Early in his career, he developed the drug 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine, that is highly effective in the treatment of hairy cell leukemia, and other cancers of lymphocytes. Subsequently, he and his colleagues also isolated a defective gene that is involved in about one third of all cancers. In collaborative studies with Eyal Raz, M.D., professor of medicine, Carson determined that microinjection of synthetic DNA, containing particular immunostimulatory sequences, suppresses allergic responses for prolonged periods, without further therapy. These agents are in clinical trials for the treatment of asthma and other allergic diseases.