Areas of Expertise:
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome, Hemophagocytic syndrome, Bone marrow transplant
My expertise is in both oncology and hematology. Although a large percentage of my time is spent in the laboratory, I enjoy taking care of patients at Children’s Hospital. My research has given me a broad clinical approach that helps me diagnosis and treat the rare child who is “off the grid,” particularly when there is an oncology/hematology problem that has gone unsolved. I focus on treating patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and with autoimmune diseases. I also specialize in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (bone marrow transplant) and use my expertise in transplant to help treat patients with leukemia and autoimmune disease.
My research is primarily focused on developing new therapies for children with white blood cell diseases, including ALL and a rare autoimmune disease called Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome (ALPS). My research in ALL focuses on studying leukemic cells from children with high-risk disease. I take a “bench-to-bedside” approach and test new therapies in my lab and then try to bring those therapies to the clinic. This work, performed in collaboration with the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), has allowed me to study patient samples from hundreds of children with rare forms of childhood leukemia. My investigation of new “targeted” therapies has led to a number of local and national clinical trials. On many of these trials, I have served in a leadership role either as a Vice Chair or Study Chair, and for many of these trials the correlative biology is performed in my lab. I am currently the Vice Chair for Biology for the ALL Disease Committee in COG. I am also the national study chair for one of the largest pediatric T cell ALL (T-ALL) trials ever performed. This trial opened in 2014 and is expected to treat over 1200 patients at over 200 participating institutions in North America, Europe, and Australia. My experience in translational research of T-ALL and past experience in early phase trials qualified me to take this position.
An additional major area of research centers on investigating novel therapeutics and in autoimmune and lymphoproliferative diseases, particularly ALPS. ALPS was thought to be a rare disease, but early in my career I demonstrated it is more common than previously thought as many patients were misdiagnosed. Using preclinical models, I have studied ALPS in the lab and found that ALPS cells are very sensitive to a drug calle sirolimus. Based on this work, I opened a study treating patients with ALPS with sirolimus. Prior to using sirolimus for ALPS, there was no effective treatment that could improve the lymphoproliferative and autoimmune manifestations of the disease. I have treated over 50 patients with ALPS from all over the globe with sirolimus. Over 90% of these patients have had a complete and durable response to this single agent therapy. Indeed, sirolimus has revolutionized the treatment of ALPS and has become the standard of care for this disease.
My final area of research expertise is dedicated to understanding hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), with emphasis on understanding why patients treated with T-cell engaging therapies, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and bi-specific T-cell engaging antibodies (BITE) who develop severe cytokine release syndrome develop secondary HLH. I made the initial observation that patients treated with CAR T cells and blinatumomab develop a clinical, laboratory, and cytokine profile similar to HLH. It was this observation that helped lead to IL6-directed therapy with tocilizumab post-CAR T cells. Currently, patients treated with CAR T cells are followed for HLH and on-going research is dedicated to understanding secondary HLH after these therapies.
MD - Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA
Pediatrics - Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC
Pediatric Hematology and Oncology - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
American Board of PediatricsAmerican Board of Pediatrics/Hematology-Oncology
Attending Physician
Director of Clinical Research, Center for Childhood Cancer Research
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Novel therapeutics for leukemia and the Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome
Teachey DT1, Bishop MR2, Maloney DG3, Grupp SA1. Toxicity management after chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy: one size does not fit 'ALL'. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2018 Apr;15(4):218. doi: 10.1038/nrclinonc.2018.19. Epub 2018 Feb 13.
Bride KL, Vincent TL, Im SY, Aplenc R, Barrett DM, Carroll WL, Carson R, Dai Y, Devidas M, Dunsmore KP, Fuller T, Glisovic-Aplenc T, Horton TM, Hunger SP, Loh ML, Maude SL, Raetz EA, Winter SS, Grupp SA, Hermiston ML, Wood BL, Teachey DT. Preclinical efficacy of daratumumab in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood. 2018 Mar 1;131(9):995-999. doi: 10.1182/blood-2017-07-794214. Epub 2018 Jan 5.
Cooper SL, Arceci RJ, Gamper CJ, Teachey DT, Schafer ES: Successful treatment of recurrent autoimmune cytopenias in the context of sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy using sirolimus. Pediatr Blood Cancer 63(2): 358-60, February 2016.
Freedman JL, Desai AV, Bailey LC, Aplenc R, Burnworth B, Zehentner BK, Teachey DT, Wertheim G: Atypical Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Two Pediatric Patients. Pediatr Blood Cancer 63(1): 156-9, January 2016.
Bride KL, Vincent T, Smith-Whitley K, Lambert MP, Bleesing JJ, Seif AE, Manno CS, Casper J, Grupp SA, Teachey DT. Sirolimus is effective in relapsed/refractory autoimmune cytopenias: results of a prospective multi-institutional trial. Blood. 2016 Jan 7;127(1):17-28
Jones CL, Gearheart CM, Fosmire S, Delgado-Martin C, Evensen NA, Bride K, Waanders AJ, Pais F, Wang J, Bhatia T, Bitterman DS, de Rijk SR, Bourgeois W, Dandekar S, Park E, Burleson ™, Madhusoodhan PP, Teachey DT, Raetz EA, Hermiston ML, Muschen M, Loh ML, Hunger SP, Zhang J, Garabedian MJ, Porter CC, Carroll WL: MAPK signaling cascade mediate distinct glucocorticoid resistance mechanisms in pediatric leukemia. Blood 126(19): 2202-12, August 2015.
Qin H, Cho M, Haso W, Zhang L, Tasian SK, Oo HZ, Negri GL, Lin Y, Zou J, Mallon BS, Maude S, Teachey DT, Barrett DM, Orentas RJ, Duagaard M, Sorenson PH, Grupp SA, Fry TJ: Eradication of B-ALL using chimeric antigen receptor-expressing T cells targeting the TSLPR oncoprotein. Blood 126(6): 629-39, July 2015.
Pulsipher M, Langholz B, Wall DA, Schultz KR, Bunin N, Carroll W, Raetz E, Gardner S, Goyal R, Gastier-Foster J, Borowitz M, Teachey D, and Grupp SA: Risk factors and timing of relapse after allogeneic transplantation in pediatric ALL: for whom and when should interventions be tested? Bone Marrow Transplantation Epub ahead of print, May 2015.
Maude SL, Dolai S, Delgado-Martin C, Vincent T, Robbins A, Selvanathan A, Ryan T, Hall J, Wood A, Tasian SK, Hunger S, Loh M, Mullighan C, Wood B, Hermiston M, Grupp SA, Lock RB, and Teachey DT: Efficacy of Jak/Stat pathway inhibition in murine xenograft models of early T-cell precursor (ETP) acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 125(11): 1759-67, March 2015.
Maude SL, Frey N, Shaw P, Aplenc R, Barrett D, Bunin NJ, Chew A, Gonzalez G, Zheng Z, Lacey SF, Mhanke Y, Melenhorts JJ, Rheingold SR, Shen A, Teachey DT, Levine B, June CH, Porter DL, and Grupp SA: Chimeric antigen receptor T cells for sustained remissions in leukemia. New Engl J Med 371(16): 1507-17, October 2014.
Jones CL, Bhatia T, Blum R, Wang J, Paugh SW, Wen X, Bourgeois W, Bitterman DS, Raetz EA, Morrison DJ, Teachey DT, Evans WE, Garabedian MJ, Carroll WL: Loss of TBL1XR1 Disrupts Glucocorticoid Receptor Recruitment to Chromatin and Results in Glucocorticoid Resistance in a B-Lymphoblastic Leukemia Model. J Biol Chem 289(30): 20502-15, Jul 2014.
Pulsipher MA, Langholz B, Wall D, Schultz K, Bunin N, Carroll WL, Raetz E, Gardner S, Gastier-Foster JM, Howrie D, Goyal RK, Douglas JG, Borowitz M, Barnes Y, Teachey DT, Taylor C, Grupp SA: The addition of sirolimus to tacrolimus/methotrexate GVHD prophylaxis in children with ALL: a phase III COG/PBMTC trial. Blood 123(13): 2017-25, March 2014.
Cytokine release syndrome after blinatumomab treatment related to abnormal macrophage activation and ameliorated with cytokine-directed therapy. Teachey DT, Rheingold SR, Maude SL, Zugmaier G, Barrett DM, Seif AE, Nichols KE, Suppa EK, Kalos M, Berg RA, Fitzgerald JC, Aplenc R, Gore L, Grupp SA. Blood. 2013 Jun 27;121(26):5154-7.
Treatment of Epstein Barr virus-induced haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis with rituximab-containing chemo-immunotherapeutic regimens. Chellapandian D, Das R, Zelley K, Wiener SJ, Zhao H, Teachey DT, Nichols KE; EBV-HLH Rituximab Study Group. Br J Haematol. 2013 Aug;162(3):376-82. doi: 10.1111/bjh.12386. Epub 2013 May 21.
Rapamycin does not control hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in LCMV-infected perforin-deficient mice. Rothman JA, Das R, Teachey DT, Paessler ME, Nichols KE. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2011 Dec 15;57(7):1239-43. doi: 10.1002/pbc.23226.
Use of rituximab in conjunction with immunosuppressive chemotherapy as a novel therapy for Epstein Barr virus-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Balamuth NJ, Nichols KE, Paessler M, Teachey DT. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2007 Aug;29(8):569-73.
Teachey DT, Lacey S, Shaw P, Melenhorst J, Frey N, Barrett D, Chen F, Fitzgerald J, Gonzalez V, Maude S, Pequingot E, Weiss S, June C, Porter D, and Grupp SA: Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) after chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell Therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia mirrors hemophagocytic syndrome (HLH). Pediatric Blood and Cancer 62(S3): S42, November 2105.
Teachey DT, Lacey S, Shaw P, Melenhorst J, Frey N, Maude S, Barrett D, Aplenc R, Chen F, Fitzgerald J, Gonzalez V, Pequignot E, Rheingold SR, Weiss S, White J, June CH, Porter D, and Grupp SA: Biomarkers Accurately Predict Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS) after Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cell Therapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Blood 126(23): 1334, December 2015 Notes: ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts.
Tasian S, Li Y, Shen F, Ryan T, Vincent T, Teachey DT, Maude SL, Harvey RC, Chen I, Willman CL, Perl AE, Hunger S, Loh M, Carroll M, Grupp S: Potent efficacy of combined PI3K/mTOR and Jak or SRC/ABL inhibitors in Philadelphia chromosome-like ALL. Blood 126(23): 798, December 2015 Notes: ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts.
Rheingold SR, Chen L, Maude SL, Aplenc R, Barker C, Barrett DM, Callahan C, Cebry, Kulikovskaya I, Lacey S, Levine B, Shaw P, Melenhorst J, Shaw P, Sparrow A, Teachey DT, Duckworth M, June CH, and Grupp SA: Efficient trafficking of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells to CSF and induction of durable CNS remissions in children with CNS/combined relapsed/refractory ALL. Blood 126(23): 3769, December 2015 Notes: ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts.
Maude S, Barrett D, Ambrose D, Rheingold SR, Aplenc R, Teachey DT, Callahan C, Barker C, Mudambi M, Shaw P, Brogdon J, Young RM, Scholler J, Loew A, Marcucci L, Finklestein J,Kulikovskaya, Nazimuddin F, Zheng Z, Levine B, Porter DL, Lacey S, Melenhorst J, June C, Grupp S: Efficacy and safety of humanized chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells targeting CD19 in children with relapsed/refractory ALL. Blood 126(23): 683, December 2015 Notes: ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts.
Grupp S, Maude S, Shaw P, Aplenc R, Barrett DM, Callahan C, Lacey S, Levine B, Melenhorts J, Motley L, Rheingold SR, Teachey DT, Wood P, Porter D, and June CH: Durable Remissions in Children with Relapsed/Refractory ALL Treated with T Cells Engineered with a CD19-Targeted Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CTL019). Blood 126(23): 681, December 2015 Notes: ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts.
Porter DL, Lacey SF, Hwang W, Shaw P, Frey N, Chew A, Chen F, Kalos M, Gonzalez V, Marcucci K, Maude SL, Melenhorst J, Litchman M, Teachey DT, Shen A, Quintas-Cardamas A, Wood P, Levine BL, June CH, Grupp SA: Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) after chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for relapsed/refractory (R/R) CLL. Blood 124(21): 1983, December 2014 Notes: American Society of Hematology. Annual Meeting Abstracts.
Liou A, Delgado-Martin C, Teachey DT, Hermiston M: The CXCR4/CXCL12 axis mediates chemotaxis, survival, and chemoresistance in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 124(20): 3629, December 2014 Notes: American Society of Hematology. Annual Meeting Abstracts.
Dolai S, Sia K, Robbins A, Zhong A, Heatley S, Vincent T, Hochgrafe F, Kurmasheva R, White D, Houghton PJ, Smith M, Teachey DT, Daly R, Raftery M, Lock RB: Targeted Cancer Therapy in High-Risk Pediatric Leukemia Using Global Phosphotyrosine Profiling. Blood 124(20): 969, December 2014 Notes: American Society of Hematology. Annual Meeting Abstracts.
Teachey DT: Lymphoproliferative Disorders, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Wilms Tumor, Pallor. In: The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult. M. William Schwartz (eds.). Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Publisher, Hagerstown, MD, 6th edition. Page: 22-3, 518-9, 614-5, 950-1, June 2012 Notes: *Four separate chapters.
Teachey DT: Leukocytosis. In: Schwartz's Clinical Handbook of Pediatrics. Joseph J. Zorc (eds.). Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Publisher, Hagerstown, MD, 5th edition. Page: 517-26, April 2012.
Teachey DT: Leukopenia. In: Schwartz's Clinical Handbook in Pediatrics. Joseph J. Zorc (eds.). Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Publisher, Hagerstown, MD, 5th edition. Page: 527-35, April 2012.
Teachey DT: Lymphoproliferative Disorders, Myelodysplastic Syndromes, and Myeloproliferative Disorders. In: Manual of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Philip Lanzkowsky (eds.). Academic Press, Elsevier, St. Louis, MO, 5th Edition, Page: 472-517, October 2010.
Teachey DT, Rheingold S, Bunin N. Germ cell tumors. In: Brodeur G, Manno C, editors. Requisites in pediatrics: hematology and oncology. 1st ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Health Sciences-Mosby Publisher; 2008.
Teachey DT, Bunin N. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In: Haelfer M, Chambers J, editors. Requisites in pediatrics: critical care medicine. 1st ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Health Sciences-Mosby Publisher; 2008.
Teachey DT, Manno C. Hematologic manifestations of systemic disease. In: Brodeur G, Manno C, editors. Requisites in pediatrics: hematology and oncology. 1st ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Health Sciences-Mosby Publisher; 2008.
Teachey DT. Pallor. In: Schwartz MW, Bell LM, editors. The 5-minute pediatric consult. 5th ed. Hagerstown (MD): Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Publisher; 2008.
Teachey DT. Wilms Tumor. In: Schwartz WM, Bell LM Jr., editors. The 5-minute pediatric consult. 5th ed. Hagerstown (MD): Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Publisher; 2008.
Teachey DT. Acute myelogenous leukemia. In: Schwartz WM, Bell LM Jr., editors. The 5-minute pediatric consult. 5th ed. Hagerstown (MD): Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Publisher; 2008.
Maude SL, Dolai S, Delgado-Martin C, Hunger SP, Loh M, Mullighan CG, Hermiston M, Grupp SA, Lock R, and Teachey DT: Early T-cell precursor (ETP) acute lymphoblastic leukemia is characterized by aberrant activation of Jak/Stat pathway and profound responses to ruxolitinib in xenograft models. Pediatr Blood and Cancer 61(S2): 0-013, December 2014 Notes: International Society of Paediatric Oncology Annual Meeting. Oral abstract presentation.
Grupp SA, Maude SL, Shaw P, Aplenc R, Barrett DM, Callahan C, Chew A, Lacey SF, Levine B, Melenhorst J, Motley L, Rheingold SR, Shen A, Teachey DT, Wood P, Porter DL, and June CH: T cell engineered with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting CD19 (CTL019) have long term persistence and induce durable remissions in children with relapsed, refractory ALL. Blood 2104(20): 380, December 2014 Notes: American Society of Hematology. Annual Meeting Abstracts. Oral Platform Presentation.
Maude SL, Dolai S, Delagdo-Martine C, Vincent T, Robbins A, Selvanathan A, Ryan T, Hunger SP, Loh ML, Mullighan CG, Wood BL, Hermiston M, Grupp SA, Lock RB, and Teachey DT: Targeting the Jak/Stat signaling pathway is highly effective in xenograft models of early T cell precursor (ETP) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Cancer Research Page: 997, May 2014 Notes: American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting. Oral Platform Presentation.
Teachey DT. "Novel Therapies for ALL," Emory University, Atlanta, GA; 2016 Feb.
Teachey DT. "Targeted Therapeutics for ALL," Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX; 2015 Nov.
Teachey DT. "The Philadelphia Experiment," Second International Conference of ALPS and ALPS-like Disorders, Genoa Italy; 2015 Sep.
Teachey DT. "Targeted Therapeutics for Lymphoid Diseases," Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO; 2015 Aug.
Teachey DT. "Using xenograft models of high risk ALL subtypes to develop novel targeted therapies," iBFM Annual Meeting, Budapest Hungary; 2015 May.
Teachey DT. "Targeting Jak/Stat in T-ALL," The Fifteenth International Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Workshop, Ponte di Legno Group Meeting, Sonoma, CA; 2014 Dec.
Teachey DT. "Biology and Management of Hypercytokinemia Following Novel T-cell Engaging Therapies," Midyear Joint Meeting of International Cytokine Society, Kiel Germany; 2014 May.
Teachey DT. "Proactive Surveillance in ALPS Patients", CIS Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD; 2014 Apr.
2014, American Cancer Society, Research Scholar
2013, The 2013 Golan and Christie Advancement Award for Saving Lives Through Rediscovery Research, Cures Within Reach
2011, John Morgan Society, University of Pennsylvania
2010., The Lady Barbara Colyton Autoimmune Research Award, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Award of Excellence
2007, Hoag Award in Pediatric Translational Research
2006, Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Career Development Award
2006, Foerderer-Murray Award
2006, United States Immunodeficiency Research Award
2005, Joseph Stokes Jr. Research Institute, Clinical Science Research Award
2005, American Society of Pediatric Hematology Oncology Young Investigator Award
2005, Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Young Investigator Award
2005, Judy S. Finkelstein Memorial Award in Immunology Research
2004, Charles E Culpepper Biomedical Pilot Initiative Award
2004, National Institute of Health Loan Repayment Award (with renewal in 2006, 2008, and 2010)
1998, Alpha Omega Alpha, National Medical Honor Society, Junior Year Elect
1993, Graduated Magna cum laude with Honors - Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
2010-2015, Member of Editorial Board, Journal of Clinical Immunology
2010-present, Review Editor, Frontiers in Primary Immunodeficiencies
2009-present, Associate Faculty Member, Faculty of 1000 Medicine
2007-present, Sentinel Reader, McMaster Online Rating of Evidence (MORE)
2003-present, Peer Reviewer: Blood, Cancer Cell, JNCI, Leukemia, Pedtr. Blood & Cancer, Biol. of Blood & Marrow Transplant, Mol. Cancer Therapeut., Clin. Cancer Research, Pediatrics, Recent Patents on Online Drug Discovery, J. Pediatric Heme-Onc, J. of Med Virology, Exp. Hematology, J. Rheumatology, Bone Marrow Transplant., J. Clin. Med. Research, J. of Med. Case Reports, Transplant Immunol., Hematol. Oncol., Exp. Op. on Emerging Drugs, Curr. Op. in Peds, Genetics in Medicine, Human Mol. Genetics
2013-present, HLH multi-disciplinary committee
- 2014-present, Section Leader
2012-present, Oncology Tumor Board and Journal Club Weekly, coordinator
2012-present, CCCR Biobank Scientific Review Committee, reviewer
2011-present, Colyton Selection Committee
2011-present, Leukemia and Lymphoma Committee
2010-present, IRB, Executive Committee
2010-present, Hematology and Oncology Fellowship Committee
2008-present, Pediatric Protocol Review Committee
2008-present, IRB, reviewer
2005-present, Blood and Marrow Transplant Steering Committee
2015-present, Leukemia-Lymphoma Society grant reviewer
2013-present, St. Baldrick's Foundation grant reviewer
2013-present, NIH. DT (Developmental Therapeutics) Study Section, ad hoc reviewer
2005-present, Children's Oncology Group
- 2015-present, Vice Chair (Biology) ALL Disease Committee
- 2012-present, ALL Disease Committee
- 2012-present, AALL1231 Study Chair
- 2011-present, ADVL0921 Vice Chair
- 2011-present, AALL1131 Study Committee
- 2011-present, ADVL1114 Vice Chair
- 2010-present, T-ALL Task Force; Section Leader on New Agents
- 2010-present, HSCT Discipline Steering Committee
- 2009-present, ADVL0919 Vice Chair
- 2009-present, ALL-DVL/Relapse Committee
- 2008-present, ADVL0812 Study Committee
- 2005-present, ASCT0431 Study Committee
2003-present, American Society of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
2003-present, American Society of Hematology
2003-present, American Society of Clinical Oncology