Nicklaus Children's Hospital is one of only a few hospitals in Florida, and the first pediatric hospital in South Florida, to offer the latest immune cell treatment for children and adolescents with certain types of leukemia. 

The treatment, known as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy uses a patient's own immune system cells to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and B cell lymphomas. Above is a picture of a 3D rendered T-cell. The Nicklaus Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Institute is an approved treatment facility to deliver the FDA-approved CAR T-cell therapy to the pediatric population. 

“CAR T-cell therapy not only provides us with a more precise treatment option for children and adolescents with advanced types of cancers, but it also brings forth the opportunity for a tailored, less invasive, and perhaps less toxic treatment option to improve the quality of life for the patients in our care,” said Dr. Jorge Galvez Silva, director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.  

The FDA-approved Kymriah, a Novartis product, is the first gene-modified therapy available in the United States for pediatric and young adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and B cell lymphomas.

The Cancer and Blood Disorders Institute at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, is the region's leader in the care of children with cancer and hematologic disorders. The institute provides state-of-the-art intervention and therapies with a level of clinical experience and patient-focused support that is unmatched in the region. The institute is recognized for its multidisciplinary, holistic approach to care that places the child and family at the center of a highly coordinated network of specialists who work together to anticipate and meet the needs of the child and family throughout treatment and follow-up care.