Acute Non-Lymphocytic Leukemia clinical trials

Lenalidomide in Combination With Microtransplantation as Post-remission Therapy in AML

This research study is evaluating the safety and tolerability of the drug lenalidomide in combination with and following mismatched related donor microtransplantation in high risk AML patients in first remission. This study also aims to define the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of lenalidomide given in this setting. Microtransplantation seeks to give the participant donor cells in hopes that those cells can attack the underlying cancer. However, since the donor cells do not replace all of the host cells, it can hopefully avoid many of the serious risks involved with standard transplant, including graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD) - a complication where the donor cells attack the participant's normal body. Recent studies have suggested that lenalidomide can help aid donor cells to attack cancer when given after a stem cell transplant. This trial is trying to see if lenalidomide can help encourage the attack of leukemia cells by donor cells given as part of microtransplantation. The FDA (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) has approved lenalidomide but it has been approved for other uses such as in the treatment of other cancers including multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Although lenalidomide has been studied in patients with AML, it has not been approved by the FDA for standard use in AML. Lenalidomide is a compound made by the Celgene Corporation. It has properties which could demonstrate antitumor effects. The exact antitumor mechanism of action of lenalidomide is unknown.