Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Program Research Articles

Allogeneic blood stem cell transplantation after a reduced‐intensity, preparative regimen

BACKGROUND The immune-mediated graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effect plays a therapeutic role in the treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies who undergo allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). More recently, it was reported that a GVT effect also occurred in patients who underwent transplantation for metastatic renal carcinoma. The authors carried out a pilot trial of allogeneic transplantation after a reduced-intensity, preparative regimen in patients with refractory malignancies, including solid tumors. The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the feasibility of this approach in terms of toxicity and engraftment and to document evidence of GVT effects. METHODS Seventeen patients with Stage IV malignancies (7 patients with renal cell carcinoma, 3 patients with sarcoma, 2 patients with breast carcinoma, 2 patients with Hodgkin disease, 1 patient with ovarian carcinoma, 1 patient with melanoma, and 1 patient with both melanoma and renal cell carcinoma) that were not amenable to further conventional treatment were enrolled. The median patient age was 43 years (range, 10–60 years). The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (PS) was 0–1 in 11 patients and 2–3 in 6 patients. Preparative treatment consisted of reduced-intensity chemotherapy with fludarabine (30 mg/m2 per day for 4 consecutive days) and cyclophosphamide (30 mg/Kg per day for 2 consecutive days) prior to allogeneic HSCT from a human leukocyte antigen-identical sibling. The median number of CD34+ cells infused was 6.06 × 106/kg (range, 1.5–14.0 × 106/kg). Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis consisted of cyclosporin-A and short-term methotrexate. RESULTS Patients who had a PS of 2–3 prior to undergoing HSCT experienced Grade 4 hematologic toxicities and Grade ≥ 3 organ toxicities and died of either treatment-related complications or disease progression within 100 days from transplantation. By contrast, 10 of 11 patients who had a PS of 0–1 prior to undergoing HSCT experienced only short-lasting, Grade ≤ 3 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia and no organ toxicity; 1 of 10 patients died of graft failure on Day +29 after undergoing HSCT. By Day +90, 100% donor chimerism was documented in all patients with a past history of heavy chemotherapy, whereas mixed donor chimerism was observed in the 4 patients with a past history of only 1 line of chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy prior to entering the HSCT program. Grade 2–3 acute GVHD occurred in 5 patients. Among patients with a follow-up > 100 days, 2 complete responses and 3 transitory partial responses were recorded. CONCLUSIONS With this conditioning regimen, full donor chimerism was achieved rapidly only in patients who had received previous intensive chemotherapy. In a proportion of patients with refractory malignancies, allogeneic transplantation resulted in tumor regression. This novel therapeutic strategy may provide little benefit in patients with poor PS and rapidly progressing disease. Cancer 2002;94:2409–15. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10491

Allogeneic blood stem cell transplantation after a reduced-intensity, preparative regimen: a pilot study in patients with refractory malignancies.

The immune-mediated graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effect plays a therapeutic role in the treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies who undergo allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). More recently, it was reported that a GVT effect also occurred in patients who underwent transplantation for metastatic renal carcinoma. The authors carried out a pilot trial of allogeneic transplantation after a reduced-intensity, preparative regimen in patients with refractory malignancies, including solid tumors. The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the feasibility of this approach in terms of toxicity and engraftment and to document evidence of GVT effects. Seventeen patients with Stage IV malignancies (7 patients with renal cell carcinoma, 3 patients with sarcoma, 2 patients with breast carcinoma, 2 patients with Hodgkin disease, 1 patient with ovarian carcinoma, 1 patient with melanoma, and 1 patient with both melanoma and renal cell carcinoma) that were not amenable to further conventional treatment were enrolled. The median patient age was 43 years (range, 10-60 years). The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (PS) was 0-1 in 11 patients and 2-3 in 6 patients. Preparative treatment consisted of reduced-intensity chemotherapy with fludarabine (30 mg/m(2) per day for 4 consecutive days) and cyclophosphamide (30 mg/Kg per day for 2 consecutive days) prior to allogeneic HSCT from a human leukocyte antigen-identical sibling. The median number of CD34+ cells infused was 6.06 x 10(6)/kg (range, 1.5-14.0 x 10(6)/kg). Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis consisted of cyclosporin-A and short-term methotrexate. Patients who had a PS of 2-3 prior to undergoing HSCT experienced Grade 4 hematologic toxicities and Grade > or = 3 organ toxicities and died of either treatment-related complications or disease progression within 100 days from transplantation. By contrast, 10 of 11 patients who had a PS of 0-1 prior to undergoing HSCT experienced only short-lasting, Grade < or = 3 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia and no organ toxicity; 1 of 10 patients died of graft failure on Day +29 after undergoing HSCT. By Day +90, 100% donor chimerism was documented in all patients with a past history of heavy chemotherapy, whereas mixed donor chimerism was observed in the 4 patients with a past history of only 1 line of chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy prior to entering the HSCT program. Grade 2-3 acute GVHD occurred in 5 patients. Among patients with a follow-up > 100 days, 2 complete responses and 3 transitory partial responses were recorded. With this conditioning regimen, full donor chimerism was achieved rapidly only in patients who had received previous intensive chemotherapy. In a proportion of patients with refractory malignancies, allogeneic transplantation resulted in tumor regression. This novel therapeutic strategy may provide little benefit in patients with poor PS and rapidly progressing disease.

Stem cell transplantation in multiple sclerosis: multiple choices and multiple challenges.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is generally considered as an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. This concept has led to the idea that profound immunosuppression followed by transplantation of stem cell grafts would stop, or at least slow down, disease activity. Supported by the positive effects of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and by anecdotal reports on the beneficial effect of HSCT on MS patients with concomitant malignant disease, HSCT programs for MS have been initiated worldwide. At this stage, it is impossible to draw general conclusions from the preliminary data reported and therefore overenthusiastic expectations should be tempered. The follow-up periods are too short the groups are too small, the selected patients and protocols too heterogeneous, and publication bias on positive results cannot be excluded. However, there is ample evidence that HSCT is a technically feasible approach in MS, not more dangerous than in the hemato-oncological diseases. For every step in the HSCT procedure, there are many different options. The time has come for a systematic analysis of the safety and efficacy associated with the different methodologies.

Alternative Strategies in Platelet Therapy

SUMMARYRecent developments in transfusion practices are prompting re‐evaluation of platelet therapy. For example, the use of single‐donor apheresis products has increased substantially, from 365,000 units in 1989 to 607,000 in 1992 and to 714,000 in 1994, as shown in Table 11; in some regions, apheresis platelets account for 70% of transfusions 2.The use of these components has been driven in part by the need for adequate platelet inventory in order to support cardiac surgery and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation programs, but also in part by commercial interests, in which promotion of the use of leucodepleted platelet products targets surgeons directly3.However, emerging issues related to the handling of the apheresis donor4, 5, the higher costs of apheresis platelets compared to pooled platelet concentrates6 8, and the results of the TRAP (Transfusion‐Related Alloimmunization to Platelets9,10) study have caused renewed debate regarding the role of apheresis platelets compared to platelet concentrates.Furthermore, recent studies have suggested alternative strategies in platelet therapy. These strategies include the platelet threshold for prophylactic platelet transfusion, platelet transfusion dose, and the emerging role of thrombopoietin therapy; these developments will be reviewed in this article.