A cellular therapy in childhood, safe and viable for Covid patients

  • By:jobsplane

01

09/2022

An innovative and promising clinical essay, financed extraordinarily by the Cris against Cancer Foundation thanks to the Christ Covid and Cancer Fund, stands out with international recognition as an effective treatment against COVID-19.This is a cellular therapy used in child oncological patients in the Cris of advanced therapies of the La Paz hospital adapted to these COVID-19 patients.Excellent news that highlights the importance of research.

After achieving hospital discharge in record time of 9 patients in phase I, the initial results of Phase II Multicentro (University Hospital of La Paz, Valencia Clinical Hospital, Emergency Hospital Nurse Isabel Zendal, Cruces Hospital in Bilbao and the HospitalGeneral University of Alicante) are hopeful.

This innovative approach has been distinguished internationally by three publications -the Scientist and The Lancet, including-, the top scoring abstract award of the International Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, various national awards and the development of a patent patent.

“Phase 2 is being very important because we have seen that, even in vaccinated population, the virus can appear again for multiple causes.The treatment is absolutely standardized for intravenous administration.However, we would like to evolve the medication so that it could be administered in a simpler way without even being in the hospital, ”explains Antonio Pérez Martínez, head of the Pediatric Oncology Hematology Service of La Paz and director of the Cris de Therapias UnitAdvanced.

In addition, Pérez emphasizes that the immune system plays a fundamental role in control, not only of childhood cancer, but viral infections."Most groups are working on vaccines or if the muta virus, in the genomics ... we are working on cellular adoptive therapy, which was a very restricted concept in some groups that we did marrow transplantation".

This concept of living cell treatment, which could become in spray or candies, as the expert emphasizes, with the necessary financing, it could generate a local cellular immunity that protects from the possible SARS-COV-2 infection infection.He even adds, being vaccinated.

Una terapia celular en cáncer infantil, segura y viable para pacientes COVID

"Because we have seen that the disease does not end the vaccine.Although obviously much has been attenuated and what predominates at this time is the high contagiosity, ”he says.

For experts, this innovative clinical essay, led by Antonio Pérez Martínez from the Cris de la Paz unit, shows the vital impact that research in cancer has.

"We see how advances in an area can benefit other types of cancer and, in this case, we see how cell therapy, which they use successfully in child oncological patients, has effective use in another disease such as COVID-19", explains Marta Cardona, director of Cris against Cancer.

Cristina Ferreras, Labmanager of the Cris Research Group AgainLa Paz Hospital: “When the pandemic began, we transferred a treatment that we performed to children's patients with leukemia or immunodeficiencies to the hospitalized patients with Covid.This treatment is based on the infusion of cells with memory for infections of convalescent healthy donors.The study is safe, patients recovered perfectly and now we are doing phase II in a multicentric trial.The preliminary results of this study support the use of this therapy for COVID disease in these patients ”.

“We are also studying different ways of innovating about the product to use it, not only as a treatment, but also as prevention.We are on a very good way, but we need more resources to, from the point of view of the investigation, to be able to advance in this field in which an idea, an experience, an experience and knowledge of the children's cancer field has been able to move toan infectious disease like Covid-19 ”, continues.

To date, the launch of this essay has been possible thanks to the involvement of civil society with its donations on the www platform.Criscancer.ORG/COVID19, to the Valencian Innovation Agency, to the support of companies, to the collaboration of other foundations such as Aladina and the ‘Zarpazo’ of the solidarity bears sold in Alcampo in the joint initiative with Warner and Famosa.

Dolores, the first patient: "I think science fiction"

“Mine is like science fiction.I have cured the coronavirus with a therapy they use to treat children with cancer.It is something incredible and that makes it clear that investigating cancer can help other diseases, such as COVID-19 in my case.I am very grateful to Cris and this doctor because they have cured me, ”explains Dolores (59), the first patient of the clinical trial.

“The doctors explained that there was a new treatment, a clinical trial adapting a therapy they use to cure children with cancer and I signed up, I did not think about it even a second.It was going to be the first to try it, but I was not afraid of being an essay.I trusted the doctor a lot, ”recalls Dolores.

“I had a very positive mentality and encouraged lymphocytes, which are the cells that put me from another Covid-19 survivor, so that they ended my Covid-19 cells-19.I imagined some legionary lymphocytes that were going to cure me and that they were going to teach my defenses to end the COVID-19 ”.

Jaime, the Covid19 surviving donor nurse

This essay also has an emotional story behind: the peace health personnel itself, which was in the front line of action during the worst moments of the pandemic, taking care and treating patients, were the main donors of T lymphocytes since theyThey also suffered the effects of the disease and recovered.

In his return to work they did not hesitate to participate in this project, being the first donor a nurse from the operating room of La Paz.Jaime, 40, suffered COVID-19 in March.

After "a roller coaster of Dolores, gastroenteritis and strong migraines," he returned to the hospital, he volunteered to another hyperimmune plasma trial on April 22 and met the trial led by Antonio Pérez in his own center.

“They told me that it was an ideal donor for HLA antigens and replied that they would count on me.I was delighted to help.In addition to my extraction, which lasted about four hours, they told me that up to 30 patients can benefit.I hope you help to raise awareness and save lives, ”he concludes.


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