A groundbreaking clinical trial at Harris Health's Ben Taub Hospital is demonstrating the transformative potential of cellular immunotherapy in treating multiple myeloma, offering hope to patients who previously had limited treatment options.
The innovative study, led by Dr. Martha Mims, chief of Hematology/Oncology at Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital, and Dr. Premal Lulla, associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine's Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, focuses on utilizing modified T-cells to combat cancer cells.
Treatment Mechanism and Patient Impact
The treatment process involves extracting patients' T-cells, training them to target cancer cells, and reinfusing them back into the patients. "We take our T-cells from patients. We in some way train them to go after the cancer cells and then infuse them back to the patients," explains Dr. Lulla.
The trial includes thirty multiple myeloma patients with varying insurance status, specifically targeting a condition that can cause severe bone deterioration, kidney problems, and elevated calcium levels. Multiple myeloma patients often experience debilitating symptoms, with Dr. Mims noting, "These patients have problems with their bones because the tumor can eat away at their bones, their calcium levels. The antibodies can cause problems with their kidneys."
Remarkable Patient Outcomes
Early results have been promising, as demonstrated by patients like Zella Duckworth and Javier Perez, who experienced significant improvements after failing previous treatments. Duckworth, who initially suffered from severe mobility issues and constant pain, reported complete symptom resolution after a single T-cell injection. "I've had tests after tests and they don't see it anymore," she stated. Similarly, Perez, who had been unable to work due to his condition, expressed remarkable improvement in his quality of life.
Addressing Access and Cost Barriers
Despite its effectiveness, the treatment's accessibility remains a significant challenge. At approximately $500,000 per single treatment, the therapy is primarily available only to patients with comprehensive insurance coverage. Dr. Lulla emphasizes the importance of expanded access programs, noting that some companies already provide CAR T-cell products to uninsured patients at no cost.
Future Directions
The research team is already planning to expand the trial to include lymphoma patients, with future studies targeting leukemia in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies. This expansion represents a crucial step toward making cellular immunotherapy more widely available to patients who could benefit from this potentially curative treatment.
The success of this trial at Ben Taub Hospital could serve as a model for expanding access to advanced cancer treatments across the healthcare system, particularly for underserved populations. As Dr. Mims notes, "Our patients don't have the same access to care that all the other patients in the community have. Most of our patients don't have access to these kinds of treatments which are really cutting edge and could lead to cure."
