University of Kansas Medical Center

The University of Kansas Medical Center received a five-year, $31 million NIH grant to coordinate pediatric clinical trials across 18 rural and underserved sites, marking the largest award in the institution's history.

The NIH-funded MOVE Peds study represents the first large-scale clinical investigation of pediatric facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), addressing critical gaps in understanding disease progression in children.

• A groundbreaking clinical trial, NOURISH, aims to combat food insecurity and malnutrition in blood cancer patients undergoing transplant or cellular therapy through structured food assistance programs. • Cancer patients experiencing malnutrition face increased risks of infection, longer hospital stays, reduced treatment tolerance, and higher mortality rates, according to Dr. Anna Arthur, the study's primary investigator. • The trial provides patients with bi-weekly food bags containing 2-3 days of balanced nutrition, along with recipes and cooking demonstrations to support optimal nutritional intake during treatment.

• Two leading CAR-T cell therapies, ciltacabtagene autoleucel and idecabtagene vicleucel, demonstrate encouraging results in treating relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients in earlier treatment lines. • Clinical data supports the potential benefits of moving CAR-T cell therapy to earlier treatment stages, potentially improving patient outcomes before disease progression becomes more advanced. • Healthcare institutions are developing structured referral processes and treatment protocols to optimize patient selection and timing of CAR-T therapy implementation.