Clinical Research Directory

Phase I Clinical Trial of ThINKK Adoptive Immunotherapy After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Transplantation in Children With Leukemia or Neuroblastoma

A first-in-class adoptive immunotherapy we called ThINKK, for Therapeutic Inducers of Natural Killer (NK) cell Killing, have been designed for use after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), where the proper stimulation of graft-derived NK cells has been shown to prevent relapse. ThINKK immunotherapy builds on our earlier research on NK cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC) in cord blood and after HSCT. PDC are the sentinels of the immune system. Upon viral nucleic acids detection, PDC secrete a vast array of chemokines and cytokines that stimulate NK cells. PDC stimulation enhances NK cells killing of infected cells that express stress-induced molecules. Cancer cells also express stress-related molecules at their surface. However, NK cells do not receive PDC stimulation when fighting cancer. ThINKK therapy is designed to provide this necessary stimulation.

Symptom Cluster Heterogeneity and Gut Microbiota Mechanisms in Childhood Cancer Survivors

Advances in medical care have significantly improved survival among children with cancer. In China, the 5-year survival rate has reached 71.9%. Despite these improvements, many survivors continue to experience multiple co-occurring symptoms, such as fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance, and depression, which may adversely affect their quality of life. These symptoms often occur together as symptom clusters and may reflect shared underlying biological mechanisms. This study aims to characterize symptom clusters among childhood cancer survivors and to explore their potential biological basis. Participants will complete questionnaire assessments at multiple time points to evaluate symptom patterns and changes over time. In addition, stool samples will be collected to analyze gut microbiota composition and metabolite profiles. The study will examine the associations between symptom clusters and gut microbiota-metabolite features. Findings from this study are expected to improve understanding of symptom burden in childhood cancer survivors and to provide evidence for the development of targeted symptom management strategies.