Cincinnati Children's, a paediatric hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, US, has launched the Advanced Leukemia Therapies and Research Center.

The centre has been set up to speed up more scientific discoveries to bring further curative options for patients suffering from acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).

It will bring together the expertise of the research and clinical programmes at the paediatric hospital and boost patient access to clinical trials.

This centre is claimed to build on the foundation of ‘groundbreaking research’ undertaken at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

Cincinnati Children's researchers claimed to be the first to use Vyxeos, a nanoparticle drug, for treating AML in children, which led to a Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) approval of the drug for paediatric use.

Now the researchers at the hospital are testing a new cellular therapy, which uses cytokine-induced memory-like natural killer cells, for treatment-resistant AML in adults. These cells have demonstrated a response against AML in studies.

In addition to the clinical cancer team, the new centre’s researchers will also be collaborating with various divisions at Cincinnati Children's, the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center and UC Health. 

Cincinnati Children's chief medical officer, research foundation director, and chair of paediatrics Tina Cheng said: “Translating cancer research into improved health outcomes for our patients has been a strength of our institution for quite some time.

“The Advanced Leukemia Therapies and Research Center and the progress we are making there sets Cincinnati Children's apart from other paediatric academic research centres.”

In addition to significant investment at the new research centre, Cincinnati Children's has also committed to several new research positions in view of prioritising advanced research.