New research into COVID-19 for immunosuppressed patients | Latest news

Researchers at NUH have recently opened two new COVID-19 studies to assess how the infection may be affecting people with cancer and those undergoing stem cell transplants.

The PACE study is assessing how COVID-19 infection affects people newly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) - a cancer of the white blood cells that progresses quickly and aggressively - and who are being treated with chemotherapy.

At Nottingham City Hospital, a specialist research team lead by Principal Investigator Dr Jenny Byrne, Transplant Director and Consultant Haematologist, is running PACE with patients who are being treated in the 40-bed Centre for Clinical Haematology.

Patients with AML, the most common type of blood cancer, are cared for on the two wards at the centre, which is equipped with an air filtration system to reduce the risk of infection. AML patients are at high risk of bacterial and fungal infections due to their immunosuppressed state and will stay closely monitored while they receive their treatment as inpatients. During their treatment, AML patients will receive three courses of chemotherapy.

Due to the aggressive and rapid progress of AML, without effective treatment, the consequences of getting an infection could be fatal within just two months of diagnosis.

Dr Byrne is being helped by Research Nurse Julie Kenny who works directly with patients to ensure they understand the trial. She is also supported by her consultant haematologist colleagues Dr Rohini Radia and Dr Errico Gerardo, who care for patients at the Transplant Centre, which includes a bone marrow and stem cell service. 

City Hospital also cares for haematology patients referred from Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Mansfield. So far, seven patients who are receiving care in the specialist unit have been recruited for the PACE study; none of these had tested positive for COVID-19 at the time. 

NUH is one of 34 NHS hospitals in the UK delivering PACE. The study was set up in just 26 days thanks to the Cure Leukaemia funded Trials Acceleration Programme (otherwise known as TAP).

Cure Leukaemia, a national blood cancer charity, began a three-year, £3 million commitment to fund TAP this January. TAP consists of a network of Cure Leukaemia funded research nurses based at 12 blood cancer centres across the UK and a hub to facilitate this work based at University Hospitals Birmingham and covers a UK catchment area of over 20 million people.

You can find out more about the work of the TAP by watching their video on YouTube here.

The second COVID-19 study also being led by Dr Byrne’s team is COVID-19 BMT. It is investigating severe COVID-19 infection in allogeneic stem cell recipients.

In an allogeneic transplant, stem cells are collected from a matching donor and transplanted into the patient to suppress disease and restore the patient’s immune system. An allogeneic stem cell transplant is different from an autologous stem cell transplant, which uses stem cells from the patient's own body.

The study involves both adults and children of any age who have received allogeneic stem cell transplantation and who have tested positive for COVID-19. Patients who have severe COVID-19 infection are those who need oxygen.

Samples taken from NUH patients who agree to take part in the study will be sent for analysis in the specialist immunology laboratories at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, who are the study sponsor.