Clinical Research Directory

Safety and Feasibility of Sulforaphane to Promote Early Haematopoietic Recovery After Cord Blood Transplantation

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is rich in haematopoietic stem progenitor cells and immune cells, and is used for transplantation for a variety of haematological disorders with the advantages of low mating requirements and fewer transplant complications. By March 2025 China's seven (eight) public cord blood stem cell banks had frozen more than 280,000 public umbilical cord blood, while the percentage of those frozen for ≥10 years was 26%, making clinical application a concern. The previous study showed that long-term freezing impairs cellular mitochondrial function leading to decreased reconstruction of cord blood haematopoietic stem progenitor cells and impaired differentiation into the megakaryotic lineage, and that intervention with the antioxidant radicicol thiols (SFN) can partially rescue the cellular functional damage caused by freezing. The findings were based on immunodeficient animals, and clinical studies are urgently needed to determine whether SFN intervention can promote post-transplant haematopoietic reconstitution in patients with long term cryopreserved (≥10 years) UCB. In this project, the investigators propose to conduct a single-arm, open, single-centre phase I-II clinical study on the safety and feasibility of dietary supplement SFN to promote early haematopoietic restoration after cord blood transplantation to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the use of long-frozen UCB for peri-infusion SFN use in adult transplant recipients, and to reveal the effect of peri-infusion SFN use on neutrophil implantation. This project will provide scientific guidance to promote the clinical application of long-term cryopreserved UCB, as well as key data to optimise the clinical transplantation strategy of UCB and expand its application.

Correlation of Venetoclax Plasma Concentrations With Toxicity of Hypometilating Agents and Venetoclax Combination for Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients in Remission.

Venetoclax (VEN) is a potent and selective oral inhibitor of the BCL-2 gene and has shown anti-leukemic activity when used in combination with hypomethylating agents (HMA) in patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), both newly diagnosed and in relapse or refractory (R/R) stages. A daily dose of 400 mg has shown the best results in terms of efficacy, toxicity, and low early mortality rates (DiNardo et al., Blood 2019). The HMA-VEN combination has been approved for the treatment of newly diagnosed AML patients who are not candidates for intensive therapy. However, although this treatment is considered low-intensity, it causes a non-negligible toxicity profile, especially hematological toxicity, even in patients who have already achieved remission. As a result, treatment often needs to be interrupted, and VEN dosage adjusted in subsequent cycles. An analysis by Pratz et al. (Pratz et al., Am J Hematol 2022) following the publication of the pivotal trial reported grade IV cytopenias lasting at least 7 days in the cycles following remission in 161 (87%) patients in the VEN+Azacitidine arm. Furthermore, plasma concentrations of VEN were analyzed in patients who developed grade IV cytopenias for at least 7 days, and no correlation was found between VEN plasma levels and the number of observed cytopenias. In the routine management of these patients, when hematologic toxicity occurs, the approach varies greatly from center to center and is based on the individual experience and assessment of the referring clinician. As a result, there is no standardized approach. Plasma concentrations of VEN are not routinely measured during treatment. A better understanding of the factors determining the variable toxicity observed in patients in remission could optimize treatment to improve patient tolerability and allow for the regular administration of therapy, which is essential for maintaining leukemia remission status.

Clinical Trial of WBC100 Capsule in Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and preliminary efficacy of WBC100 capsules in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (R/R AML). The main questions it aims to answer are: * What is the safety and tolerability profile of WBC100 in R/R AML patients? * Can WBC100 effectively induce remission in R/R AML patients? Participants will: * Take WBC100 capsules orally once daily in 28-day treatment cycles; * Undergo regular safety assessments, including adverse event monitoring and laboratory tests; * Provide blood samples for pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis; * Have their remission status and efficacy evaluated according to the ELN2022 criteria.

Gut Health in Children With Cancer

The purpose of this study is to observe the impact leukaemia treatment has on gut health (microbiomes) and how quickly the gut health recovers after leukamia treatment. The gut microbiome has a number of important functions not only in the gut but within the whole body. Changes to your child's nutritional status throughout treatment may affect how well they recover from treatment. This study will monitor the impact of feeding and nutrition on nutritional status and gut health in young people undergoing treatment for leukaemia. The measurements needed to observe nutritional and gut microbiomes will occur when your child attends their routine medical appointments at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Medical treatment uses chemicals to kill leukaemia cells. The type of medications used in the treatment of leukaemia can damage the gut resulting in inflammation call mucositis. This stops the gut from working and sometimes nutrition has to be provided via a feeding tube or intravenous. Chemotherapy, mucositis and intravenous nutrition all have an impact on the gut. Little is know how the gut health recovers after treatment for leukaemia. This will be the first study to specifically monitor the impact of feeding and nutritional on gut health in children undergoing treatment for leukaemia. By understanding what changes are occurring to your child's nutritional status and gut halth during treatment and during recovery will help to develop guidelines for healthcare professionals to support optimal gut health recovery.