Clinical Research Directory

Edetate Calcium Disodium or Succimer in Treating Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia or Myelodysplastic Syndrome Undergoing Chemotherapy

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of edetate calcium disodium or succimer in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome undergoing chemotherapy. Edetate calcium disodium or succimer may help to lower the level of metals found in the bone marrow and blood and may help to control the disease and/or improve response to chemotherapy.

Ponatinib Hydrochloride as Second Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Chronic Phase Resistant or Intolerant to Imatinib Mesylate, Dasatinib, or Nilotinib

This phase II trial studies how well ponatinib hydrochloride works as second line therapy in treating patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase that has not responded to initial treatment (first line) with imatinib mesylate, dasatinib, or nilotinib or cannot tolerate imatinib mesylate, dasatinib, or nilotinib. Ponatinib hydrochloride may stop or control the growth of cancer cells by blocking a protein needed for cell growth.

Busulfan, Fludarabine Phosphate, and Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide in Treating Patients With Blood Cancer Undergoing Donor Stem Cell Transplant

This phase II trial studies the side effect of busulfan, fludarabine phosphate, and post-transplant cyclophosphamide in treating patients with blood cancer undergoing donor stem cell transplant. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as busulfan, fludarabine phosphate and cyclophosphamide work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving chemotherapy such as busulfan and fludarabine phosphate before a donor stem cell transplant helps stop the growth of cells in the bone marrow, including normal blood-forming cells (stem cells) and cancer cells. Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can make an immune response against the body's normal cells (called graft-versus-host disease). Giving cyclophosphamide after the transplant may stop this from happening. Once the donated stem cells begin working, the patient's immune system may see the remaining cancer cells as not belonging in the patient's body and destroy them.

Decitabine, Venetoclax, and Ponatinib for the Treatment of Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Acute Myeloid Leukemia or Myeloid Blast Phase or Accelerated Phase Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

This phase II trial studies how well the combination of decitabine, venetoclax, and ponatinib work for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute myeloid leukemia or myeloid blast phase or accelerated phase chronic myelogenous leukemia. Drugs used in chemotherapy such as decitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Venetoclax may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking Bcl-2, a protein needed for cancer cell survival. Ponatinib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving decitabine, venetoclax, and ponatinib may help to control Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute myeloid leukemia or myeloid blast phase or accelerated phase chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Selective Depletion of CD45RA+ T Cells From Allogeneic Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Grafts From HLA-Matched Related and Unrelated Donors in Preventing GVHD

This phase II trial is for patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome or chronic myeloid leukemia who have been referred for a peripheral blood stem cell transplantation to treat their cancer. In these transplants, chemotherapy and total-body radiotherapy ('conditioning') are used to kill residual leukemia cells and the patient's normal blood cells, especially immune cells that could reject the donor cells. Following the chemo/radiotherapy, blood stem cells from the donor are infused. These stem cells will grow and eventually replace the patient's original blood system, including red cells that carry oxygen to our tissues, platelets that stop bleeding from damaged vessels, and multiple types of immune-system white blood cells that fight infections. Mature donor immune cells, especially a type of immune cell called T lymphocytes (or T cells) are transferred along with these blood-forming stem cells. T cells are a major part of the curative power of transplantation because they can attack leukemia cells that have survived the chemo/radiation therapy and also help to fight infections after transplantation. However, donor T cells can also attack a patient's healthy tissues in an often-dangerous condition known as Graft-Versus-Host-Disease (GVHD). Drugs that suppress immune cells are used to decrease the severity of GVHD; however, they are incompletely effective and prolonged immunosuppression used to prevent and treat GVHD significantly increases the risk of serious infections. Removing all donor T cells from the transplant graft can prevent GVHD, but doing so also profoundly delays infection-fighting immune reconstitution and eliminates the possibility that donor immune cells will kill residual leukemia cells. Work in animal models found that depleting a type of T cell, called naïve T cells or T cells that have never responded to an infection, can diminish GVHD while at least in part preserving some of the benefits of donor T cells including resistance to infection and the ability to kill leukemia cells. This clinical trial studies how well the selective removal of naïve T cells works in preventing GVHD after peripheral blood stem cell transplants. This study will include patients conditioned with high or medium intensity chemo/radiotherapy who can receive donor grafts from related or unrelated donors.

Cladribine, Idarubicin, Cytarabine, and Venetoclax in Treating Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia, High-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome, or Blastic Phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

This phase II trial studies how well cladribine, idarubicin, cytarabine, and venetoclax work in patients with acute myeloid leukemia, high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome, or blastic phase chronic myeloid leukemia. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cladribine, idarubicin, cytarabine, and venetoclax, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading.

Comparison of Triple GVHD Prophylaxis Regimens for Nonmyeloablative or Reduced Intensity Conditioning Unrelated Mobilized Blood Cell Transplantation

This randomized phase II trial includes a blood stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor to treat blood cancer. The treatment also includes chemotherapy drugs, but in lower doses than conventional (standard) stem cell transplants. The researchers will compare two different drug combinations used to reduce the risk of a common but serious complication called "graft versus host disease" (GVHD) following the transplant. Two drugs, cyclosporine (CSP) and sirolimus (SIR), will be combined with either mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy). This part of the transplant procedure is the main research focus of the study.