Editing Leukemia (section)

==Research directions==
Significant research into the causes, prevalence, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of leukemia is being performed. Hundreds of [[clinical trials]] are being planned or conducted at any given time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=leukemia|title=Search of: leukemia&nbsp;— List Results&nbsp;— ClinicalTrials.gov|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100915043150/http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=Leukemia|archive-date=15 September 2010}}</ref> Studies may focus on effective means of treatment, better ways of treating the disease, improving the quality of life for people, or appropriate care in [[Remission (medicine)|remission]] or after cures.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Learn About Clinical Studies — Reasons for Conducting Clinical Studies |url=https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/about-studies/learn#ReasonsForConducting |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=Clinicaltrials.gov |language=en}}</ref>

In general, there are two types of leukemia research: clinical or [[translational research]] and [[basic research]]. Clinical/translational research focuses on studying the disease in a defined and generally immediately applicable way, such as testing a new drug in people.  By contrast, basic science research studies the disease process at a distance, such as seeing whether a suspected carcinogen can cause leukemic changes in isolated cells in the laboratory or how the DNA changes inside leukemia cells as the disease progresses.  The results from basic research studies are generally less immediately useful to people with the disease.<ref>{{cite web|title=Understanding Clinical Trials for Blood Cancers|url=http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/attachments/National/br_1162487596.pdf|publisher=Leukemia and Lymphoma Society|access-date=19 May 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105213515/http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/attachments/National/br_1162487596.pdf|archive-date=5 January 2011}}</ref>

Treatment through [[gene therapy]] is currently being pursued. One such approach used genetically modified [[T cell]]s, known as [[chimeric antigen receptor T cell]]s (CAR-T cells), to attack cancer cells. In 2011, a year after treatment, two of the three people with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia were reported to be cancer-free<ref>{{cite web| vauthors = Jaslow R |title=New Leukemia Therapy Destroys Cancer by Turning Blood Cells into "Assassins"|date=11 August 2011 |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-leukemia-therapy-destroys-cancer-by-turning-blood-cells-into-assassins/|publisher=CBSnews.com HealthPop section|access-date=11 August 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331173850/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-leukemia-therapy-destroys-cancer-by-turning-blood-cells-into-assassins/|archive-date=31 March 2014}}</ref> and in 2013, three of five subjects who had acute lymphocytic leukemia were reported to be in remission for five months to two years.<ref name=SloanKettering>{{cite web | vauthors = Coghlan A | date = 26 March 2013 | url = https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21729104.100-gene-therapy-cures-leukaemia-in-eight-days.html | title = Gene therapy cures leukaemia in eight days | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150515211530/http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21729104.100-gene-therapy-cures-leukaemia-in-eight-days.html | archive-date=15 May 2015 | work = The New Scientist | access-date = 15 April 2013 }}</ref> Subsequent studies with a variety of CAR-T types continue to be promising.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal | vauthors = Zhao J, Song Y, Liu D | title = Clinical trials of dual-target CAR T cells, donor-derived CAR T cells, and universal CAR T cells for acute lymphoid leukemia | journal = Journal of Hematology & Oncology | volume = 12 | issue = 1 | pages = 17 | date = February 2019 | pmid = 30764841 | pmc = 6376657 | doi = 10.1186/s13045-019-0705-x | doi-access = free }}</ref> As of 2018, two CAR-T therapies have been approved by the [[Food and Drug Administration]]. CAR-T treatment has significant side effects,<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Zheng PP, Kros JM, Li J | title = Approved CAR T cell therapies: ice bucket challenges on glaring safety risks and long-term impacts | journal = Drug Discovery Today | volume = 23 | issue = 6 | pages = 1175–82 | date = June 2018 | pmid = 29501911 | doi = 10.1016/j.drudis.2018.02.012 | doi-access = free | hdl = 1765/105338 | hdl-access = free }}</ref> and loss of the [[antigen]] targeted by the CAR-T cells is a common mechanism for relapse.<ref name=":0" /> The stem cells that cause different types of leukemia are also being researched.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research]]|title=How we're beating leukaemia|url=http://leukaemialymphomaresearch.org.uk/research/how-were-beating-blood-cancers/how-were-beating-leukaemia|access-date=24 September 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927031151/http://leukaemialymphomaresearch.org.uk/research/how-were-beating-blood-cancers/how-were-beating-leukaemia|archive-date=27 September 2013}}</ref>