Dr. Brown’s [Damon Runyon-Lilly Clinical Investigator] research program focuses on developing new treatment options for childhood leukemias.  Although many childhood leukemias are successfully treated, a subset remains incurable.   He is pursuing a promising new therapeutic strategy involving small molecule drugs that target a molecule called FLT3, which has been implicated in the etiology of these incurable leukemias.  He is leading two national Phase I/II clinical trials focused on the first use of these drugs for the treatment of two types of pediatric leukemias, acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).  He is also devising methods to predict which children are likely to respond to this new class of drugs.  His work may lead to improved outcome for children with this disease.

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Project Title: "Translating FLT3 inhibition into improved outcome for high risk childhood leukemia"

Institution: The Johns Hopkins University

Sponsor(s) / Mentor(s): Donald Small, MD, PhD

Cancer Type: Leukemias

Research Area: Experimental Therapeutics