Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), as an aggressive form of blood cancer, poses a serious threat to patients’ lives. Despite significant progress in treatment in recent years, drug resistance remains a major obstacle to improving patient survival rates and quality of life. At the recently held 29th Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA 2024), the research findings of Professor Jean-Pierre Bourquin from the Universitätsspital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland , were particularly significant. The research has not only made important contributions to understanding the complex biological mechanisms of ALL but also achieved breakthrough progress in the study of drug resistance. “Oncology Frontier – Hematology Frontier” specially invited Professor Bourquin to share the core theme of precision hematology and his key findings in the research of ALL drug resistance at the venue.
Oncology Frontier-Hematology Frontier: Can you introduce the topic in focus for EHA in the next four years and the actions intended to support this?
Professor Jean-Pierre Bourquin: In this session, we introduced the topic of precision hematology, which will be the focus for EHA over the next four years. We explained the actions we plan to take to support research, lobby, and network among key stakeholders to accelerate new formats for clinical trials. These trials will enable multi-arm trials with more precise assays for patients. Several presentations described new technologies for detecting disease characteristics, classifying diseases better, and deciding on the most suitable treatments. We discussed proteomics to detect signaling in cells and make informed treatment decisions, new data analysis methods for understanding effective drug combinations, and the types of clinical trials we should foster in the upcoming years. The consensus was to develop a pan-European study based on a master protocol, including functional testing to explore new diagnostic approaches in a clinical setting.
Oncology Frontier-Hematology Frontier: Your research has significantly advanced our understanding of drug resistance in trial-based ALL. Can you explain some key findings and their clinical value from your selective study at the FDA?
Professor Jean-Pierre Bourquin: Certainly. We have set up a system to explore acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) functionally, working directly with patient material. We integrate a large number of approaches to capture the oncogenic program in these cells and screen for dependencies. I’ve shown examples of high-risk leukemia subtypes, particularly in relapse, and potential interventions with new agents targeting metabolism based on functional research. Our drug response profiling platform allows high-throughput testing of drug responses directly on patient samples, providing characteristic profiles for leukemia subtypes and distinguishing more resistant or sensitive patients. This has significant implications for clinical management. For instance, we have bridged patients to CAR T therapy with less toxicity, ensuring they are in better shape for the treatment. We also use this information to bridge patients with refractory T-cell ALL to stem cell transplantation or CD7 CAR-T therapy.
Conclusion
Professor Jean-Pierre Bourquin’s interview highlights the progress in precision hematology and its impact on the research of drug resistance in ALL. The focus on new diagnostic methods and multi-arm clinical trials is expected to improve patient treatment outcomes and advance the field of hematology. Notably, the development of a high-throughput drug response analysis platform provides a clearer path for personalized therapy and improved clinical management.
