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Exploiting tumor-immune dynamics to inform curative combination therapy for follicular lymphoma

Follicular lymphoma is a common form of blood cancer, affecting 15,000 new patients annually in the United States, but it remains incurable with conventional treatments. Bispecific antibodies represent a new class of therapies that engage the immune system to attack lymphoma cells and have shown promising effectiveness in inducing remissions in patients with this disease, but even they are unlikely to be curative.

Spatial architecture and malignant cell characterization of nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma

Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma is recognized as a disease entity in a spectrum of related diseases, including T-cell rich B-cell lymphoma. Although treatments are generally effective, a subset of patients suffers from lymphoma progression and aggressive disease transformations. Here, we propose to analyze clonal evolution of tumor cells and describe the spatial architecture of tissues with the goal to improve molecular classification and develop novel therapeutic approaches.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Know Your Subtype

Spotlight on Aggressive Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas (NHL)

Burlington and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Surprise a Young Survivor

Treating Aggressive Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas (NHL)

Advancements in Aggressive Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas (NHL)

Targeting aberrant non-canonical NF-κB pathway activation in B-cell lymphomas

The impact of biological heterogeneity on treatment outcomes is evidenced by a large proportion of lymphoma patients who experience relapsed/refractory disease. To address this knowledge gap, we sequenced primary lymphoma samples and found recurrent mutations in the non-canonical NF-kB pathway (NC NF-kB) and uncovered the NIK kinase as a targetable candidate. Our next steps focus on using advanced genetic modelling approaches to provide preclinical rationale for targeting NC NF-kB in lymphomas.

Rituximab

is FDA approved for the treatment of:

Lenalidomide

Lenalidomide is FDA approved to treat patients with:

Clinical investigation to improve efficacy of CAR-T Cell Therapy for Large B Cell Lymphoma

We are investigating new interventions that could improve the effectiveness of CAR T-cell therapy for lymphoma. A clinical trial will test radiation immediately followed by CAR-T. Larger lymphoma tumors are less likely to respond to CAR-T and we expect that radiation could reduce the amount of tumor, leading to improvement in responses. We will also conduct a series of trials to determine the effectiveness of vaccinations before and after CAR T cell therapy, and if anti-cancer vaccines could improve outcomes.

A Day in LLS History

On October 20, 1944, Robert “Robbie” Roesler de Villiers was only 16 years old when he died from leukemia. Robbie’s parents, Rudolph and Antoinette, were stricken with grief and frustrated by the lack of effective treatments for what was then considered a hopeless disease.

After five years of mourning their son, they started a fundraising and education organization in his name. The Robert Roesler de Villiers Foundation had only a few volunteers and a tiny budget.

Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Targets for Transformed Marginal Zone and BN2 Lymphomas

This project is the first to explore the origin of a newly discovered type of lymphoma called “BN2-DLBCL”. Mutations in a gene called “SPEN” are a defining feature of these tumors. Strikingly, SPEN mutations are more common in females and cause more deadly disease. Our proposal will reveal for the first time how these tumors originate from the immune system, how they are intimately linked to autoimmune disorders such as Lupus, why they occur preferentially in women, and how to cure them.  

3 Things You Might Like to Know About Being Newly Diagnosed

A cancer diagnosis is a pivotal moment in a person’s lifetime.  

From that point forward, it’s a part of who you are. It shapes how you think about the world—through the lens of your diagnosis and what’s important to you. 

Mosunetuzumab with lenalidomide augmentation as first-line therapy for patients with follicular and marginal zone lymphoma

Dr. Olszewski’s trial will examine mosunetuzumab as a first-line treatment for follicular and marginal zone lymphomas—slow-growing types of B-cell lymphoma which remain incurable using current therapies. Mosunetuzumab is a “bispecific antibody” that can trigger an immune attack of patients’ own cancer-killing T-cells against the lymphoma. Dr. Olszewski team will look for characteristics that predict complete responses when this novel immunotherapy is applied as first-line treatment.

Chlorambucil

Chlorambucil is FDA approved to treat people who have chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), some types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and advanced Hodgkin lymphoma.

Romidepsin

Romidepsin is FDA approved for the treatment of patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) who have received at least one prior systemic therapy and treatment of patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) who have received at least one prior therapy.

Tafasitamab-cxix

Tafasitamab-cxix is approved in combination with lenalidomide for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, including DLBCL arising from low grade lymphoma, and who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT).

This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial(s).

 

NBA Rookie Honors Late Coach by Donating Car to LLS

Thanks to Karl-Anthony Towns, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) will be getting a brand new Kia!

The NBA awarded the 2015-16 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Award to Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves on May 16 by handing him keys to a brand new Sorento CUV.

T cell Memory in Cure of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma: An Investigation of the Immune Interactome

While many patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are cured with initial treatment, some patients relapse even after multiple therapies, and their outcomes are poor; we believe that the quality of the patient’s T cell memory plays a critical role in determining how they respond to treatment. To investigate, we will analyze the response pattern of circulating immune cells in cured and relapsed DLBCL patients, as well as the immune signals generated by the tumors, and create CAR T cells from the T cells with anti-tumor properties found in cured patients.

Blood Cancer Survivors Find Special Meaning and Connection as Employee Champions of LLS Light the Night Events

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is proud of our continuing partnership with Gilead and Kite Oncology as the National Presenting Sponsor of Celebration and Community at Light The Night events across the U.S. helping bring people together and raise critical funds to support patients and their families. 

The Immune System and Blood Cancer: 4 Things You Need to Know

Immunotherapy uses the power of the immune system to treat blood cancer. Today it is a standard treatment that has a profound effect in some blood cancer patients, but it still falls short in others. 

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has been a champion of this type of cancer treatment for decades, supporting some of the earliest and most game-changing immune-based treatments for blood cancer. The advances have been astonishing, but there is so much further to go. 

Investigating the Impact of Insurance Coverage on Access to Care and Outcomes among Lymphoma Patients

In this proposal we will investigate the association between insurance coverage and access to care, survival, and financial hardship among patients across Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes and to what extent insurance coverage explains and modifies racial disparity in access to care and outcomes. To this end, we will use the Optum Clinformatics DataMart database, the Texas Cancer Registry, the Harris Health System Cancer Database and Data from the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) Cohort Study.