Adding Metal Detoxification Drugs to Improve Childhood AML and Other Blood Cancer Outcomes

Principal Investigator: Dr. Maro Ohanian​

Disease: Pediatric, adolescent and young adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Research Description: Metal contamination has been linked to increased numbers of many different cancers, including various blood cancers. Previous research has shown that toxic metals are associated with increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and that the blood of AML patients contains significantly elevated levels of toxic metals when compared to healthy individuals. The research team has also shown that higher levels of toxic metals have a detrimental effect on survival outcomes in AML. This project is an expansion of an ongoing clinical trial in adult patients with AML and other blood cancers and will add up to 20 pediatric, adolescent, and young adult AML and other blood cancer patients, who will be treated with metal reduction therapy (a treatment used for metal poisoning) in combination with standard chemotherapy. Because these metal reduction drugs have already been proven to be safe and effective for metal detoxification in pediatric patients, the research team aims to use them to reverse and inhibit the carcinogenic effects of metals that lead to pediatric AML and other blood cancers as well as to improve outcomes for pediatric, adolescent and young adult patients.

Funding Partners: Leukemia Research Foundation and others

CWR funding role: Participating funder