Methods to Enhance the Safety and Effectiveness of Stem Cell Transplants

Summary

Bone marrow stem cell transplants (otherwise called bone marrow transplants) from healthy donors are sometimes the only means of curing hematological malignant diseases such as acute and chronic leukemias, myelodysplastic syndrome, myeloproliferative diseases and lymphomas. Before transplant the patient receives chemotherapy and radiation treatment to reduce the malignancy to low levels and to prevent rejection of the transplant. The transplant restores the blood counts to normal and replaces the patients immunity with that of the donor. The donors immune cells increase the effect of the transplant by attacking remaining malignant cells. Donor immune cells (especially those called T lymphocytes) also attack healthy non-cancerous cells and tissues of the recipient causing "graft-versus-host-disease" (GVHD). Strong GVHD reactions occurring within weeks after the transplant can be life-threatening . In this study we remove most of the T lymphocytes from the transplant to minimize the risk of GVHD. However to improve immunity against residual malignant cells and boost immunity to infections, donor T cells (stored frozen at time of transplant) are given back around 90 days after the transplant when they have a reduced risk of causing serious GVHD. Any patient between 10 and 75 years of age with acute or chronic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, myeloproliferative syndromes or lymphoma, who have a family member who is a suitable stem cell donor may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history and various tests and examinations.

Timeline

Start

2006-09

Primary completion

2014-04

Completion

2014-04

Publications

• Background Appelbaum FR. Haematopoietic cell transplantation as immunotherapy. Nature. 2001 May 17;411(6835):385-9. doi: 10.1038/35077251.
• Background Armitage JO. Bone marrow transplantation. N Engl J Med. 1994 Mar 24;330(12):827-38. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199403243301206. No abstract available.
• Background Balaguer H, Galmes A, Ventayol G, Bargay J, Besalduch J. Splenic rupture after granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor mobilization in a peripheral blood progenitor cell donor. Transfusion. 2004 Aug;44(8):1260-1. doi: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2004.00413.x. No abstract available.
• Giudice V, Banaszak LG, Gutierrez-Rodrigues F, Kajigaya S, Panjwani R, Ibanez MDPF, Rios O, Bleck CK, Stempinski ES, Raffo DQ, Townsley DM, Young NS. Circulating exosomal microRNAs in acquired aplastic anemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. Haematologica. 2018 Jul;103(7):1150-1159. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2017.182824. Epub 2018 Apr 19.
• McIver ZA, Yin F, Hughes T, Battiwalla M, Ito S, Koklanaris E, Haggerty J, Hensel NF, Barrett AJ. Second hematopoietic SCT for leukemia relapsing after myeloablative T cell-depleted transplants does not prolong survival. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2013 Sep;48(9):1192-7. doi: 10.1038/bmt.2013.39. Epub 2013 Mar 25.
• McIver Z, Melenhorst JJ, Wu C, Grim A, Ito S, Cho I, Hensel N, Battiwalla M, Barrett AJ. Donor lymphocyte count and thymic activity predict lymphocyte recovery and outcomes after matched-sibling hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Haematologica. 2013 Mar;98(3):346-52. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2012.072991. Epub 2012 Oct 12.
• Melenhorst JJ, Tian X, Xu D, Sandler NG, Scheinberg P, Biancotto A, Scheinberg P, McCoy JP Jr, Hensel NF, McIver Z, Douek DC, Barrett AJ. Cytopenia and leukocyte recovery shape cytokine fluctuations after myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Haematologica. 2012 Jun;97(6):867-73. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2011.053363. Epub 2011 Dec 1.

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