Maro Ohanian, DO
Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine
About Dr. Ohanian
As Assistant Professor Clinical Faculty in the Department of Leukemia at MD Anderson Cancer Center, she is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, Hematology and Integrative Medicine. Her focus is clinical care and research of patients with acute and chronic leukemia. She is studying toxic and essential metals in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other hematologic malignancies. She is the PI of an ongoing study (PA15-0302) to analyze results of toxic and essential metals and copper isotopic abundances in leukemia patients and controls in cohorts at MD Anderson and at Hospices Civils de Lyon (Hopital Sud in Lyon France). She has strong collaborations with world-leaders in leukemia, hematopathology, metal toxicology, geochemistry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and isotopic abundance analysis. To solidify her understanding of metal toxicology, she has collaborated with expert-toxicologist Dr. Arch Carson of the School of Public Health and Dr. Francis Albarede, Dr. Philippe Telouk of The Geochemistry Lab at École Normal Supérieure de Lyon, France, and Dr. Cin Ty Lee of Earth Sciences at Rice University. She is initiating a clinical trial of metal monitoring and metal detoxification during AML therapy (AML).
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2006 | University of North Texas Health Science Center, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Worth, TX, USA, DO, Osteopathic Medicine |
| 2002 | University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA, BA, Honors |
Postgraduate Training
| 2012-2013 | Clinical Fellowship, Hematology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX |
| 2009-2011 | Clinical Fellowship, Medical Oncology, Texas A & M University Health Science Center, Scott and White Memorial Hospital, Temple, TX |
| 2006-2009 | Clinical Residency, Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch - Brackenridge Hospital, Austin, TX |
Board Certifications
| 2013 | American Board of Internal Medicine, Hematology |
| 2011 | American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology |
| 2009 | American Board of Internal Medicine |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Ohanian M, Tari Ashizawa A, Garcia-Manero G, Pemmaraju N, Kadia T, Jabbour E, Ravandi F, Borthakur G, Andreeff M, Konopleva M, Lim M, Pierce S, O'Brien S, Alvarado Y, Verstovsek S, Wierda W, Kantarjian H, Cortes J. Liposomal Grb2 antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (BP1001) in patients with refractory or relapsed haematological malignancies: a single-centre, open-label, dose-escalation, phase 1/1b trial. Lancet Haematol 5(4):e136-e146, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29550383.
- Ohanian M, Pemmaraju N, Rozovski U, Alattar ML, Estrov Z, Kundra V, Tung C, Ravandi F, Manning J, Abruzzo LV. Ocular extramedullary myeloid leukaemia. Br J Haematol 180(5):738-740, 2018. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27879987.
- Ragon BK, Daver N, Garcia-Manero G, Ravandi F, Cortes J, Kadia T, Oran B, Ohanian M, Ferrajoli A, Pemmaraju N, Kantarjian HM, Borthakur G. Minimal residual disease eradication with epigenetic therapy in core binding factor acute myeloid leukemia. Am J Hematol 92(9):845-850, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28494506.
- Boddu PC, Kantarjian HM, Ravandi F, Garcia-Manero G, Verstovsek S, Jabbour EJ, Takahashi K, Bhalla K, Konopleva M, DiNardo CD, Ohanian M, Pemmaraju N, Jain N, Pierce S, Wierda WG, Cortes JE, Kadia TM. Characteristics and outcomes of older patients with secondary acute myeloid leukemia according to treatment approach. Cancer 123(16):3050-3060, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28387922.
- Tamamyan G, Kadia T, Ravandi F, Borthakur G, Cortes J, Jabbour E, Daver N, Ohanian M, Kantarjian H, Konopleva M. Frontline treatment of acute myeloid leukemia in adults. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 110:20-34, 2017. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 28109402.
- Pinnix CC, Chi L, Jabbour EJ, Milgrom SA, Smith GL, Daver N, Garg N, Cykowski MD, Fuller G, Cachia D, Kamiya-Matsuoka C, Woodman K, Dinardo C, Jain N, Kadia TM, Pemmaraju N, Ohanian M, Konopleva M, Kantarjian HM, Dabaja BS. Dorsal column myelopathy after intrathecal chemotherapy for leukemia. Am J Hematol 92(2):155-160, 2017. PMID: 27874212.
- Huh YO, Tang G, Talwalkar SS, Khoury JD, Ohanian M, Bueso-Ramos CE, Abruzzo LV. Double minute chromosomes in acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia are associated with micronuclei, MYC or MLL amplification, and complex karyotype. Cancer Genet 209(7-8):313-20, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27318442.
- Ohanian M, Bueso-Ramos C, Ok CY, Lin P, Patel K, Alattar ML, Khoury JD, Rozovski U, Estrov Z, Huh YO, Cortes J, Abruzzo LV. Acute Myeloid Leukemia with MYC Rearrangement and JAK2 V617F Mutation. Cancer Genet 208(11):571-4, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26382622.
- Ohanian M, Rozovski U, Ravandi F, Garcia-Manero G, Jabbour E, Kantarjian HM, Estrov Z. Very high levels of lactate dehydrogenase at diagnosis predict central nervous system relapse in acute promyelocytic leukaemia. Br J Haematol 169(4):595-7, 2015. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25413673.
- Rozovski U, Ohanian M, Ravandi F, Garcia-Manero G, Faderl S, Pierce S, Cortes J, Estrov Z. Incidence of and risk factors for involvement of the central nervous system in acute myeloid leukemia. Leuk Lymphoma 56(5):1-6, 2015. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25110819.
- Ohanian M, Kantarjian H, Guy D, Thomas D, Jabbour E, O'Brien S. Inotuzumab ozogamicin in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Expert Opin Biol Ther 15(4):601-11, 2015. PMID: 25775418.
- Ohanian M, Huang RS, Yakoushina TV, Estrov Z, Juneja H, Chen L, Idowu M, Abruzzo LV. Isolated Mesenteric CD20-positive Myeloid Sarcoma. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk 14(6):e217-20, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25131853.
- Rozovski U, Li P, Harris D, Ohanian M, Kantarjian H, Estrov Z. Interleukin-7 receptor-α gene mutations are not detected in adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer Med 3(3):550-554, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24678068.
- Ohanian M, Kantarjian HM, Quintas-Cardama A, Jabbour E, Abruzzo L, Verstovsek S, Borthakur G, Ravandi F, Garcia-Manero G, Champlin R, Pierce S, Alattar ML, Trinh LX, Luthra R, Ferrajoli A, Kadia T, O'Brien S, Cortes JE. Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors as Initial Therapy for Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Accelerated Phase. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk 14(2):155-162.e1, 2014. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 24332214.
- Ohanian M, Idowu M, Castillo B, Liu H, Nedelcu E. Diagnosis with Hemoglobin SC Disease at Age 52 After Acute Stroke and Cardiac Arrest. J Hematol 2(1), 2014.
- Ikoma N, Anderson CL, Ohanian M, Juneja HS, MacFadyen BV, Shah SK, Bajwa KS. Portal vein thrombosis after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. JSLS 18(1):125-7, 2014. PMID: 24680155.
- Ohanian M, Faderl S, Ravandi F, Pemmaraju N, Garcia-Manero G, Cortes J, Estrov Z. Is acute myeloid leukemia a liquid tumor?. Int J Cancer 133(3):534-43, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23280377.
- Ghanem H, Kantarjian H, Ohanian M, Jabbour E. The role of clofarabine in acute myeloid leukemia. Leuk Lymphoma 54(4):688-98, 2013. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22957815.
- Ohanian M, Borthakur G, Quintas-Cardama A, Mathisen M, Cortés JE, Estrov Z, Pemmaraju N. Ocular granulocytic sarcoma: a case report and literature review of ocular extramedullary acute myeloid leukemia. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk 13(1):93-6, 2013. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 23017332.
- Ohanian M, Leventaki V, Verstovsek S, Estrov Z, Lin P, Yin C, Kantarjian H, Huh Y, Ravandi F. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia arising in post-polycythemic myelofibrosis: a rare entity. Leuk Lymphoma 53(9):1839-41, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22303899.
- Ohanian M, Cortes J, Kantarjian H, Jabbour E. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors in acute and chronic leukemias. Expert Opin Pharmacother 13(7):927-38, 2012. PMID: 22519766.
- Tanaka MF, Kantarjian H, Cortes J, Ohanian M, Jabbour E. Treatment options for chronic myeloid leukemia. Expert Opin Pharmacother 13(6):815-28, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22429140.
- Ohanian M, Alaly J, Samuel S, Cable C, Halka K. Leptomeningeal myelomatosis in previously treated high-risk kappa light chain multiple myeloma. Blood and Lymphatic Cancer: Targets and Therapy 1(1):9-18, 2011.
- Ohanian M, Cable C, Halka K. Reduced dose maintenance eculizumab in atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS): an update on a previous case report. Clin Pharmacol 3:45-50, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 22287856.
- Ohanian M, Cable C, Halka K. Eculizumab safely reverses neurologic impairment and eliminates need for dialysis in severe atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. Clin Pharmacol 3:5-12, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 22287852.
- Bennett DD, Ohanian M, Cable CT. Rituximab in severe skin diseases: target, disease, and dose. Clin Pharmacol 2:135-41, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 22291497.
Abstracts
- Ohanian M, Rozovski U, Kantarjian et al.. MYC Expression Is Prognostic in Therapy Related Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and AML with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)-Related Changes. Blood 124(21), 2014.
- Ohanian M, Kantarjian H, Rozovski U, Loghavi S, Huh Y, Abruzzo L, Garcia-Manero G, Ravandi F, Borthakur G, Stingo F, Hu P, Nguyen M, Fox P, Medeiros L, Estrov Z, Bueso-Ramos C, Cortes J.. Clinical Significance of MYC Expression in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. J Clin Oncology 32(5s), 2014.
- Ohanian M, Levis M, Faderl S, Garcia-Manero G, Jabbour E, Daver N, Dellasala S, Pierce S, Burger J, Cortes J, Kantarjian M, Ravandi F. Final Report Of Phase II Study Of Sorafenib and 5-Azacytidine In Patients With Relapsed Or Untreated Acute Myeloid Leukemia and FLT3-ITD mutation. Blood 122(21), 2013.
- Ohanian M, Kantarjian H, Ravandi F. Pharmacokinetics, and Efficacy Of BP-100-1.01 (Liposomal Grb - 2 Antisense Oligonucleotide) In patients with refractory or relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), Philadelphia Chromosome Positive Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML), Acute lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), and Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). Blood 122(21), 2013.
- Ohanian M , Kantarjian H. Quintas-Cardama. The Clinical Impact of Time to Response in De Novo Accelerated Phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML-AP), Abstract 72, Presented at American Society of Hematology 2012, December 9,2012. J Clin Oncology, 2012.
- Ohanian M, Kantarjian H, Quintas-Cardama. Clinical impact of dose intensity of initial tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy in accelerated-phase CML (CML-AP),Abstract 72, Presented at American Society of Hematology 2012, December 9,2012.
- Ohanian M, Kantarjian H, Quintas-Cardama. Frontline Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKI) as Initial Therapy for Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Accelerated Phase (CML-AP),Abstract 3779, ASH meeting 2011, presented December 12, 2011.
- Samuel S, Ohanian M. Intramural relapse in Kappa Light Chain Myeloma.
- Ohanian M, Gasic S. Malignant Rigidity (A case of anti-amphyphysin antibody associated Stiff Person Syndrome). 16th Annual Southwest Texas ACP Associates’ Competition, Clinical Vignette Poster Competition Abstracts, 2009, page16.
- Ohanian M , Walters ET. Long term and short term effects of heat stress in the Aplysia: A behavioral and electrophysiological study, 2001 Summer Research Student Abstracts, page 28. Summer research fellowship at UT Houston Health Science Center, Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology;(support by NIH, NS35882).
- Ohanian M, Alattar ML, Estrov Z, Quintas-Cardama A, Manning JT. Myeloid Sarcoma of the Orbit and Ocular Adnexae. ASH Abstract 1463, Presented December 8, 2012.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | Louisiana Metals and Isotopes in Acute Myeloid Leukemia |
| Funding Source: | Ladies Leukemia League |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Detoxifying the Bone Marrow Microenvironment of Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Texas |
| Funding Source: | Leukemia Texas |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Metal Detoxification to Prevent Acute Myeloid Leukemia |
| Funding Source: | Duncan Family Institute for Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Toxic Metals in Leukemia and Hematologic Malignancies |
| Funding Source: | Gillson Longenbaugh Foundation |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | The Metallomics and Genomics of Acute Leukemia |
| Funding Source: | Sister Institution Network Fund (SINF) |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | PA15-0302. Toxic and Essential Metals and Isotopic Abundance Analysis in Leukemia and Hematologic Malignancies |
| Funding Source: | UT MDACC Donor Funds (VD 114199) |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | A Phase IIa Single-arm, Open-label, Two-stage Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Efficacy of BP1001 (a Liposomal Grb2 Antisense Oligonucleotide) in Combination with Low-dose Cytarabine (LDAC) in Patients with Previously Untreated Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Who Are Ineligible for Intensive Induction Therapy |
| Funding Source: | Bio-Path, Inc |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | A Phase I Dose Escalation with Two Disease Specific Expansions, Multicenter, Open-label, Safety, Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Study of LOR-253 in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Hematologic Malignancies |
| Funding Source: | Lorus Therapeutics, Inc |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Toxic Metals and Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Louisiana |
| Funding Source: | Leukemia Ladies League |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Clinical Innovator Award "Extramedullary myeloid leukemia (EML) in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia" |
| Funding Source: | UT MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | A Phase Ib/IIa Single-arm, Open-label Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Efficacy of BP1001 (a Liposomal Grb2 Antisense Oligonucleotide) in Combination with Dasatinib (Das) in Patients with Philadelphia Chromosome Positive (Ph+) Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) in Accelerated or Blast Phase |
| Funding Source: | Bio-Path Holdings, Inc |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Cardioprotection with Dexrazoxane in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), High-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), Myeloid Blast Phase of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), Ph+ AML, and Myeloid Blast Phase of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms |
| Funding Source: | Donor Funds |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |