City of Hope Blood Cancer Research

May 10, 2024 
This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by Leslie Popplewell, M.D., Hematologist and Medical Director of Hematology and Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant, City of Hope Atlanta

Innovative and Effective “Bench to Bedside” Treatment

Blood cancer patients who choose City of Hope^® are steps away from research labs where new treatments are constantly in development. Being close to the research labs allows patients to benefit from “bench to bedside” blood cancer treatment, which is unique in cancer care.

Bench to bedside means that innovation moves quickly from the labs to clinical settings to treat patients. City of Hope is testing dozens of new therapies and combinations for blood cancer patients, which are being developed and manufactured in its on-campus labs.

Leukemia Clinical Trials and Research

The Gehr Family Center for Leukemia Research seeks to expand and broaden City of Hope’s renowned work in the study and treatment of several blood cancer types, including:

• Acute myeloid leukemia
• Acute lymphocytic leukemia
• Chronic myeloid leukemia
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
• Myelodysplastic syndromes
• Myeloproliferative neoplasms

The center is led by Guido Marcucci, M.D., and Anthony Stein, M.D., and it is focused on the discovery of new actionable molecular targets, developing novel targeted therapies and using these therapies in precision medicine approaches.

Lymphoma Clinical Trials and Research

The Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center within the Hematologic Malignancies Research Institute is committed to eliminating lymphoma by developing immune-based, nontransplant therapies. Many have already shown promise in City of Hope laboratories. Every year, hundreds of blood cancer patients take part in clinical trials available at City of Hope.

The center is led by Director Larry Kwak, M.D., Ph.D., the Dr. Michael Friedman Professor in Translational Medicine, and Associate Director Alexey Danilov, M.D., Ph.D.

Myeloma Clinical Trials and Research

The Kenneth Goldman and Briskin Family Clinical Trials Program manages and coordinates all trials related to multiple myeloma treatment. The program offers access to clinical trials and state-of-the-art therapies that are not always available elsewhere.

City of Hope’s latest research is centered on developing new drugs and designing new drug combinations that work to target and attack relapsed myeloma that has become resistant to first-line treatments.

Childhood Leukemia and Lymphoma Clinical Trials and Research

Children with blood cancer may have the opportunity to take part in a research study or clinical trial through City of Hope’s designation as a National Cancer Institute (NCI) comprehensive cancer center and its participation in the Children’s Oncology Group (COG).

More information on City of Hope’s childhood leukemia and lymphoma research, including any ongoing clinical trials, is available on our Clinical Trials page.

City of Hope Milestones in Blood Cancer Research

City of Hope has a legacy of more than a century of discoveries and contributions to the field of hematology research.

City of Hope is:

• One of only six programs in the nation to test bone marrow transplants in the 1970s.
• Home to one of the country’s largest stem cell transplant programs, with nearly 20,000 transplants performed.
• The first cancer center to offer chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy trials that target CD123 in fighting acute myeloid leukemia.
• The first to use CAR T cell therapy to treat patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm, a rare disease.

Patient Stories From Blood Cancer Treatment at City of Hope

City of Hope patients have triumphed in many ways. Julie Hilberg fought multiple myeloma and has lived well beyond expectations with an expert City of Hope team that helped her manage her blood cancer and other medical challenges, including diabetes. Hilberg turned to City of Hope at an opportune time: She was eligible to receive a promising CAR T-cell therapy (using her own re-engineered immune cells) approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration a few years earlier. This myeloma treatment enabled her to have a stem cell transplant. Despite some setbacks along the way, her treatment at City of Hope has exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Then there is Renee Bentson, who developed follicular lymphoma, a form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma affecting the body’s B cells. Adamant that she did not want chemotherapy, she turned to City of Hope, where her doctor offered a two-pronged attack with immunotherapy drugs. Instead of concentrating on a single target, the bispecific antibody drugs acted on two locations at the same time. Bentson, too, exceeded expectations and has been in remission from lymphoma for more than seven years.

The triumphs also include Tatum Demontmorency, a teenager who was an active volleyball player when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of acute myeloid leukemia. When she struggled with an acute myeloid leukemia treatment plan that included five cycles of chemotherapy and suffered a relapse, her family turned to City of Hope. She was given a new targeted therapy drug for her type of leukemia that enabled her to undergo a successful stem cell transplant.