Archive for cancer
Making ready-made CAR T cells for cancer immunotherapy
In CAR T-cell immunotherapy, T cells from a patient’s own blood are engineered to carry so-called chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) that enable the T cells to attack and kill tumor cells. While CAR-T therapy is a powerful approach for certain leukemias and lymphomas, it’s not available for many patients who need it. It can be ... Read More
New work transforms our knowledge of how blood is formed
The origins of our blood may not be quite what we thought. In groundbreaking research, scientists in the Stem Cell Program at Boston Children’s Hospital used cellular “barcoding” techniques in mice to track the development of blood in real time — and found that blood cells originate not from one type of mother cell, but ... Read More
Genomic ‘fingerprinting’ yields better treatments for pediatric solid cancers
Genomic profiling is increasingly used for solid tumors in adults and for pediatric brain tumors and blood cancers, allowing treatments to be matched to patients’ mutations. But for children with solid tumors, genomic fingerprinting has been elusive, because these cancers are so varied and individually so rare. Therapies therefore remain non-specific: chemotherapy, surgery, and/or radiation. ... Read More
Exploiting a vulnerability in an aggressive leukemia
Survival has improved greatly in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). But a certain form of ALL that occurs mostly in babies is still very lethal, with a survival rate below 50 percent: B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia with rearrangements of the mixed lineage leukemia gene, or MLL B-ALL. “Something about the biology of this type ... Read More
Shining a light on the SPF gap: Why sun protection is so important for children of color
With summer just around the corner, it’s important to understand the risks that come along with those long, hot days in the sun. It’s also important to recognize some pretty dangerous misconceptions about sun protection — namely that Black children and other children of color don’t need to worry about skin protection and skin cancers. ... Read More
Immunotherapy for kids: An option for childhood liver cancer?
You may have seen ads for immunotherapy drugs, or even know someone whose cancer has been treated with them. These medications, which use a patient’s own immune system to help fight cancer, are increasingly popular for treating solid tumors in adults. However, immunotherapy has been less successful in treating cancer in kids. The reason for ... Read More
Targeting treatments for vascular anomalies, courtesy of cancer genetics
Vascular anomalies — overgrowths or malformations of the capillaries, veins, arteries, and/or lymphatic vessels — often confound physicians, especially in acute settings. They encompass a diverse group of conditions, all of them rare, and can affect multiple body systems. Many physicians have never encountered vascular anomalies and may be unaware of the risks they sometimes ... Read More
Sickle cell disease, gene therapy, and blood cancers: Mysteries remain
Gene therapy trials for sickle cell disease have been showing great promise, even offering hope of a cure. But in early 2021, the trials ground to a halt after reports of blood malignancies in two people in a trial sponsored by bluebird bio. Investigations later concluded that the gene therapy delivery vectors were likely not ... Read More
From our labs and clinics: 10 research advances in 2021
Pediatric medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital rests on a strong base of discovery science. But it can take decades for bench discoveries to be validated and replicated in humans and for treatments to be proven safe. When lab discoveries advance on the road to clinical application, it’s cause to celebrate. Here are 10 research success ... Read More
Surviving stem cell transplant: New hope when the donor isn’t a full match
To see Tara Daniels today, with a corporate job in marketing and about to close on a house, you’d never know what she’s been through, how thrilled she is to be alive. This month marks five years since she received a high-risk bone marrow transplant for a life-threatening blood cancer. Tara woke up feeling sick ... Read More