New Treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma Discovered by La Jolla Researchers

New Therapy Shows Promise for Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients

Recent studies conducted by La Jolla-based Scripps Research indicate a new treatment option for Hodgkin lymphoma patients who have not responded to conventional treatments. Researchers have tested different therapy combinations over the past five years, eventually finding a “one-two punch” of treatment options that are showing promising results.

Understanding Hodgkin Lymphoma

Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that impacts the body’s germ- and disease-fighting immune system. Each year in the United States, the disease affects around 8,500 to 9,000 people and represents 11 percent of all lymphoma cases in the country.

The Need for Alternative Treatments

In some cases, Hodgkin lymphoma does not respond to conventional treatments and the cancer either does not go away or returns. Researchers at Scripps have been testing different combination therapies to combat this problem. Historically, checkpoint inhibitors – drugs that remove protein barriers to enable the immune system to target cancer cells in the body – have only been effective for 10 percent to 20 percent of Hodgkin lymphoma patients.

The “One-Two Punch” of Ruxolitinib and Checkpoint Inhibitors

Scripps researchers found the most promising therapy combination to be using a previously approved immunosuppressive drug, ruxolitinib, alongside checkpoint inhibitors. In a recent Phase 1 clinical trial of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, 87 percent of patients were still alive and 46 percent stopped showing signs of cancer progression two years after beginning the combined treatment regimen. The preclinical models of this treatment combination have also shown positive results.

The Future of Cancer Treatments

Scripps researchers have noted that this therapy combination has “immediate implications” for those with Hodgkin lymphoma, but the broader goal is to target the shared immune-suppressant mechanism in many different cancers. The immune system plays a major role in defending against cancer, but many tumors have immune-suppressant cells. By effectively targeting and reshaping these cells, researchers hope that this treatment combination can prove successful in combatting other types of cancer in the future.

Conclusion

The promising results of this treatment combination give hope to those suffering from Hodgkin lymphoma and other forms of cancer as well. With a human trial in the Midwest currently enrolling participants, the future of cancer treatments looks hopeful thanks to the work being done by the researchers at Scripps.

Originally Post From https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2024/06/24/la-jolla-research-points-to-new-treatment-option-for-hodgkin-lymphoma/