Funding outcome

Over the last three decades, scientists have developed a new method of treating leukemia called cellular immunotherapy, which uses a patient's own immune system to fight the cancer cells in the blood. The most successful form of cellular immunotherapy is called T-cell immunotherapy (TCI) and has been trialed in children whose leukemia cannot be cured with chemotherapy followed by a bone marrow transplantation. At present, only about 10% of children with this type of advanced disease survive. In contrast, early results from TCI clinical trials, show that more than 75% of the children who receive TCI are still alive after one year. TCI has other advantages. It has fewer and less severe side effects than chemotherapy. It only requires one or two doses, which means that patients can finish their treatments, and return to their normal lives sooner. In the process of TCI, a small amount of blood is drawn from the patient. T-cells are then isolated from that blood sample and programmed to attack cancer cells. These programmed cells are then grown in a special facility. When there are enough cells, they are transfused back into the child. Within a week, the cells attack the tumor. The cells become part of the child's immune system and stay active for years to prevent the cancer from returning. Currently, there are few facilities in Canada that can make TCls. Because the therapy uses the patient's own cells rather than a standard drug, the therapy will likely cost 2-3 times more than current therapies. If Canadian children are to get access to these high-cost therapies, we need to work out ways to make TCls and deliver them in Canadian cancer centres. My research will examine different ways for pediatric cancer centres to adopt TCls. It will examine how we can ensure that we have the right specialized equipment and trained staff. My research will give hospital administrators, clinicians, and people who make policy in the health system advice how to prepare to adopt TCI so that children with leukemia can benefit from this transformative therapy.