Seoul National University Hospital Expands CAR-T Treatment for Children and Adolescents with Acute Lymphocyte Leukemia
Dec 01, 2024
Seoul National University Hospital is providing new treatment opportunities for pediatric and adolescent acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients who need hematopoietic stem cell transplantation through its own CAR-T treatment.
In particular, CAR-T treatment is a new hope for patients with risk factors corresponding to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation indications, such as recurrence, refractory, and highest risk group.
Seoul National University Hospital announced that it is providing CAR-T treatment to patients subject to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation through donations from Lee Kun-hee's pediatric cancer and rare disease overcoming project, and conducting clinical research to improve treatment results and replace hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Seoul National University Hospital plans to expand this study to multi-center research and manufacture and supply its own CAR-T treatment to other hospitals for free. Through this, it is expected that patients will be able to continue treatment at existing hospitals.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia is the most common form of childhood cancer, and about 200 new cases occur every year in Korea. Although the survival rate has improved with existing chemotherapy, the survival rate of patients who relapse or refuse treatment is still low at 10-30%. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is an important treatment option for these.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a treatment that administers hematopoietic stem cells from healthy donors after high-dose anticancer drugs or systemic radiation therapy, which has better results than conventional chemotherapy, but transplants in a positive state of microresidual leukemia have a high risk of recurrence, and the toxicity of the treatment itself can lead to serious complications such as poor lung function, permanent hair loss, and permanent infertility, and can significantly reduce the quality of life.
In order to address this unmet medical demand, Seoul National University Hospital produces and provides CAR-T treatments that open up new possibilities by minimizing the side effects of leukemia treatment to patients subject to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
CAR-T treatment is an innovative method that genetically manipulates immune cells (T cells) in patient blood to target only cancer cells and not affect healthy normal cells.
In particular, CAR-T treatment in patients with recurrent and refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia has been demonstrated to improve survival to about 60%. Conventional commercial CAR-T treatment was a method of sending patient blood abroad and transporting it back to Korea after production, so it was time-consuming and expensive. However, Seoul National University Hospital has established a system that can shorten treatment time and reduce costs by directly producing CAR-T treatments within the hospital using its own GMP production facility.
Seoul National University Hospital initiated a clinical study in April 2022 with successful administration of CAR-T to the first patient. Since April this year, when donation support began, treatment benefits have been provided to more patients. To date, all eight patients who received CAR-T treatment with donations have been fully cured of leukemia and are continuing their daily lives without any special complications.
Starting next year, Seoul National University Hospital plans to conduct multi-center research in cooperation with major hospitals such as Seoul Asan Hospital, Samsung Seoul Hospital, Severance Hospital, and Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. Through this, about 50 patients will be provided with self-produced CAR-T treatments to provide treatment benefits.
In addition, CAR-T research at Seoul National University Hospital is not just producing and administering treatments, but also making an important contribution to revitalizing domestic researchers-led clinical trials. It is expected to be an important foothold for strengthening competitiveness in the global market in the future by activating clinical trials of domestic-developed CAR-T treatments through the CAR-T development, production, and clinical trial platform of Seoul National University Hospital.
Professor Kang Hyung-jin (Department of Pediatrics), head of the pediatric cancer business division of the pediatric cancer and rare disease business group, explained, `Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the last treatment for leukemia patients at very high risk of recurrence, but the treatment results are not yet satisfactory and there is a problem with serious side effects.'
"It is significant that this CAR-T clinical study provided an opportunity to completely eliminate leukemia cells by administering CAR-T before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and to improve treatment outcomes by performing transplantation, or to replace transplantation if possible, so that patients can live without major complications for life," he said. "We hope that many patients will benefit from CAR-T treatment with donations from the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee."
In particular, CAR-T treatment is a new hope for patients with risk factors corresponding to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation indications, such as recurrence, refractory, and highest risk group.
Seoul National University Hospital announced that it is providing CAR-T treatment to patients subject to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation through donations from Lee Kun-hee's pediatric cancer and rare disease overcoming project, and conducting clinical research to improve treatment results and replace hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Seoul National University Hospital plans to expand this study to multi-center research and manufacture and supply its own CAR-T treatment to other hospitals for free. Through this, it is expected that patients will be able to continue treatment at existing hospitals.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia is the most common form of childhood cancer, and about 200 new cases occur every year in Korea. Although the survival rate has improved with existing chemotherapy, the survival rate of patients who relapse or refuse treatment is still low at 10-30%. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is an important treatment option for these.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a treatment that administers hematopoietic stem cells from healthy donors after high-dose anticancer drugs or systemic radiation therapy, which has better results than conventional chemotherapy, but transplants in a positive state of microresidual leukemia have a high risk of recurrence, and the toxicity of the treatment itself can lead to serious complications such as poor lung function, permanent hair loss, and permanent infertility, and can significantly reduce the quality of life.
In order to address this unmet medical demand, Seoul National University Hospital produces and provides CAR-T treatments that open up new possibilities by minimizing the side effects of leukemia treatment to patients subject to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
CAR-T treatment is an innovative method that genetically manipulates immune cells (T cells) in patient blood to target only cancer cells and not affect healthy normal cells.
In particular, CAR-T treatment in patients with recurrent and refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia has been demonstrated to improve survival to about 60%. Conventional commercial CAR-T treatment was a method of sending patient blood abroad and transporting it back to Korea after production, so it was time-consuming and expensive. However, Seoul National University Hospital has established a system that can shorten treatment time and reduce costs by directly producing CAR-T treatments within the hospital using its own GMP production facility.
Seoul National University Hospital initiated a clinical study in April 2022 with successful administration of CAR-T to the first patient. Since April this year, when donation support began, treatment benefits have been provided to more patients. To date, all eight patients who received CAR-T treatment with donations have been fully cured of leukemia and are continuing their daily lives without any special complications.
Starting next year, Seoul National University Hospital plans to conduct multi-center research in cooperation with major hospitals such as Seoul Asan Hospital, Samsung Seoul Hospital, Severance Hospital, and Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. Through this, about 50 patients will be provided with self-produced CAR-T treatments to provide treatment benefits.
In addition, CAR-T research at Seoul National University Hospital is not just producing and administering treatments, but also making an important contribution to revitalizing domestic researchers-led clinical trials. It is expected to be an important foothold for strengthening competitiveness in the global market in the future by activating clinical trials of domestic-developed CAR-T treatments through the CAR-T development, production, and clinical trial platform of Seoul National University Hospital.
Professor Kang Hyung-jin (Department of Pediatrics), head of the pediatric cancer business division of the pediatric cancer and rare disease business group, explained, `Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the last treatment for leukemia patients at very high risk of recurrence, but the treatment results are not yet satisfactory and there is a problem with serious side effects.'
"It is significant that this CAR-T clinical study provided an opportunity to completely eliminate leukemia cells by administering CAR-T before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and to improve treatment outcomes by performing transplantation, or to replace transplantation if possible, so that patients can live without major complications for life," he said. "We hope that many patients will benefit from CAR-T treatment with donations from the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee."
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