Clinical Trials
A Phase 3 Trial Investigating Blinatumomab ( NSC# 765986) in Combination With Chemotherapy in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Standard Risk or Down Syndrome B-Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) and the Treatment of Patients With Localized B-Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (B-LLy)
Lead Researcher: Craig A Mullen
This phase III trial studies how well blinatumomab works in combination with chemotherapy in treating patients with newly diagnosed, standard risk B-lymphoblastic leukemia or B-lymphoblastic lymphoma with or without Down syndrome. Monoclonal antibodies, such as blinatumomab, may induce changes in the body's immune system and may interfere with the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Chemotherapy drugs, such as vincristine, dexamethasone, prednisone, prednisolone, pegaspargase, methotrexate, cytarabine, mercaptopurine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and thioguanine, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Leucovorin decreases the toxic effects of methotrexate. Giving monoclonal antibody therapy with chemotherapy may kill more cancer cells. Giving blinatumomab and combination chemotherapy may work better than combination chemotherapy alone in treating patients with B-ALL. This trial also assigns patients into different chemotherapy treatment regimens based on risk (the chance of cancer returning after treatment). Treating patients with chemotherapy based on risk may help doctors decide which patients can best benefit from which chemotherapy treatment regimens.
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Pediatric Acute Leukemia (PedAL) Screening Trial - Developing New Therapies for Relapsed Leukemias
Lead Researcher: Craig A Mullen
This study aims to use clinical and biological characteristics of acute leukemias to screen for patient eligibility for available pediatric leukemia sub-trials. Testing bone marrow and blood from patients with leukemia that has come back after treatment or is difficult to treat may provide information about the patient's leukemia that is important when deciding how to best treat it, and may help doctors find better ways to diagnose and treat leukemia in children, adolescents, and young adults.
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NCI-COG Pediatric MATCH (Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice) - Phase 2 Subprotocol of LOXO-292 in Patients With Tumors Harboring RET Gene Alterations
Lead Researcher: Craig A Mullen
This phase II pediatric MATCH treatment trial studies how well selpercatinib works in treating patients with solid tumors that may have spread from where they first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced), lymphomas, or histiocytic disorders that have activating RET gene alterations. Selpercatinib may block the growth of cancer cells that have specific genetic changes in an important signaling pathway (called the RET pathway) and may reduce tumor size.
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NCI-COG Pediatric MATCH (Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice)- Phase 2 Subprotocol of Tipifarnib in Patients With Tumors Harboring HRAS Genomic Alterations
Lead Researcher: Craig A Mullen
This phase II pediatric MATCH trial studies how well tipifarnib works in treating patients with solid tumors that have recurred or spread to other places in the body (advanced), lymphoma, or histiocytic disorders, that have a genetic alteration in the gene HRAS. Tipifarnib may block the growth of cancer cells that have specific genetic changes in a gene called HRAS and may reduce tumor size.
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NCI-COG Pediatric MATCH (Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice) - Phase 2 Subprotocol of LOXO-101 (Larotrectinib) in Patients With Tumors Harboring Actionable NTRK Fusions
Lead Researcher: Craig A Mullen
This phase II Pediatric MATCH trial studies how well larotrectinib works in treating patients with solid tumors, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, or histiocytic disorders with NTRK fusions that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced) and have come back (relapased) or does not respond to treatment (refractory). Larotrectinib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.
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NCI-COG Pediatric MATCH (Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice) - Phase 2 Subprotocol of AG-120 (Ivosidenib) in Patients With Tumors Harboring IDH1 Mutations
Lead Researcher: Craig A Mullen
This phase II Pediatric MATCH trial studies how well ivosidenib works in treating patients with solid tumors that have spread to other places in the body (advanced), lymphoma, or histiocytic disorders that have IDH1 genetic alterations (mutations). Ivosidenib may block the growth of cancer cells that have specific genetic changes in an important signaling pathway called the IDH pathway.
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A Phase 3 Randomized Trial for Patients With De Novo AML Comparing Standard Therapy Including Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin (GO) to CPX-351 With GO, and the Addition of the FLT3 Inhibitor Gilteritinib for Patients With FLT3 Mutations
Lead Researcher: Craig A Mullen
This phase III trial compares standard chemotherapy to therapy with liposome-encapsulated daunorubicin-cytarabine (CPX-351) and/or gilteritinib for patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia with or without FLT3 mutations. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as daunorubicin, cytarabine, and gemtuzumab ozogamicin, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. CPX-351 is made up of daunorubicin and cytarabine and is made in a way that makes the drugs stay in the bone marrow longer and could be less likely to cause heart problems than traditional anthracycline drugs, a common class of chemotherapy drug. Some acute myeloid leukemia patients have an abnormality in the structure of a gene called FLT3. Genes are pieces of DNA (molecules that carry instructions for development, functioning, growth and reproduction) inside each cell that tell the cell what to do and when to grow and divide. FLT3 plays an important role in the normal making of blood cells. This gene can have permanent changes that cause it to function abnormally by making cancer cells grow. Gilteritinib may block the abnormal function of the FLT3 gene that makes cancer cells grow. The overall goals of this study are, 1) to compare the effects, good and/or bad, of CPX-351 with daunorubicin and cytarabine on people with newly diagnosed AML to find out which is better, 2) to study the effects, good and/or bad, of adding gilteritinib to AML therapy for patients with high amounts of FLT3/ITD or other FLT3 mutations and 3) to study changes in heart function during and after treatment for AML. Giving CPX-351 and/or gilteritinib with standard chemotherapy may work better in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia compared to standard chemotherapy alone.
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A Phase 3 Randomized Trial of Inotuzumab Ozogamicin (IND#:133494, NSC#: 772518) for Newly Diagnosed High-Risk B-ALL; Risk-Adapted Post-Induction Therapy for High-Risk B-ALL, Mixed Phenotype Acute Leukemia, and Disseminated B-Lly
Lead Researcher: Craig A Mullen
This phase III trial studies whether inotuzumab ozogamicin added to post-induction chemotherapy for patients with High-Risk B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) improves outcomes. This trial also studies the outcomes of patients with mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL), and B-lymphoblastic lymphoma (B-LLy) when treated with ALL therapy without inotuzumab ozogamicin. Inotuzumab ozogamicin is a monoclonal antibody, called inotuzumab, linked to a type of chemotherapy called calicheamicin. Inotuzumab attaches to cancer cells in a targeted way and delivers calicheamicin to kill them. Other drugs used in the chemotherapy regimen, such as cyclophosphamide, cytarabine, dexamethasone, doxorubicin, daunorubicin, methotrexate, leucovorin, mercaptopurine, prednisone, thioguanine, vincristine, and pegaspargase or calaspargase pegol work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. This trial will also study the outcomes of patients with mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL) and disseminated B lymphoblastic lymphoma (B-LLy) when treated with high-risk ALL chemotherapy.
The overall goal of this study is to understand if adding inotuzumab ozogamicin to standard of care chemotherapy maintains or improves outcomes in High Risk B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (HR B-ALL). The first part of the study includes the first two phases of therapy: Induction and Consolidation. This part will collect information on the leukemia, as well as the effects of the initial treatment, in order to classify patients into post-consolidation treatment groups. On the second part of this study, patients will receive the remainder of the chemotherapy cycles (interim maintenance I, delayed intensification, interim maintenance II, maintenance), with some patients randomized to receive inotuzumab. Other aims of this study include investigating whether treating both males and females with the same duration of chemotherapy maintains outcomes for males who have previously been treated for an additional year compared to girls, as well as to evaluate the best ways to help patients adhere to oral chemotherapy regimens. Finally, this study will be the first to track the outcomes of subjects with disseminated B-cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-LLy) or Mixed Phenotype Acute Leukemia (MPAL) when treated with B-ALL chemotherapy.
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International Phase 3 Trial in Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (Ph+ALL) Testing Imatinib in Combination With Two Different Cytotoxic Chemotherapy Backbones
Lead Researcher: Craig A Mullen
This randomized phase III trial studies how well imatinib mesylate works in combination with two different chemotherapy regimens in treating patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Imatinib mesylate has been shown to improve outcomes in children and adolescents with Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) ALL when given with strong chemotherapy, but the combination has many side effects. This trial is testing whether a different chemotherapy regimen may work as well as the stronger one but have fewer side effects when given with imatinib. The trial is also testing how well the combination of chemotherapy and imatinib works in another group of patients with a type of ALL that is similar to Ph+ ALL. This type of ALL is called "ABL-class fusion positive ALL", and because it is similar to Ph+ ALL, is thought it will respond well to the combination of agents used to treat Ph+ ALL.
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NCI-COG Pediatric MATCH (Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice) Screening Protocol
Lead Researcher: Craig A Mullen
This Pediatric MATCH screening and multi-sub-study phase II trial studies how well treatment that is directed by genetic testing works in pediatric patients with solid tumors, non-Hodgkin lymphomas, or histiocytic disorders that have progressed following at least one line of standard systemic therapy and/or for which no standard treatment exists that has been shown to prolong survival. Genetic tests look at the unique genetic material (genes) of patients' tumor cells. Patients with genetic changes or abnormalities (mutations) may benefit more from treatment which targets their tumor's particular genetic mutation, and may help doctors plan better treatment for patients with solid tumors or non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
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Publications
Journal Articles
6/2021
Schenone D, Andolina JR, Rademacher B, Fountaine TJ, Edwards E, Nunez L, Qiu M, Sharma S, Mullen CA. "Gene Expression and Survival of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells After Allogeneic Transplant." Anticancer research.. 2021 Jun; 41(6):2781-2793.
2021
Kwiatkowski V; Franco AI; Cordisco MR;Mullen CA. "A case of a rapidly-changing skin lesion in an 11-year-old male". Pediatrics In Review. 2021; .
6/2019
Usmani S, Sivagnanalingam U, Tkachenko O, Nunez L, Shand JC, Mullen CA. "Support of acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells by nonmalignant bone marrow stromal cells." Oncology letters.. 2019 Jun; 17(6):5039-5049. Epub 2019 Mar 22.
Books & Chapters
2005
Chapter Title: Supportive Care in Pediatric Oncology: Part I
Book Title: Pediatric Oncology
Author List: Rodriguez N, Madden RM, Mullen CA
Edited By: Chan KW, Raney RB
Published By: Springer 2005 in New York, NY
2005
Chapter Title: Supportive Care in Pediatric Oncology: Part II
Book Title: Pediatric Oncology
Author List: Madden RM, Koontz-Webb S, Zhukovsky DS, Mullen CA
Edited By: Chan KW, Raney RB
Published By: Springer 2005 in New York, NY
1998
Chapter Title: Cytosine deaminase as a suicide gene in cancer gene therapy
Book Title: Gene Therapy of Cancer
Author List: Mullen CA
Edited By: Lattime N, Gerson G
Published By: Academic Press 1998 in San Diego, CA
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