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Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

MOON SHOTS PROGRAM

Cancer Types

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

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Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
- CLL Research

How we're ending CLL

Our intentions are noble – put patients at the forefront of our chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) investigation to make their cures today’s reality. Our process is patient-centric – we’re focusing our largest efforts on the approaches that will have near‐term measurable success on the crucial issues facing CLL patients.

By combining Innovation, Collaboration and Scale, the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Moon Shot^® is revolutionizing the conventional medical research approach to rapidly adapt pre-clinical findings into tomorrow’s CLL treatment options.

The most common leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) develops slowly, creating defective white blood cells that can’t produce antibodies against infection. The average age of patients at diagnosis is 72. As more people age, more will develop CLL.

About CLL

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Moon Shot Leaders

Maria Teresa Bertilaccio, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Experimental Therapeutics
Varsha Gandhi, Ph.D.

Chair Ad Interim, Experimental Therapeutics and Professor, Leukemia
Nitin Jain, M.D.

Associate Professor, Leukemia
William Wierda, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor, Leukemia

Innovation

Our leadership in the RESONATE-2 trial resulted in FDA approval of the targeted therapy drug ibrutinib as a first line treatment option for CLL patients. This oral agent improves outcomes and has effectively shifted our reliance away from chemotherapy for many patients, including elderly.

Collaboration

The CLL Moon Shot effort is an extension of longstanding partnerships between clinical and research faculty across leukemia, stem cell transplantation, experimental therapeutics, pathology and other disciplines. Two of the Moon Shot^® leaders, Michael Keating, M.B., B.S. and William Plunkett, Ph.D., have a history of working together to move FDA-approved therapeutics from the laboratory to the clinic.

Scale

For the last 13 years, we’ve been gathering data on the 300 patients that were a part of the original FCR (fludarabine, cyclophoshamid and rituximab) treatment group. By analyzing this data using current technologies and knowledge, we’ve identified molecular patterns that predict whether a patients is high risk and in need of truly innovative therapies.

HELP END LEUKEMIA-CLL

Dr. Jan Burger and other scientists discussing CLL research findings

Your gift can help propel new clinical trials aimed at improving outcomes for leukemia patients who face the current incurability of their disease.

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Our Flagship Projects

We’re leading the attack against CLL by developing and improving patient-specific treatment strategies through three powerful approaches.

Targeted therapy
Immunotherapy
Genomics

Read more about each of the three projects below.

Maximizing the power of targeted therapies

Since its FDA approval for CLL treatment in 2014, the targeted-therapy ibrutinib has made chemotherapy regimens a treatment strategy of the past for some patients. But this therapy does not cure CLL and can cause undesired side effects - so we’re not stopping yet. We’re improving our targeted-therapy approach by optimizing the dosage of ibrutinib and combining it with additional drugs. We’re also investigating drugs that treat CLL through mechanisms similar and different to ibrutinib, but with increased efficiency. These new drugs can then be used as single agents, or in combination with other drugs.

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Harnessing patients’ immune systems

There is an urgent need to unlock the anti-tumor potential of the immune system to treat CLL. The CLL Moon Shot is characterizing the molecules that regulate immune cells, including T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, in an effort to identify new therapeutic targets. We’re also capitalizing on new technologies, strategies and treatment agents, including checkpoint inhibitors, cord blood-derived NK cells, genetically-modified NK cells and expanded and activated T cells, to eliminate leukemia in patients.

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Emerging genetic opportunities

We’re using high-powered genomic approaches to delve deeper into the implications of specific genetic elements, called non-coding RNAs, in the development, proliferation and transformation of CLL cells. By increasing our understanding of these underlying mechanisms, our team aims to uncover the process by which aggressive or therapy-resistant forms of CLL manifest. Because they’re associated with poorer prognoses, we’re particularly interested in identifying the pathways that lead to development of Richter’s Syndrome and ibrutinib resistance.

Learn more

STORIES OF HOPE

Going the distance

Marion Meyer was diagnosed with CLL at age 59 and given three years to live. She came to MD Anderson from out of state “because life is worth the distance.”

Read Marion's story >

RESEARCH UPDATE

An exciting treatment

Our physicians and scientists were instrumental in the development and FDA approval of ibrutinib for treating CLL. Clinical trials at MD Anderson are further studying this promising drug.

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RESEARCH UPDATE

Combination therapies for CLL

Jan Burger, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Leukemia, discusses the positive results from a combination clinical trial at MD Anderson that uses ibrutinib and rituximab to treat CLL patients.

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