Participate in Research

New treatments and therapies for people with Fanconi anemia are not possible without research. Listed below are current clinical trials and research opportunities available. Visit the links listed to learn more about eligibility and protocol descriptions. If you’re interested in participating in a clinical trial, travel assistance is available from FCF in order to help offset the cost of transportation and housing. Scroll to the bottom of this page to learn more.

We are proud to partner with the NMDP Clinical Trials Search and Support, a program that helps individuals learn about and potentially participate in clinical trials.​ Work with a patient navigator to help you understand a trial you may be interested in, and how trials work in general.

CANCER TRIALS: SURVEILLANCE AND EARLY INTERVENTION

  • Fanconi Anemia Cancer Screening Study

    Open to all individuals with FA 12 years and older. Individuals with FA 8-12 years of age who have a history of persistent visible oral lesions, recent onset swallowing difficulty, or other concerning symptoms are also eligible.

    This study aims to provide oral mouth inspection and brush biopsy screening combined with comprehensive cancer screening for people with FA at regular intervals to determine if this practice improves early cancer diagnosis and overall clinical care. Participants will be screened for esophageal, gynecological, anal, and skin cancers. Brush biopsy of persistent oral lesions for diagnostic cytology and DNA cytometry will also be completed.

    Contact: Neelam Giri, M.D.| (240) 276-7256 | girin@mail.nih.gov

  • Reducing the Burden of Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Fanconi Anemia

    Open to individuals with Fanconia anemia, ages 14 years and older.

    Due to limited cancer treatment options for individuals with FA, there is an urgent need to develop early surveillance and screening modalities to reduce the burden of advanced disease. This research project will focus on non-invasive oral brush biopsy technology, with combined cytologic evaluation, being implemented as an early detection screening tool. This program will be available for medical professionals who will perform brush biopsy screening for people with FA. Educational programs focused on early surveillance will also be developed to empower individuals with FA to manage their own care in adulthood. Collaborative molecular research projects will focus on the analysis of clinical biological materials collected from the study to develop an understanding of the natural history of squamous cell cancers in individuals with FA. Clinical patient data will be incorporated into a digital platform and analyzed to identify potential cancer-promoting risk factors in the FA population.

    Contact: Andrea Ronan, FCF Engagement and Advocacy Program Manager | 541-687-4658 | andrea@fanconi.org

  • Acetaldehyde exposure and DNA damage in the oral cavity of FA patients before and after the consumption of a low alcohol dose

    Open to Fanconi Anemia patients ages 21-45, who are occasional alcohol drinkers and non-smokers. Patient must be willing to attend a single clinic visit lasting about 7 hours, consume one alcoholic drink, and provide saliva, mouth cells, and urine samples.

    This study seeks to understand and identify specific types of DNA damage formed from drinking alcohol that could affect cancer formation in patients with Fanconi Anemia.

    Contact Study Team: 612-626-8654 | alcohol-study@umn.edu

CLINICAL TRIALS FOR HEMATOLOGIC ISSUES

  • Antibody-Based Conditioning with TCRab T-cell/CD19 B-cell Depleted Allogeneic Transplantation for Fanconi Anemia Patients with Cytopenias

    Open to Fanconi anemia patients of all subtypes, ages 2+. Eligibility includes having developed cytopenias (reduced blood cell counts) and not having an HLA-identical matched sibling donor for bone marrow transplant (BMT). Patient must not be on other experimental therapies at the time and not have active cancers or concerns for high-risk bone marrow disease.

    The objective of the study is to prepare the patient’s body before a stem cell transplant by using an antibody-drug instead of radiation/chemotherapy to make transplants safer. To prevent rejection of the donor cells, prior to BMT, patients will be treated with standard immune suppression and an antibody-drug, JSP191, in place of genotoxic irradiation or busulfan treatment. Blood stem cells are collected from healthy donors and purified to remove problematic T-cells. These healthy stem cells are then given to the patient by intravenous infusion.

    Contact: Bone Marrow Failure Program Team | 650-497-8953 | bmf@stanfordchildrens.org

  • A Dose Escalation Study of FP-045 in Patients with Fanconi Anemia

    FP-045, an aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) activator, may be a valuable treatment for individuals in the initial stages of bone marrow failure, which is one of the most common complications of FA. Foresee Pharmaceuticals is looking for 14 to 18 adolescents and young adults with FA to participate in a study evaluating the safety and tolerability of FP-045 in individuals with FA. Participants must have mild to moderate bone marrow failure and have no prior history of a bone marrow transplant.

    Contact: Bassem Elmankabadi, MD | 562-310-8718 | Bassem.elmankabadi@foreseepharma.com

  • Stem Cell Transplant From Donors After Alpha Beta Cell Depletion in Children and Young Adults

    Available to individuals ages one month to 60 years old who are deemed eligible for allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) per institutional guidelines. See study information for additional inclusion and exclusion criteria.

    In this study, the participant will undergo a stem cell transplant using donor cells that have been manipulated through an investigational device (CliniMACS® TCRαβ-Biotin System and CliniMACS® CD19). The purpose of the study is to improve the safety and efficacy of allogeneic HLA-partially matched related or unrelated donor HSCT when no matched donors are available. Participants will be followed for outcomes for two years.

    Contact: Alice Bertaina | scgt_clinical_trials_office@lists.stanford.edu

  • Long Term Effects On Recipients of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

    Open to individuals who are either scheduled to receive or have completed a Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT). Those with HSCT completed at another institution other than Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital (LPCH) are eligible although follow-up long-term care must be transferred to LPCH. Participants will be seen thorough the late-effects clinic in the Pediatric HSCT Clinic. Participants who have relapsed from a malignant diagnosis post HSCT and are not being worked-up for a new HSCT are not eligible.

    The goal of the study is to establish systematic follow-up care for HSCT recipients by collecting data and tissue samples and creating a comprehensive database to demonstrate survivor’s clinical status through their life span.

    Contact: Nivedita A Kunte | 650-497-2038 | nkunte@stanford.edu

  • Eltrombopag for People with Fanconi Anemia

    Eligibility includes people with Fanconi anemia, ages 2 years or older, weighing greater than 10kg. This study is for individuals with reduced blood cell counts defined as clinically-significant cytopenias. See study information for details regarding cytopenias as well as exclusion criteria.

    This study is open to US participants only at this time.

    Based on clinical and pre-clinical studies, the team hypothesizes that Eltrombopag (EPAG) will improve peripheral blood cell counts in patients with FA, thus positively affect morbidity and mortality. Of particular interest for patients with FA is the observation that EPAG also improves the repair of double strand DNA breaks, a mechanism that is impaired in patients with FA. The objective of this study is to determine if EPAG is effective in FA patients and the length of treatment needed to improve blood counts.

    Contact: Bretagne Cowling | 240-550-3587 | bretagne.cowling@nih.gov

REGISTRY-BASED TRIALS AND RESEARCH

  • Fanconi Anemia Registry

    Open to all individuals with Fanconi Anemia.

    The Fanconi Anemia Registry is a participant-driven resource that can empower and unite the FA community through shared knowledge. Registry participants can complete surveys about their own disease experiences. Through the registry we can track cancer cases in individuals with FA as well as treatments. It also helps to develop a communications registry within the Fanconi Anemia registry which can be used to notify patients of research studies and clinical trials. The overarching goal is to assist the FA community with the development of recommendations and standards of care and to be a resource for researchers interested in FA.

    Contact: Andrea Ronan | 541-687-4658 | andrea@fanconi.org

     

  • Cancer in Inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes

    Open to all Fanconi anemia patients, their first-degree relatives defined as siblings (half or full), biologic parents, and children, and grandparents.

    This is a study to provide information regarding cancer rates and types in inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS), including Fanconi anemia. It is a natural history study, with questionnaires, clinical evaluations, clinical and research laboratory tests, review of medical records, and cancer surveillance.

    Contact: Neelam Giri | | 240-276-7256 | girin@mail.nih.gov

     

  • Natural History of FANCD1/BRCA2

    This is a subgroup within the National Cancer Institute Cancer in Inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes, listed above. It has been previously determined that published cases with two mutated FANCD1/BRCA2 genes appeared to have a very high risk of cancer before age 6. We are now aware of individuals with these mutations who are much older and have not had cancer. This subgroup was created in order to determine the natural history of patients with FA associated with mutations in FANCD1/BRCA2.

    Contact IBMFS Study Team | 1-800-518-8474, or email NCI.IBMFS@westat.com

     

  • International Fanconi Anemia Registry (IFAR)

    Open to all individuals with Fanconi anemia. Enrollment required for tissue donation through The Rockefeller University.

    The purpose of the IFAR is to study the nature, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals with FA. Information collected in this study will help researchers better understand FA and be able to better diagnose and treat the condition. We enroll patients at any stage of the disease but many recent studies are focusing on understanding cancer development in FA patients. Please reach out if you have been diagnosed with cancer or pre-cancer lesions.

    Contact: Agata Smogorzewska | 212-327-8612 | fanconiregistry@rockefeller.edu

     

  • Fanconi Anemia Neurological Syndrome (FANS)

    Please contact our team if you have been diagnosed with FANS or are experiencing symptoms. We will connect you with the researchers and clinicians leading these studies.

Trial vs. Treatment

It is critical to understand the difference between medical treatments and clinical trials. A medical treatment is a regimen specific to an individual patient and his/her condition, administered by doctors. A trial tests a potential drug, procedure, or medical device in people. Participants in trials play an integral role in determining the safety and efficacy of drugs or procedures. It is important to remember that clinical trials are meant for research, not to administer proven medical care.

Even though a medication may be approved for one condition or disease, it must be tested in the new population it is meant to help. It’s vital to conduct research in many people, because people may respond differently to the same treatment. Self-treatment with medications that have not been approved for a specific population/condition can be harmful to the individual; it may also hinder knowledge of the appropriate therapeutic use and benefit(s) of the medication. Always consult your physician before taking any action regarding medications or treatments.

Financial Support

FCF may provide financial assistance in the form of a travel scholarship to individuals/families interested in participating in a clinical trial if cost presents an obstacle. Click here to learn more and apply.