UK doctors laud world first treatment for leukemia

Doctors in Britain have announced that one of the patients who received an aggressive form of world first treatment for leukemia has gone into remission.

She  diagnosed in 2021 with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The girl has been identified only as Alyssa.

Despite chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants, her blood cancer didn’t respond to conventional treatment.

The patient was enrolled in a clinical trial at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) where healthy immune cells were genetically engineered.

Her cancer had been in remission for 28 days and was able to undergo a second bone marrow transplant in order to restore her immune system.

Almost six months later, she is “doing well” at home in Leicester, central England, and continues to receive follow-up care.

“Her only alternative, according to the hospital, would have been palliative care if she hadn’t received the experimental treatment.

The turnaround of her health has been “quite remarkable,” according to GOSH consultant Robert Chiesa. Nevertheless, the results must still be monitor and confirm in the months to come.

Modern and cutting-edge world first leukemia treatment

It is characteriz by the development of B cells and T cells, which fight and protect the body from viruses, in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Alyssa, the first patient known to have  give base-edited T cells, which involve chemically converting DNA bases, which carry instructions for specific proteins, into single nucleotide bases.

In 2015, researchers at GOSH and University College London developed genome-edited T cells for the treatment of B-cell leukemia.

During the manufacturing process of T cells intended to detect and attack cancerous cells, the team had to overcome a challenge of killing other T cells when treating other kinds of leukaemia.

To enable them to target cancerous cells without damaging each other, base-edited cells had to undergo numerous additional DNA modifications.

“We have demonstrate through this project that cutting-edge technologies can be combine with expert teams and infrastructure to deliver results in the hospital for patients,” said Waseem Qasim, GOSH consultant immunologist and professor.

“At present, this is the most sophisticated cell engineering process we’ve ever performed, and we’re confident it will pave the way for other new treatments to be develop in the future, ultimately improving the lives of sick children.”

During the trial, Alyssa said she  inspired by the potential impact the trial could have on other children as well as herself.

According to her mother, Kiona, “Hopefully this can prove the research works so that the treatment can  made available to more children.”

A team of researchers presented their findings at the American Society of Hematology annual meeting this weekend.