Funding from Blood Cancer United can lead to scientific breakthroughs that will improve and save the lives of patients.
The Blood Cancer United Research Team oversees the organization's research strategy to support cutting-edge research for every type of blood cancer, including leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma.
Take a look at all the currently active, extraordinary Blood Cancer United-funded research projects.
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Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is an aggressive blood cancer without adequate treatment. In a genome-wide CRISPR interference screen, BPDCN was highly dependent on the PI3Kγ pathway and specifically the PIK3R5 adaptor subunit. A subset of leukemias may share this vulnerability. We will interrogate the mechanism of this unique dependency and integrate PIK3R5/PI3Kγ targeting with leukemia therapy. Our goal is to provide novel treatments for PIK3R5-dependent malignancies.
Project Term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2025
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
My research focuses on myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) and the mutations that drive the progression of these blood cancers. Currently, I am investigating mutations in the gene ASXL1, which are associated with a poor prognosis. I am using mouse models and patient-derived cells to determine how ASXL1 mutations mediate epigenetic changes in MPN. My goal is to identify ways of targeting the pathological mechanisms caused by ASXL1 mutation, resulting in new treatment strategies for patients.
Project Term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2025
University of California, San Diego
We will study the function of ROR1 and ROR2 on HCL cells that we have collected from 120 patients, examining whether they influence expression of genes that can promote the growth/survival of HCL cells. We have made antibodies that are highly specific for ROR1 or ROR2 that react with HCL cells, but not normal blood cells or tissues. We will determine if these antibodies can be used as naked antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, or in chimeric receptors on T cells to specifically kill HCL cells.
Project Term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2025
Washington University in St. Louis
T-cell ALL is an aggressive blood cancer with poor overall survival, high relapse rates, and significant treatment-related side effects. Using primary T-ALL patient samples, this project will study the importance of JAK/STAT signaling and the gene BIRC5 in the pathology of T-ALL driven by DNMT3A mutations using genetic and pharmacological tools. The goal of this proposal is to develop precision medicine approaches for DNMT3A-mutant adult T-ALL patients, a group with poor clinical outcomes
Project Term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2025
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a blood cancer characterized by poor clinical outcomes. We developed an antibody that inhibits AML in models by triggering anti-leukemia immunity. Now we developed a new version of this antibody with higher affinity to the leukocyte receptors that mediate anti-leukemia immunity. We will establish the ability of this optimized antibody to elicit greater inhibition of AML. The studies will generate important information about how to induce anti-leukemia immunity.
Project Term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2025
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
<p>Though effective treatments in hairy cell leukemia and variant (HCLv) exist, they are associated with profound immunosuppression; thus, more targeted, non-toxic therapies are warranted. In order to specifically target leukemic cells while sparing most normal B cells, we will develop a novel chimeric antigen receptor T cell immunotherapy against the IGHV-4-34 B-cell receptor that is found in a significant subset of HCL and associates with poor prognosis.</p>
Project Term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2025
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Myelodysplasia (MDS) is a lethal stem cell disorder characterized by defective blood formation and progression to leukemia. MDS is frequently caused by mutations in splicing factors, but these mutations also create an Achille’s heel that can be targeted to kill MDS cells while sparing normal blood cells. We identified a group of clinically safe drugs that target this weakness and selectively kill MDS cells in vitro. We will test whether these drugs are effective in mouse models of MDS.
Project Term: October 1, 2022 - September 30, 2025
Imperial College, University of London
Clonally expanded T cells carrying somatic mutations circulate in the premalignant phase of Adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). We will develop capture-sequencing of recurrent ATL-driver mutations for use as a diagnostic tool for the detection/characterization of ATL-like clones in individuals with high risk of ATL, and, in an aligned clinical study, we will test whether a novel monoclonal antibody (targeting C-C chemokine receptor 4) can eradicate these high-risk cells.
Project Term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2025
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Advances in multiple myeloma (MM) therapy have improved survival, but serial cycles of response and relapse still lead to treatment-refractory and fatal disease in nearly all patients. To specifically target mechanisms of MM relapse, we propose to develop an immunotherapy targeting Sox2, a stem-cell transcription factor implicated in clonogenic MM growth that enables relapse.
Project Term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2025
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
This proposal seeks to develop for the first time in humans a novel CD5 knocked out (KO) anti-CD5 chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CART) product for patients with relapsed or refractory T-cell lymphomas. In Aim#1, we will generate and test a clinical-grade CD5 KO CART5 product, and in Aim#2, we will perform a phase I clinical trial. This project is highly relevant to those parts of the LLS's mission that pertain to the development of personalized and novel therapies for cancer treatment.
Project Term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2025
University of British Columbia
Our team is the first to develop a polyomic pediatric cGvHD biomarker test for assessing the risk of developing cGvHD. A cooperative adult phase III clinical trial, CTTC1901, between Canada and Australia, focused on decreasing cGvHD (N=350 patients), offers an ideal opportunity to validate adult cGvHD biomarkers. This proposal will utilize the pediatric polyomic approach to validate a cGvHD risk assignment and diagnostic algorithm in adult hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT).
Project Term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2025
The University of New South Wales
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive malignancy that is exceptionally difficult to cure after relapse. We have previously shown that T-ALL expresses high levels of the enzyme AKR1C3, leading to clinical trials of AKR1C3-activated prodrugs. This project will focus on identifying the determinants of responses to AKR1C3-activated prodrugs in T-ALL and optimizing the use of a second generation AKR1C3-activated prodrug, SN36008, in T-ALL patient-derived xenografts.
Project Term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2025
Who We Fund
Learn more about the inspiring blood cancer scientists we support—and leading biotech companies we partner with— who are working to find cures and help blood cancer patients live longer, better lives.
Research Grants
We award grants for studies that range from basic blood cancer research to pioneering clinical trials. For more than seventy years, Blood Cancer United support has been instrumental in the development of the vast majority of breakthroughs in blood cancer treatment.
Therapy Acceleration Program ®(TAP)
TAP is a mission-driven, strategic venture philanthropy initiative that seeks to accelerate the development of innovative blood cancer therapeutics and change the standard of care while also generating a return on investment for the Blood Cancer United mission. TAP collaborates with biotech companies to support the development of novel platforms, first-in-class assets addressing high unmet medical needs, emerging patient populations, and orphan indications.