SUMMARY
Mohamed A. Kharfan Dabaja, M.D., develops clinical trials evaluating innovative immune-based therapies for various blood cancers that have been refractory to conventional therapies.
Dr. Kharfan Dabaja has participated in pivotal clinical trials that led to the approval of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy for relapsed or refractory blood cancers, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia. He was the lead physician in the development of clinical practice guidelines on the role of hematopoietic cell transplantation and CAR-T cell therapy in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia on behalf of the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy.
Dr. Kharfan Dabaja also led an important observational study demonstrating the safety and efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy in patients ages 80 and older.
Dr. Kharfan Dabaja is the principal investigator of an investigator-initiated phase 1a/1b clinical trial evaluating the safety of a B-cell activating factor receptor-directed CAR-T cell in various B-cell-expressing lymphoid malignancies. The trial is actively enrolling patients. Previously, Dr. Kharfan Dabaja developed original reduced-toxicity conditioning regimens for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in patients with hematologic malignancies. He also has developed strategies to prevent graft-versus-host disease.
Dr. Kharfan Dabaja's research portfolio includes more than 450 publications in leading journals in the fields of hematology, hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular immunotherapy.
Focus areas
- Clinical-translational research. In collaboration with physician-scientists at Mayo Clinic, Dr. Kharfan Dabaja develops early-phase clinical trials that allow new therapies to move from the bench to the bedside.
- Evidence-based medicine research. Dr. Kharfan Dabaja is recognized in the field of evidence-based medicine. His research explores the integration of high-quality research into the daily care of patients receiving immune-based cellular therapies, ensuring that the best available evidence guides treatment decisions.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Kharfan Dabaja believes there is a growing need to move new immune-based cancer treatments from the lab to patient care settings more quickly. This approach can help overcome limitations of current treatments and improve patient outcomes. It also is important for saving lives and finding cures for cancer.