Dr. Kolibaba studies different treatment methods for blood cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), various types of lymphomas, and other hematological malignancies. Her research often examines new drugs and combinations, aiming to improve response rates and patient survival. For instance, she has explored treatments using innovative agents like bintrafusp alfa and alvocidib, showcasing their potential effectiveness when traditional therapies have failed. By investigating the safety and efficacy of these treatments, she provides hope for patients facing tough prognoses.
Key findings
In a study of bintrafusp alfa for recurrent glioblastoma, 22.9% of patients showed some level of disease control and had a median overall survival of 5.3 months.
In newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia patients treated with alvocidib and standard therapy, 69% achieved complete remission, with 89% of those in remission showing no detectable cancer cells.
In a trial of polatuzumab vedotin for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, 89% of patients responded positively, with 77% achieving complete recovery.
A comparison of bendamustine plus rituximab versus R-CHOP revealed a 65.5% chance of no cancer progression with bendamustine therapy, compared to 55.8% for standard treatment.
In chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients treated with entospletinib, 70.1% were free from disease progression after 24 weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Does Dr. Kolibaba study brain cancer treatments?
Yes, she has researched treatments for recurrent glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, focusing on novel therapies like bintrafusp alfa.
What types of blood cancers has Dr. Kolibaba researched?
Dr. Kolibaba has studied various blood cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and other indolent lymphomas.
What are some effective treatments that Dr. Kolibaba has found?
She has identified treatments such as alvocidib and bendamustine plus rituximab, which show promising response rates and improvements in patient outcomes.
Is Dr. Kolibaba’s work relevant for patients with tough-to-treat lymphomas?
Yes, her research on novel combinations and therapies specifically addresses challenges faced by patients with tough-to-treat lymphomas.
What are the outcomes of her studies?
Her studies have shown significant response rates, with therapies leading to complete remissions and improved survival chances for patients with various types of blood cancers.
Publications in plain English
Phase I Study of Alvocidib Followed by 7+3 (Cytarabine + Daunorubicin) in Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
2021
Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research
Zeidner JF, Lee DJ, Frattini M, Fine GD, Costas J +4 more
Plain English Researchers studied a new treatment method for patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by combining alvocidib with a standard therapy known as 7+3. They found that 69% of the patients achieved complete remission, and most notably, 89% of those in remission had no detectable cancer cells left. This is important because it shows that combining alvocidib with traditional treatment can be both safe and effective, paving the way for potentially better outcomes in AML patients.
Who this helps: This helps patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
Bintrafusp alfa (M7824), a bifunctional fusion protein targeting TGF-β and PD-L1: results from a phase I expansion cohort in patients with recurrent glioblastoma.
2021
Neuro-oncology advances
Khasraw M, Weller M, Lorente D, Kolibaba K, Lee CK +11 more
Plain English This study looked at a new treatment called bintrafusp alfa for patients with recurrent glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer that has few effective options after standard treatments fail. The results showed that about 22.9% of patients experienced some level of disease control, with a median overall survival of 5.3 months. This matters because it offers hope for patients with a tough-to-treat illness, suggesting that bintrafusp alfa could be a viable option worth exploring further.
Who this helps: This helps patients with recurrent glioblastoma and their doctors by providing a potential new treatment option.
A phase 1 trial of SGN-CD70A in patients with CD70-positive diffuse large B cell lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma.
2019
Investigational new drugs
Phillips T, Barr PM, Park SI, Kolibaba K, Caimi PF +9 more
Plain English This study tested a new treatment called SGN-CD70A on patients with certain types of aggressive lymphoma that were not responding to other treatments. Out of 20 patients, one had complete remission and three showed partial improvement, but 75% of them experienced low platelet counts, which can lead to serious bleeding. This is important because it shows that while SGN-CD70A has some effectiveness in difficult cases, side effects may limit its use.
Who this helps: This research benefits patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
First-Line Treatment of Patients With Indolent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma or Mantle-Cell Lymphoma With Bendamustine Plus Rituximab Versus R-CHOP or R-CVP: Results of the BRIGHT 5-Year Follow-Up Study.
2019
Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology
Flinn IW, van der Jagt R, Kahl B, Wood P, Hawkins T +9 more
Plain English This study compared two treatment options for patients with slow-growing types of blood cancer: indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma or mantle-cell lymphoma. After five years, patients who received bendamustine plus rituximab had a 65.5% chance of not having their cancer progress, while those on rituximab with other drugs had a 55.8% chance, showing that the first option was more effective at controlling the disease. Though there was no significant difference in overall survival, the results suggest that bendamustine plus rituximab may be a better first choice for treatment, despite a higher occurrence of secondary cancers in that group.
Who this helps: This helps patients with indolent lymphomas by providing a more effective treatment option.
Polatuzumab vedotin or pinatuzumab vedotin plus rituximab in patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma: final results from a phase 2 randomised study (ROMULUS).
2019
The Lancet. Haematology
Morschhauser F, Flinn IW, Advani R, Sehn LH, Diefenbach C +18 more
Plain English This study looked at how well two treatments, polatuzumab vedotin (R-pola) and pinatuzumab vedotin (R-pina), work when combined with rituximab in patients with tough-to-treat lymphomas, specifically diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. Among the 42 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma receiving R-pina, 60% had some improvement, while 54% of those on R-pola also responded positively. Overall, R-pola showed better results and fewer severe side effects, making it a promising option for treatment.
Who this helps: This benefits patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Polatuzumab vedotin in combination with immunochemotherapy in patients with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: an open-label, non-randomised, phase 1b-2 study.
2019
The Lancet. Oncology
Tilly H, Morschhauser F, Bartlett NL, Mehta A, Salles G +10 more
Plain English This research studied a new treatment combining a drug called polatuzumab vedotin with traditional chemotherapy and immunotherapy for patients with a type of lymphoma called diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Out of 66 patients treated, 89% had a positive response, with 77% showing complete recovery. While there were some side effects such as low blood cell counts, the treatment was generally safe and shows promise for future study.
Who this helps: This benefits patients diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and their doctors.
Extended dosing with CC-486 (oral azacitidine) in patients with myeloid malignancies.
2018
American journal of hematology
Savona MR, Kolibaba K, Conkling P, Kingsley EC, Becerra C +7 more
Plain English This trial tested a 21-day-per-month dosing schedule of oral azacitidine (CC-486) in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, or acute myeloid leukemia. The drug produced responses in roughly a third of patients and freed some from needing blood transfusions, even in patients who had previously failed injectable treatments. The main side effects were low white blood cell counts and gastrointestinal symptoms, and the extended schedule was generally manageable.
Differences in Quality of Life Between Bendamustine-Rituximab and R-CHOP/R-CVP in Patients With Previously Untreated Advanced Indolent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma or Mantle Cell Lymphoma.
2016
Clinical lymphoma, myeloma & leukemia
Burke JM, van der Jagt RH, Kahl BS, Wood P, Hawkins TE +9 more
Plain English In this study, researchers compared the effects of a treatment called bendamustine-rituximab (BR) to the standard treatments R-CHOP and R-CVP for patients with advanced types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. They found that patients receiving BR reported better quality of life in important areas, such as cognitive, physical, social, and emotional functioning, along with less fatigue and trouble breathing. Specifically, around 89% of patients in the study completed quality of life assessments, showing a notable improvement for those on BR compared to standard treatments.
Who this helps: This helps patients with advanced non-Hodgkin lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma by offering them a treatment option that may improve their quality of life.
An open-label phase 2 trial of entospletinib (GS-9973), a selective spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
2015
Blood
Sharman J, Hawkins M, Kolibaba K, Boxer M, Klein L +4 more
Plain English This study tested a new medication called entospletinib in patients with a type of cancer known as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Out of 41 patients studied, 70.1% remained free from disease progression after 24 weeks, and 61.0% had a positive response to the treatment. While some patients experienced serious side effects, the overall benefits indicate that entospletinib is an effective option for treating tough cases of CLL.
Who this helps: This benefits patients with relapsed or hard-to-treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Randomized trial of bendamustine-rituximab or R-CHOP/R-CVP in first-line treatment of indolent NHL or MCL: the BRIGHT study.
2014
Blood
Flinn IW, van der Jagt R, Kahl BS, Wood P, Hawkins TE +12 more
Plain English This study compared two treatments for patients with a type of slow-growing lymphoma: a combination of bendamustine and rituximab (BR) versus a standard chemotherapy treatment that includes rituximab with other drugs (R-CHOP or R-CVP). The results showed that BR led to complete cancer responses in 31% of patients, slightly better than the 25% response rate for the standard treatment. Overall, BR was just as effective as the standard treatments, with a high response rate of 97% compared to 91%, though it had more reports of vomiting and allergic reactions.
Who this helps: This benefits patients with indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or mantle cell lymphoma looking for effective treatment options.
Results of a phase 2 study of bortezomib in patients with relapsed or refractory indolent lymphoma.
2010
Blood
Di Bella N, Taetle R, Kolibaba K, Boyd T, Raju R +10 more
Plain English This study looked at how well the drug bortezomib works for patients with certain types of slow-growing B-cell lymphoma that did not respond to previous treatment with rituximab. Of the 59 patients treated, only 1.9% had a complete response, while 64.2% had stable disease, and 73% were alive after one year. This matters because it shows that while bortezomib offers limited success on its own, it may still play a role in future treatments when combined with other therapies.
Who this helps: This helps patients with relapsed or refractory indolent lymphoma and their doctors exploring new treatment options.
CaM kinase IV regulates lineage commitment and survival of erythroid progenitors in a non-cell-autonomous manner.
2000
The Journal of cell biology
Wayman GA, Walters MJ, Kolibaba K, Soderling TR, Christian JL
Plain English This study examined the role of a protein called CaM kinase IV (CaM KIV) in the development of blood cells (specifically red blood cells) during early growth in embryos. Researchers found that when the activity of CaM KIV was either too high or too low, embryos produced fewer mature red blood cells: high levels caused the blood cells to die prematurely, while low levels shifted cells to develop into different types of blood cells instead. Properly regulating CaM KIV is crucial because it helps the cells develop correctly and survive, which is important for healthy blood formation.
Who this helps: This research benefits doctors and researchers studying blood disorders or developing treatments for anemia and other blood-related conditions.
Direct binding of CRKL to BCR-ABL is not required for BCR-ABL transformation.
1997
Blood
Heaney C, Kolibaba K, Bhat A, Oda T, Ohno S +2 more
Plain English This study explored the relationship between two proteins, CRKL and BCR-ABL, in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Researchers found that the direct binding of CRKL to BCR-ABL is not necessary for BCR-ABL to cause cell growth without hormones; even when a specific part of BCR-ABL was changed, BCR-ABL could still function normally. This finding is important because it reveals that CRKL’s role in BCR-ABL's activity may happen through indirect interactions, which could influence future treatments for CML.
Who this helps: This helps patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia and their doctors by providing insights into how the disease functions.
Interactions of CBL with BCR-ABL and CRKL in BCR-ABL-transformed myeloid cells.
1997
The Journal of biological chemistry
Bhat A, Kolibaba K, Oda T, Ohno-Jones S, Heaney C +1 more
Plain English This study focused on the interactions between specific proteins in blood cells affected by chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a type of cancer linked to the Philadelphia chromosome. Researchers found that one protein, c-CBL, binds to another protein, BCR-ABL, in a way that depends on c-CBL being activated. This is important because understanding these interactions could help develop better treatments for CML by targeting these pathways more effectively.
Who this helps: This helps patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia and their doctors in finding more effective therapies.
NB4 cells show bilineage potential and an aberrant pattern of neutrophil secondary granule protein gene expression.
1994
Blood
Khanna-Gupta A, Kolibaba K, Zibello TA, Berliner N
Plain English This study looked at a type of leukemia cell, called NB4, to understand how it matures into different types of blood cells, like neutrophils and monocytes. The researchers found that while NB4 cells could develop into either type, they did so poorly in expressing important genes related to neutrophil function. Specifically, they observed that NB4 cells showed defects in granule protein expression, which is crucial for neutrophil activity, and confirmed that these cells can also shift towards a monocyte-like state.
Who this helps: This research benefits doctors and researchers working to treat acute promyelocytic leukemia and understand its impacts on blood cell development.