Advanced Therapies (Clinical Trials)
Leading-edge treatments are leading to a cure
Care at University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital combines the best of a children’s hospital and academic medicine.
Within the setting of a family-centered care model, patients have access to the newest medical knowledge delivered by physicians and scientists at the cutting edge of their fields. One example of this is the University of Minnesota Pediatric Advanced Therapies Program.
The Advanced Therapies Program is an integrated clinical and translational research program that provides innovative therapies for pediatric and young adult patients with high-risk cancers. The clinical program incorporates a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach for patients with metastatic and relapsed cancers. Program activities include new anti-cancer drugs, autologous stem cell transplantation and chemoprotectants, signal transduction inhibitors, cell cycle inhibitors, biological therapies and immunotherapies.
In addition, faculty at University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital are leaders in the long-term follow up of childhood cancer survivors, leukemia therapies, and bone tumor research.
Children’s Cancer Research Fund: Supporting innovative, comprehensive care
Support from Children’s Cancer Research Fund allows the Pediatric Advanced Therapies Program to be a model for cancer treatment worldwide.
The Pediatric Advanced Therapies Program is an integrated clinical and translational research program that provides innovative therapies for pediatric and young adult patients with high-risk cancers.
The clinical program incorporates a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach for patients with metastatic and relapsed cancers. Program activities include new anti-cancer drugs, autologous stem cell transplantation and chemoprotectants, signal transduction inhibitors, cell cycle inhibitors, biological therapies and immunotherapies. Components of the clinical program include:
- Integrated care with referring oncologists
- Seamless patient management with the University of Minnesota Blood & Marrow Transplantation Program.
- Clinical treatment regimens through the Developmental Therapeutics Consortium of the Children’s Oncology Group, collaborations with the Pediatric Oncology Branch of the National Institutes of Health, the Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program, and other programs .
The laboratory program is focused on advancing the care of high-risk cancer patients through advanced pharmacogenetics research and development of new therapies to target abnormalities in cancer cells. The program is integrated with Cancer Center research in the development of immune-based cancer therapies, and new technologies in stem cell transplantation.
The Pediatric Advanced Therapies Program is one of the oldest and largest advanced pediatric cancer care programs in the United States — a core institution of the national Children’s Oncology Group.
Future work includes:
- Working closely with University of Minnesota Musculoskeletal Tumor Program, Multiple Specialty Pediatric Surgeons, Therapeutic Radiology Department, Pediatric Neurosurgery/Brain Tumor Program, Pediatric Pathology Department, Pediatric Imaging (Radiology) Department, Neurology/Neuropsychology Program, Chemotherapy Pharmacists, Pediatric Nutrition Specialists, Pediatric Rehabilitation Services, Chaplains, Child-Family Life Services and Social Work Services.
- Working in collaboration with National Cancer Institute/Pediatric Oncology Branch Sarcoma Therapy.
- Incorporating an integrated laboratory to improve cure rates by research in pharmacogenetics and development of new therapies for high-risk malignancies.
This information is displayed with permission of the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center. The Masonic Cancer Center is one of only 41 institutions in the country designated by the National Cancer Institute as a Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Clinical Trial Myths
Advances in medicine are the result of new ideas and approaches developed through research. The University of Minnesota created a video series that debunks many myths about the risks of clinical trials. Read More