found in the bloodstream (peripheral blood). As they grow, they become either white blood cells which fight infection, red blood cells which carry oxygen and remove waste products from the organs and tissues or platelets, which enable the blood to clot. For the transplant to take place, we will collect these stem cells from a "donor" (a person who agrees to donate these cells) and give them to recipient. Patients do not have a sibling that is a perfect match, so the stem cells will come from a donor who is the best match available. This person may be a close relative or an unrelated person whose stem cells best "matches" the patients, and who agrees to donate stem cells. Before the transplant, two very strong drugs plus total body irradiation will be given to the patient (pre-conditioning). This treatment will kill most of the blood-forming cells in the bone marrow. We will then give the patient the healthy stem cells. Once these healthy stem cells are in the bloodstream they will move to the bone marrow (graft) and begin producing blood cells that will eventually mature into healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. This research study will also use CAMPATH-1H as a pre-treatment. CAMPATH-1H is an antibody against certain types of blood cells. CAMPATH-1H is important because it stays active in the body for a long time after infusion, which means it may work longer at preventing GvHD symptoms. The stem cell transplant described above is considered to be "standard" treatment. We would like to collect additional blood as described below in order to evaluate how the immune system is recovering. We are asking permission to draw blood from the patient so that we can measure the number of certain blood cells called T regulatory cells. T regulatory cells are special immune cells that can control or regulate the body's immune response. We want to determine whether T regulatory cells are important participants in graft versus host disease (GVHD), infection and relapse. In GVHD, certain cells from the donated marrow or blood (the graft) attack the body of the transplant patient (the host). GVHD can affect many different parts of the body. The skin, eyes, stomach and intestines are affected most often. GVHD can range from mild to life-threatening. We do not know whether T regulatory cells can modify these conditions. We want to measure these T regulatory cells and learn if these cells do influence these conditions. If we learn that T regulatory cells do affect these conditions, then it may be possible to modify these cells for the benefit of transplant patients.
Patients are being asked to participate in this study because they have a cancer in their blood (such as leukemia or lymphoma) or myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative (pre-leukemia). We suggest a treatment that might help them live longer without disease than other treatment plans would. This treatment is known as a stem cell transplant. We believe this may help the patient as it allows us to give much stronger doses of drugs and radiation to kill the diseased cells than we could give without the transplant. We also think that the healthy cells may help fight any diseased cells left after the transplant. Stem Cells are special "mother" cells that are found in the bone marrow (the spongy tissue inside bones), although some are also found in the bloodstream (peripheral blood). As they grow, they become either white blood cells which fight infection, red blood cells which carry oxygen and remove waste products from the organs and tissues or platelets, which enable the blood to clot. For the transplant to take place, we will collect these stem cells from a "donor" (a person who agrees to donate these cells) and give them to the patient. The patient has a type of blood cell cancer or other blood problem that is very hard to cure with standard treatments and they will receive a stem cell transplant (SCT). If they have a brother or sister that is a perfect match and agrees to donate, the stem cells will come from him/her. Before the transplant, two very strong drugs plus total body irradiation will be given to the patient (pre-conditioning). This treatment will kill most of the blood-forming cells in the bone marrow. We will then give the patient the healthy stem cells. Once these healthy stem cells are in the bloodstream they will move to the bone marrow (graft) and begin producing blood cells that will eventually mature into healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Also, we will ask permission to draw blood from the patient so that we can measure the number of certain blood cells called T regulatory cells. T regulatory cells are special immune cells that can control or regulate the body's immune response. We want to determine whether T regulatory cells are important participants in graft versus host disease (GVHD), infection and relapse. In GVHD, certain cells from the donated marrow or blood (the graft) attack the body of the transplant patient (the host). GVHD can affect many different parts of the body. The skin, eyes, stomach and intestines are affected most often. GVHD can range from mild to life-threatening. We do not know whether T regulatory cells can modify these conditions. We want to measure these T regulatory cells and learn if these cells do influence these conditions. If we learn that T regulatory cells do affect these conditions, then it may be possible to modify these cells for the benefit of transplant patients.
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as clofarabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Monoclonal antibodies, such as gemtuzumab, can block cancer growth in different ways. Some block the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Others find cancer cells and help kill them or carry cancer-killing substances to them. Giving clofarabine together with gemtuzumab may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of clofarabine when given together with gemtuzumab in treating patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia.