Swati Naik, MBBS

To overcome AML’s unique hurdles, we spearheaded an international consortium that set new standards for AML CAR T–cell therapy. We published guidelines to standardize trial design and reporting, thereby allowing for a shared language across trials and accelerating progress. 

Beyond efficacy, my research also focuses on ensuring safety. I am working to understand the biology underlying toxicities of CAR T–cell therapy and developing predictive tools to guide future therapies.

Allogeneic cell transplantation has been the cornerstone of therapy to induce durable remissions for patients with high-risk hematological malignancies. At the heart of successful transplantation lies the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect, wherein donor immune cells work to eradicate residual cancer. I have focused my efforts to amplify this effect while minimizing its dangerous counterpart, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Through advanced graft engineering and selective immune cell manipulation, we have used and studied graft-engineered transplant platforms using T-cell depletion strategies, such as CD34+ selection, αβ TCR T-cell depletion, and CD45RA depletion, aiming to improve transplant safety and efficacy.

These engineered grafts are particularly attractive as they create the perfect platform for the incorporation of next-generation immune effectors—cells designed to supercharge GVL and accelerate immune recovery, reducing relapse and infection risks. As principal investigator or co-investigator, I have led trials exploring these strategies, including the use of multi-tumor antigen-specific T cells, targeting Survivin, PRAME, and WT1;  genetically modified donor lymphocytes with inducible suicide gene iCaspase 9, offering a safety switch against GVHD; and donor-derived natural killer (NK) cells, all to amplify anti-leukemic activity without collateral damage.