Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a cancer of white blood cells that progresses rapidly without treatment. It's the most common childhood cancer, though it also occurs in adults. Chemotherapy cures about 90% of children with ALL, but adult survival rates are lower and relapse remains a major challenge.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing CAR T-cell therapy for relapsed disease, targeted drugs like inotuzumab ozogamicin and blinatumomab that direct immune cells to kill leukemia, and combinations that add targeted agents to standard chemotherapy. Researchers are also studying how to predict which patients need more intensive treatment and which can safely receive less chemotherapy.
CAR T-cell therapy
This approach engineers a patient's own immune cells to hunt down leukemia cells. Tisagenlecleucel was FDA-approved in 2017 for children and young adults whose ALL returns after treatment.
Targeted antibodies
Drugs like blinatumomab link immune cells directly to leukemia cells, helping the body destroy cancer. Studies are testing whether adding these to initial chemotherapy prevents relapse.
Risk-adapted treatment
Genetic testing of leukemia cells now guides how much treatment someone receives. Trials are exploring whether children with favorable genetics can receive less chemotherapy while maintaining cure rates.
What to know before you search
Eligibility depends on whether ALL is newly diagnosed or relapsed, genetic features of the leukemia cells, age, prior treatments, and fitness for intensive chemotherapy or transplant.
What types of trials are currently open
- Frontline treatment trials — Testing new drug combinations for newly diagnosed ALL, often adding targeted therapies to standard chemotherapy to improve cure rates.
- Relapsed disease trials — Testing CAR T-cell therapy, new antibody drugs, and chemotherapy combinations for ALL that returns after initial treatment.
- Maintenance trials — Studying whether new drugs during the maintenance phase can prevent relapse while reducing side effects.
- Minimal residual disease trials — Testing treatments guided by ultra-sensitive tests that detect tiny amounts of remaining leukemia cells.
- Transplant trials — Comparing stem cell transplant to chemotherapy alone, and testing ways to reduce transplant complications.
Recently added Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia trials
Share your medical records to help us understand a rare childhood leukemia
The study aims to conduct a real-world investigation of children with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) in China, assessing their diagnosis, treatment status, survival outcomes, and prognostic factors. The research will involve children diagnosed with Ph+ ALL between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2024. Our objective is to understand the incidence and prognosis of CML-like ALL, compare the diagnostic and treatment differences between CML-like ALL and typical Ph+ ALL, and provide clinical evidence for standardized treatment of CML-like patients. Through a multicenter retrospective study, we hope to improve the diagnostic and treatment strategies for children with Ph+ ALL, enhancing patient survival rates and quality of life.
Try nature-based activities at preschool to support child health
The goal of this feasibility cluster randomized trial is to determine whether a future large pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial can be conducted to evaluate the effects of a nature-based intervention on children's mental and physical health. The intervention will be delivered in preschools located in or near public housing areas and compared with usual activities in similar preschools. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Are parents willing to participate in follow-up assessment using the Strengths and Dif-ficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)? * Can participants be successfully recruited, and can the nature-based intervention be delivered as intended? * Is it possible to gather data on children's motor development, physical activity, sleep, absenteeism, and stress, and on stress and absenteeism among educators and parents? * Is the intervention safe and acceptable for children, parents, and educators? Researchers will compare a 14-week nature-based intervention with usual preschool activities. The nature-based intervention is based on the Danish Outdoor Council's Green Sprouts ("Grønne Spirer") programme and focuses on using nature for play and learning. The intervention is being developed together with educators and children and includes nature-based activities designed to support motor development, physical activity, and positive interactions between children. Participants will: * Take part in either the nature-based intervention or usual preschool activities. * Complete questionnaires about child well-being, quality of life, and parental stress. * Participate in assessments of fine and gross motor skills. * Wear an activity monitor to measure physical activity and sleep. * Provide hair samples for measurement of stress-related hormones. * Take part in interviews and observations. The study will include approximately 56 children aged 4 to 6 years, their parents, and approx-imately 15 educators. The results will help determine whether the intervention can be implemented in preschools as currently designed and will inform the planning of a future large cluster-randomized controlled trial. No major risks are expected. Participants may experience minor discomfort when a small hair sample is collected for stress measurement.
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