Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is dedicated to becoming the leading cellular therapy innovation engine in the United States, if not the world, in the next 10 years. To accomplish this lofty goal, experts in transplant and cellular therapy have been brought in to support our Center of Excellence, providing advanced, comprehensive care for patients today while developing innovative next-generation treatments for the future.
Cellular transplants offer the potential of a longer, disease-free survival for some patients, while providing a cure for other types of cancers and blood disorders. Roswell Park is poised to continue driving the research and development for treatments, thanks to experts like Shernan Holtan, MD, and Brian Betts, MD.
Brian Betts, MD
Defeating transplant complications
Holtan and Betts previously worked together at the University of Minnesota where they researched ways to improve outcomes for stem cell transplant patients, specifically those suffering from graft versus host disease (GvHD).
Their research transformed the way GvHD is treated, turning it from a highly feared complication that around 60% of patients experienced into a rarity.
“Less than 5% of people now experience significant graft versus host disease, and it’s rarely fatal,” Holtan says. “Now that we’re seeing this reduced risk, we’re able to focus on other issues that can come up after transplant. And that’s the momentum that we’ll be continuing here.”
What’s next for cell therapy
This is just one area of research for Roswell Park’s Cell Therapy and Transplant research.
There are FDA- approved CAR T therapies for several cancers, some of which were pioneered by experts currently on Roswell Park’s team.
The next frontier is further honing of the CAR T therapies so they’re even more targeted and resilient as well as effective against a wider range of cancers, particularly those involving solid tumors.
Dr. Betts says the team members’…
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