Savina, a 14-year-old girl from Russia, has been fighting acute B lymphoblastic leukemia for nearly 8 years. She has undergone multiple courses of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, targeted drugs, antibody drugs, and even two rounds of dual-target CD19/CD22 CAR-T therapy. However, each remission was short-lived, and the disease returned again and again.

In the spring of 2025, Savina experienced a full relapse, accompanied by severe extramedullary lesions and infections. Many believed she had entered the terminal stage, with no chance of recovery.

A Difficult Course and a Hard Choice

Before arriving at Beijing GoBroad Boren Hospital, Savina had been through prolonged ICU care and anti-infection supportive treatment, exhausting almost all available medical options. Her organ function, blood counts, and infection control were at their limits.

After multiple online consultations with doctors at Boren Hospital, the team concluded that another attempt at CAR-T cell therapy could be considered. However, due to her fragile physical condition, impaired organ function, and ongoing infections, the treatment carried high risks. Her parents, unwilling to give up, decided to bring her to Boren Hospital for treatment. Their persistence deeply moved everyone and became the turning point in her medical journey.

Challenges and Strategies — The Art of Precision and Balance

Upon admission, Savina presented with a heavy tumor burden in both bone marrow and extramedullary sites, as well as an unhealed, infected wound on her leg. The medical team developed a “dual-track” approach:

• Track 1: Provide strong anti-infection therapy and nutritional support to stabilize her overall condition.
• Track 2: Administer blood-count-friendly chemotherapy combined with targeted therapy that could penetrate extramedullary lesions, aiming to control disease progression and gradually reduce tumor load.

During this process, the medical team carried out what could be described as the most comprehensive molecular and cytogenetic testing available internationally. Results revealed that her leukemia cells harbored multiple uncommon fusion genes and a TP53 deletion — crucial findings for guiding precise medication choices and evaluating treatment efficacy.

CAR-T Breakthrough and Seamless Transition to Transplant

When the timing was right, the team administered high-quality donor-derived CD19 CAR-T cell infusion. One month later, assessments showed deep remission in her bone marrow, cerebrospinal fluid, and extramedullary lesions, with fusion genes turning negative — paving the way for bridging to transplantation.

GoBroad’s success in achieving CAR-T therapy under such critical conditions was due to several key advantages:

• A mature and stable CAR-T cell preparation and quality control system, ensuring high-activity, high-potency infused cells.
• A clinical team with extensive experience in treating complex cases, able to precisely time treatment by balancing infection control, tumor reduction, and overall condition improvement.
• Tight multidisciplinary collaboration, with CAR-T and transplantation teams engaging early to enable seamless post-remission bridging to transplant.
• Rigorous monitoring and timely complication management before, during, and after CAR-T therapy, ensuring both efficacy and safety.
• Integrated diagnostics and treatment from the clinical and laboratory teams, providing sensitive and specific monitoring indicators for disease status and offering targeted maintenance therapy options for follow-up care. Genetic susceptibility analysis also optimized donor selection.

These factors together formed a solid foundation for successful CAR-T treatment and subsequent therapy.

More Than Medicine — A Human Touch

As a foreign patient, Savina faced language and cultural barriers that could cause anxiety. The care team went beyond medical treatment, attending to her and her family’s daily needs: arranging interpreters for key communications, providing dietary suggestions aligned with her eating habits, and using pain-free techniques during wound care and punctures to minimize trauma.

Such meticulous care gradually built a deep trust between the family and the medical team.

Continuing Hope

Savina has now smoothly entered the transplantation preparation stage. Her parents have expressed that even if long-term maintenance therapy is needed in the future, they are willing to stay here — not only because of the advanced medical technology, but also because of a team that truly treats patients like family.

We wish Savina the very best in the next stage of her treatment, hoping she will recover soon and embrace the youth and smile that belong to her.