New device improves safety of leukemia treatment for children

Researchers at the University of Houston and Baylor College of Medicine are creating new devices to help treat children with hyperleukocytosis. This condition means the body has too many white blood cells, often due to leukemia, a common cancer in kids. Leukemia affects about 5 out of every 100,000 children each year in the United States. Many children with acute leukemia experience hyperleukocytosis, which can lead to serious health risks. While chemotherapy is the main treatment, leukapheresis can quickly lower high white blood cell counts and save lives. Leukapheresis uses a machine to filter blood and separate white blood cells. However, traditional machines can be risky for children. They require a lot of blood to be outside the body at once, which can cause weakness or problems. The machines also move blood quickly, which can be dangerous, and they may remove too many platelets, leading to bleeding issues. Dr. Fong Lam, a pediatric doctor, wanted to find a better method after a challenging night in the ICU. He teamed up with Professor Sergey Shevkoplyas to explore a microfluidic device, which uses tiny channels to separate blood cells more safely. Their recent study, published in Nature Communications, shows promising results. The new device can remove about 85% of large white blood cells and 90% of cancerous cells without harming platelets. It works effectively for over three hours, - a common length for leukapheresis. This innovative device uses much less blood outside the body, about 1/70th of what current machines use, making it much safer for small patients. Overall, this microfluidic technology could greatly improve leukapheresis for children, allowing for safer and more effective treatment of hyperleukocytosis linked to leukemia.