Marie Bleakley, MD

Bleakley’s primary research focus is the discovery of novel minor histocompatibility antigens expressed on leukemic stem cells. The ability to cure leukemia with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant requires a type of donor immune cell called a T cell that recognizes and destroys leukemic cells. Some of these T cells can also damage normal cells and cause a condition called graft versus host disease (GVHD). Bleakley is conducting research to identify the target molecules on leukemic cells that the immune system recognizes, in order to develop immunotherapy for transplant patients that selectively kills leukemic cells without damaging normal cells. Immunotherapy administered in the form of vaccines or T cell infusions could improve the cure rate of patients with advanced leukemia, and early results of this research are very promising. Bleakley is also conducting a phase II clinical trial of selective depletion of specific T cell subsets from donor cells for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant to prevent GVHD.