Use Of Post-transplant Cyclophosphamide Research Articles

Bone marrow versus peripheral blood allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for haematological malignancies in adults.

Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is an established treatment option for many malignant and non-malignant haematological disorders. Peripheral blood stem cells represent the main stem cell source in malignant diseases due to faster engraftment and practicability issues compared with bone marrow stem cells. Since the early 2000s, there have been many developments in the clinical field. Allo-HSCT using haploidentical family donors (haplo-HSCT) has emerged as an alternative for people who do not have human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched siblings or unrelated donors. In addition, the introduction of new methods and strategies in allo-HSCT, such as the use of post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PT-Cy), better donor selection, the more frequent administration of anti-thymocyte globulins (ATGs), but also improved management of side effects such as graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and infection, have impacted outcomes after allo-HSCT. In addition, as transplant indications and strategies continue to adapt in line with novel research findings, the effect of the stem cell source on post-transplant outcomes is unclear. For our analysis, we considered peripheral blood stem cells as the standard graft source for adults with haematological malignancies. This is an update of a review first published in 2014. To assess the effect of bone marrow transplantation versus peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in adults with haematological malignancies with regard to overall survival, disease-free survival, incidence of non-relapse or transplant-related mortality, incidence of extensive chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), incidence of acute GvHD grades III to IV, incidence of overall chronic GvHD, and quality of life. For this update we searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and two trials registries on 2 November 2022 with no language restrictions. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing bone marrow transplantation (BMT) with peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) in adults (aged ≥ 18 years) with haematological malignancies. Two review authors independently selected studies and extracted data. We evaluated risk of bias using the original Cochrane risk of bias tool (RoB 1), and we evaluated the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach. The updated search identified no new studies for inclusion. We found two additional reports relating to a previously included study; they provided new data on quality of life and infection rates after transplantation. As these are clinically relevant outcomes, quality of life was added to the summary of findings table (replacing acute GvHD II to IV), and rate of infection was added to our list of secondary outcomes. We included nine RCTs with a total of 1521 participants. Overall, the risk of bias in the included studies was low. Median participant age across studies ranged from 21 to 45 years, and studies took place in Canada, the USA, New Zealand, Brazil, Australia, Egypt, and across Europe. Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) compared with peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) likely results in little to no difference in overall survival (hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause death 1.07, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.25; 6 studies, 1330 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). There may be little to no difference between BMT and PBSCT in terms of disease-free survival (HR for disease recurrence or all-cause death 1.04, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.21; 6 studies, 1225 participants; low-certainty evidence) and non-relapse or transplant-related mortality (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.28; 3 studies, 758 participants; low-certainty evidence). BMT compared with PBSCT likely results in lower rates of extensive chronic GvHD (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.90; 4 studies, 765 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and overall chronic GvHD (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.85; 4 studies, 1121 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). BMT compared with PBSCT may reduce the incidence of acute GvHD grades III to IV, although the 95% CI of the HR is also compatible with no effect (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.55 to 1.02; 3 studies, 925 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). Evidence from two trials that used different quality of life assessment instruments suggests that BMT compared with PBSCT may be associated with higher quality of life five years after transplantation. Moderate-certainty evidence suggests little to no difference in overall survival following allo-HSCT using bone marrow versus peripheral blood stem cells (the current clinical standard stem cell source). Low-certainty evidence suggests little to no difference between the stem cell sources in terms of disease-free survival and non-relapse or transplant-related survival. BMT likely reduces the risk of extensive chronic GvHD and overall chronic GvHD compared with PBSCT. Evidence from two RCTs suggests that BMT compared with PBSCT may result in higher long-term quality of life, possibly due to the lower chronic GvHD incidence. With this update, we aimed to supply the most recent data on the choice of stem cell source for allo-HSCT in adults by including new evidence published up to November 2022. We identified no new ongoing studies and no new RCTs with published results. Further research in this field is warranted.

Graft Versus Host Disease Prophylaxis in Matched Donor Stem Cell Transplantation: Post-transplantation Cyclophosphamide Combinations Versus Methotrexate/Tacrolimus

BackgroundThe use of post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) is highly effective in preventing graft versus host disease (GVHD) for haploidentical allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). There is limited data on the role of PTCy as GVHD prophylaxis in matched-sibling and fully matched-unrelated donor (MSD/MUD) allo-HSCT. MethodsOur single-center retrospective study aims to compare outcomes of PTCy alone or in combination with mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus (PTCy/MMF/TAC) relative to methotrexate and tacrolimus (MTX/TAC). The primary endpoint of our study was GVHD-free, relapse free survival (GRFS). Secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), disease free survival (DFS), and incidence of severe acute and chronic GVHD. We identified 74 adult patients who underwent MSD/MUD allo-HSCT at our institution from 2015 to 2023. ResultsWithin our cohort, 33.8% (n = 25) received MTX/TAC, while 54.0% (n = 40) received PTCy/MMF/TAC, and 12.2% (n = 9) received PTCy alone. Patients receiving PTCY had the longest time to neutrophil engraftment relative to MTX/TAC (15 days vs. 12 days, P = .010). PTCy/MMF/TAC was associated with improved GRFS relative to MTX/TAC (hazard ratio [HR] = HR 0.42, 95% CI 0.19-0.93, P = .031), which persisted when controlling for age. Incidence of chronic GVHD was lower in the PTCy/MMF/TAC group compared to MTX/TAC (1-year 9.0% vs. 30.1%, HR 0.19, 95% CI 0.06-0.59, P = .005). However, OS and DFS were comparable across all groups. ConclusionsOur results demonstrate decreased rates of severe chronic GVHD resulting in improved GRFS when using PTCy/TAC/MTX as GVHD prophylaxis compared to MTX/TAC in MSD/MUD.

Human Leukocyte Antigen Mismatching and Survival in Contemporary Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Hematologic Malignancies.

PURPOSEHuman leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatching can reduce survival of patients with blood cancer after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). How recent advances in HCT practice, in particular graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis by post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy), influence HLA risk associations is unknown.PATIENTS AND METHODSThe study included 17,292 unrelated HCTs with 6-locus high-resolution HLA typing, performed mainly for acute leukemia or related myeloid neoplasms between 2016 and 2020, including 1,523 transplants with PTCy. HLA risk associations were evaluated by multivariable Cox regression models, with overall survival (OS) as primary end point.RESULTSOS was lower in HLA mismatched compared with fully matched transplants (hazard ratio [HR], 1.23 [99% CI, 1.14 to 1.33]; P < .001). This was driven by class I HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C (HR, 1.29 [99% CI, 1.19 to 1.41]; P < .001) but not class II HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 (HR, 1.07 [99% CI, 0.93 to 1.23]; P = .19). Class I antigen-level mismatches were associated with worse OS than allele-level mismatches (HR, 1.36 [99% CI, 1.24 to 1.49]; P < .001), as were class I graft-versus-host peptide-binding motif (PBM) mismatches compared with matches (HR, 1.42 [99% CI, 1.28 to 1.59]; P < .001). The use of PTCy improved GVHD, relapse-free survival compared with conventional prophylaxis in HLA-matched transplants (HR, 0.77 [0.66 to 0.9]; P < .001). HLA mismatching increased mortality in PTCy transplants (HR, 1.32 [1.04 to 1.68]; P = .003) similarly as in non-PTCy transplants (interaction P = .43).CONCLUSIONClass I but not class II HLA mismatches, especially at the antigen and PBM level, are associated with inferior survival in contemporary unrelated HCT. These effects are not significantly different between non-PTCy compared with PTCy transplants. Optimized HLA matching should still be considered in modern HCT.

Unrelated donor transplantation with posttransplant cyclophosphamide vs ATG for myelodysplastic neoplasms

AbstractIt has been reported in prospective randomized trials that antithymocyte globulin (ATG)–based graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis has benefits in the setting of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) with unrelated donors (UDs). However, the optimal GVHD prophylaxis strategy has been challenged recently by the increasing use of posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCY). We report from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation registry the outcomes of 960 patients with myelodysplastic neoplasms who underwent allo-HSCT from UD with PTCY or ATG as GVHD prophylaxis. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The disease characteristics were similar in both groups. Day 28 neutrophil engraftment was significantly better with ATG (93% vs 85%). Over a median follow-up of 4.4 years, the 5-year OS was 58% with PTCY, and 49% in the ATG group. The 5-year PFS was higher for PTCY at 53% vs 44% for ATG. Grade 2 to 4 acute GVHD incidence was lower when PTCY was used (23%), whereas there was no difference in the incidence of chronic GVHD at 5 years. Multivariable analyses confirmed better OS and PFS with PTCY with a hazard ratio (HR) for ATG of 1.32 (1-1.74) and a better PFS for PTCY with a HR for ATG of 1.33. This study suggests that GVHD prophylaxis using PTCY instead of ATG in this setting remains a valid option. Further prospective randomized studies would be essential to confirm these results.

Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide-Based Graft-Versus-Host Disease Prophylaxis Attenuates Disparity in Outcomes Between Use of Matched or Mismatched Unrelated Donors.

PURPOSEAccess to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) remains limited among persons of non-European ancestry if human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching is required. We evaluated whether post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy)-based graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis improved HCT outcomes with HLA-matched unrelated donor (MUD) and mismatched unrelated donor (MMUD) HCT when compared with calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-based prophylaxis.METHODSThree-year overall survival (OS) and GVHD-free, relapse-free survival (GRFS) were compared between adult recipients undergoing initial MUD or single HLA locus MMUD HCT with either PTCy- or CNI-based prophylaxis who were reported to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research between 2017 and 2021.RESULTSIncluded were 10,025 HCT recipients (7,272 recipients of MUD with CNI, 1,681 MUD with PTCy, 613 MMUD with CNI, and 459 MMUD with PTCy) who underwent HCT for acute leukemia (70.9%) or myelodysplastic syndromes (29.2%). Median patient age was 60.7 years (range, 18.0-82.7) and median follow-up was 36.6 (range, 3.0-77.8) months. When compared with MUD HCT with PTCy, MMUD HCT with PTCy had similar OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.96 [95% CI, 0.823 to 1.11]; P = .60) and GRFS (HR, 0.90 [0.79 to 1.02]; P = .1). When compared with MUD HCT with CNI, OS was improved after MUD HCT with PTCy (HR, 0.88 [0.80 to 0.96]; P = .004) and GRFS was improved with PTCy after either MUD (HR, 0.61 [0.57 to 0.66]; P < .0001) or MMUD (HR, 0.68 [0.60 to 0.76]; P < .0001) HCT. Benefit from PTCy was independent of patient ancestry. Global registry level analysis demonstrated that inclusion of MMUD increased donor availability regardless of recipient ancestry.CONCLUSIONUse of PTCy results in comparable OS and GRFS using either MUD or MMUD HCT, expanding access to HCT for patients from all racial and ethnic ancestry groups.

Early Tapering of Cyclosporine Is Feasible in Haploidentical Stem Cell Transplantation: A Single Center Experience.

Cyclosporine-A (CsA) and post transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) are common agents used for graft versus host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis in Haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation (haplo-HCT). However, the impact of CsA cessation timing in the posttransplant setting on clinical outcomes is uncertain. We aimed to investigate the impact of a novel approach that integrated early CsA cessation with PTCy utilization. This study was a single arm retrospective study carried out at a tertiary referral hospital hematology and bone marrow transplantation center between 2009 and 2022. The patients who received haplo-HCT with ATG, PTCy and CsA as GVHD prophylaxis were included. CsA was planned for cessation starting at day 45 to day 60. Acute and chronic GVHD were evaluated and graded. CsA blood concentrations and its impact on acute and chronic GVHD was evaluated. Thirty-one patients composed of 19 (61.3%) male and 12 (38.7%) female patients with a median age of 31 years (20-58). Busulfan and TBI based conditioning regimens were the most utilized regimens. The majority of donors were first degree relatives. Stem cell origin was peripheral blood for all patients. GVHD prophylaxis consisted of ATG, CsA and PTCy. Acute GVHD was observed in 9 (29%) cases, whereas chronic GVHD was seen in 3 (9.7%) cases, with 2 of them having overlapping GVHD. Age, gender, number of chemotherapy lines, transplant characteristics, infused CD34 cell count, and engraftment durations were similar among patients with and without GVHD. Patients with GVHD had similar 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th week CsA concentrations compared to patients without GVHD (p>0.05). The presence of GVHD was not associated with worse progression free survival and overall survival (p=0.6, p=0.5, respectively). CMV reactivation was more common in the GVHD group. In the current study, we did not find an impact of CsA concentration on GVHD and post-transplant outcomes in Haplo-HCT setting. Therefore, together with the use of PTCy, early CsA cessation can be an option; further studies are needed to understand all aspects of this approach.

Outcomes of older adults undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplant with post-transplant cyclophosphamide.

6559 Background: The two most common disease indications for stem cell transplants (SCTs) are AML and MDS, with average age of diagnoses of 71 and 68, respectively. However, SCTs historically were not offered to older adults because of the associated risks, such as graft-vs-host disease (GVHD). The use of post-transplant cyclophosphamide as an immunosuppressant has been shown to help prevent GVHD. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of GVHD prophylaxis regimens with (post-Cy) and without (non-Cy) cyclophosphamide and to identify characteristics that make patients more likely to be long-term survivors. To our knowledge, studies focusing specifically on patients aged 70+ remain very limited. Methods: This was a retrospective, single-institution study assessing all patients aged 70+ who received an allogeneic SCT between 2009-2023. Our main outcome was GVHD-free, relapse-free survival (GRFS) at endpoints of 1 and 5 years. We also assessed risks of developing clinically significant acute (grade III-IV) and chronic (extensive) GVHD, relapse rate, overall survival (OS), and non-relapse mortality (NRM) at one and five-year endpoints. Results: We evaluated 61 patients aged 70+ (median 75, IQR 5), 23 of whom were female (38%). 42 patients received GVHD prophylaxis with post-Cy and 19 patients received non-Cy regimens (18 ATG-based). Myeloid malignancies were the primary indication for transplant (85%). We stratified patients based on Disease Risk Index, with 64% of patients as intermediate risk and 33% high risk. Unrelated donors contributed 80% of allografts, and 100% of non-Cy patients had a 10/10 HLA-matched donor compared to post-Cy patients having 64% 10/10, 29% haploidentical, and 7% mismatched unrelated donors. Acute GVHD developed in 19% of post-Cy patients, compared to 26% in non-Cy ( p = ns). At one year, the probability of having chronic GVHD was 12% vs 26% in post-Cy vs non-Cy patients ( p = ns). Post-Cy patients had a one-year relapse rate, NRM, and OS of 2%, 52%, and 45%, respectively, whereas non-Cy patients had 5%, 26%, and 68% ( p = ns). Notably, patients treated with both regimens had a similar one-year GRFS (33% post-Cy, 37% non-Cy; p = ns). At five years, OS was 19% vs 32% and GRFS was 14% vs 16% for post-Cy and non-Cy patients, respectively ( p = ns). Conclusions: We observed similar outcomes among patients aged 70+ receiving GVHD prophylaxis with post-Cy compared to non-Cy regimens. Importantly, non-Cy patients had HLA-matched donors, whereas mismatched donors were possible for the post-Cy group. In this way, post-Cy seems to have equalized the outcomes for fully matched and non-matched SCTs by yielding a similar one and five-year GRFS. Patients without a full match would otherwise have a poor outcome. We also found no significant difference in relapse rate, NRM, OS, and five-year GRFS between patients aged 70-74 and ages 75+, showing that numerical age should not be a contraindication to SCT with post-Cy.

The impact of donor human leukocyte antigen-Bw4 allele on natural killer cell reconstitution and transplant-related mortality in haploidentical transplantation

Objective: To investigate the impact of donor human leukocyte antigen (HLA) -Bw4 expression on natural killer (NK) cell reconstitution and transplant outcomes in recipients undergoing haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from maternal or related donors without ex vivo T-cell depletion. Methods: This study prospectively enrolled 32 patients who received T-replete haploidentical HSCT from maternal or collateral donors (cohort 1) to evaluate the facilitating effect of donor HLA-Bw4 expression on NK cell reconstitution. Furthermore, a retrospective analysis was conducted on 278 patients who underwent T-replete haploidentical HSCT from maternal or collateral donors (cohort 2) to analyze the impact of donor HLA-Bw4 expression on HSCT outcomes. Thus, a comparison was made between the effects of donor HLA-Bw4 expression on HSCT outcomes in patients receiving or not receiving post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PT-Cy) conditioning. Results: Donors expressing HLA-Bw4 alleles facilitated NK cell reconstitution and functional recovery, which remained unaffected by PT-Cy. Donors with HLA-Bw4 expression were associated with reduced transplant-related mortality (TRM), particularly mortality related to infections. The use of PT-Cy did not impact the ability of donor HLA-Bw4 to decrease TRM. Conclusion: In haploidentical HSCT from maternal or related donors without ex vivo T-cell depletion, the presence of donor HLA-Bw4 expression promotes rapid NK cell reconstitution and functional recovery and is significantly associated with lower TRM, especially infection-related mortality. These findings underscore the clinical significance of donor HLA-Bw4 expression in patients who underwent HSCT. Hence, the consideration of donor HLA-Bw4 in recipient selection and HSCT strategies holds important clinical implications.

Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide versus Anti-Thymocyte Globulin in Patients with Hematological Malignancies Treated with Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation from Haploidentical and Matched Unrelated Donors: A Real-Life Experience.

Background: Post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCY) is widely used as graft versus host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients, with reported clinical benefits in patients who underwent transplant from a matched unrelated donor (MUD). However, real-life data on clinical efficacy and safety of PTCY in haploidentical and MUD transplantations are still poor. Methods: In our real-life retrospective observational study, we included a total of 40 consecutive adult patients who underwent haploidentical or MUD HSCT for various hematological malignancies and who received PTCY (n = 24) or ATG (n = 16) as GvHD prophylaxis at Hematology Units from hospitals of Salerno and Avellino, Italy, and clinical outcomes were compared. Results: We showed protective effects of PTCY against disease relapse with the relapse rate after transplantation of 16% versus 50% in the ATG arm (p = 0.02). All-cause mortality was lower (36% vs. 75%; p = 0.02) and the 2-year overall survival was slightly superior in patients administered PTCY (61% vs. 42%; p = 0.26). Conclusions: We support the use of PTCY, even in a real-life setting; however, the optimization of this protocol should be further investigated to better balance relapse prevention and GvHD prophylaxis.

The state of the art in the treatment of severe aplastic anemia: immunotherapy and hematopoietic cell transplantation in children and adults.

Acquired aplastic anemia (AA) is an immune-mediated bone marrow (BM) failure where marrow disruption is driven by a cytotoxic T-cell-mediated autoimmune attack against hematopoietic stem cells. The key diagnostic challenge in children, but also in adults, is to exclude the possible underlying congenital condition and myelodysplasia. The choice of treatment options, either allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) or immunosuppressive therapy (IST), depends on the patient's age, comorbidities, and access to a suitable donor and effective therapeutic agents. Since 2022, horse antithymocyte globulin (hATG) has been available again in Europe and is recommended for IST as a more effective option than rabbit ATG. Therefore, an update on immunosuppressive strategies is warranted. Despite an improved response to the new immunosuppression protocols with hATG and eltrombopag, some patients are not cured or remain at risk of aplasia relapse or clonal evolution and require postponed alloHCT. The transplantation field has evolved, becoming safer and more accessible. Upfront alloHCT from unrelated donors is becoming a tempting option. With the use of posttransplant cyclophosphamide, haploidentical HCT offers promising outcomes also in AA. In this paper, we present the state of the art in the management of severe AA for pediatric and adult patients based on the available guidelines and recently published studies.

Successful Desensitization in a Patient with Donor-Specific Antibodies Persisting after Pretransplant Immunosuppression Using Intravenous Immunoglobulin and Plasma Exchange

The use of posttransplant cyclophosphamide has revolutionized the field of haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplant. The impact has been especially enhanced in low- and middle-income countries. Unrelated donor pool in developing nations is often limited due to the lack of large unrelated donor registries. Donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) are preformed immunoglobulin G anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies against HLA antigens that are not shared with the donor. We present successful desensitization in a 13-year-old patient with class III β-thalassemia with very high MFI DSAs with flow crossmatch positivity, persisting after pretransplant immunosuppression.

ATG or post-transplant cyclophosphamide to prevent GVHD in matched unrelated stem cell transplantation?

There is a high risk of GVHD and non-relapse mortality (NRM) after allogeneic stem cell transplantations (alloSCT) from unrelated donors. Prophylaxis with rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) is standard in Europe but post-transplantation Cyclophosphamide (PTCy) is an emerging alternative. We analyzed outcomes of rATG (n = 7725) vs. PTCy (n = 1039) prophylaxis in adult patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing peripheral blood alloSCT from 10/10 antigen-matched unrelated donors (MUD) between January 2018 and June 2021 in the EBMT database. The provided P-values and hazard ratios (HR) are derived from multivariate analysis. Two years after alloSCT, NRM in the PTCy group was 12.1% vs. 16.4% in the rATG group; p = 0.016; HR 0.72. Relapse was less frequent after PTCy vs. rATG (22.8% vs. 26.6%; p = 0.046; HR 0.87). Overall survival after PTCy was higher (73.1% vs. 65.9%; p = 0.001, HR 0.82). Progression free survival was better after PTCy vs. rATG (64.9% vs. 57.2%; p < 0.001, HR 0.83). The incidence of chronic GVHD was lower after PTCy (28.4% vs. rATG 31.4%; p = 0.012; HR 0.77), whereas the incidence and severity of acute GVHD were not significantly different. GVHD-free relapse-free survival was significantly higher in the PTCy arm compared to the rATG arm (2 y incidence: 51% vs. 45%; HR: 0.86 [95% CI 0.75–0.99], p = 0.035). In the absence of evidence from randomized controlled trials, our findings support a preference for the use of PTCy in adult recipients of peripheral blood alloSCTs from MUD.

Post-transplant cyclophosphamide versus anti-thymocyte globulin after reduced intensity peripheral blood allogeneic cell transplantation in recipients of matched sibling or 10/10 HLA matched unrelated donors: final analysis of a randomized, open-label, multicenter, phase 2 trial

The use of post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis is not established after reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from fully matched donors. This was a randomized, open-label, multicenter, phase 2 trial. All patients received a RIC regimen with fludarabine, intravenous busulfan for 2 days (Flu-Bu2), and a peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) graft from a matched related or 10/10 HLA-matched unrelated donor. Patients were randomly assigned to receive anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) 5 mg/kg plus standard GVHD prophylaxis or PTCy 50 mg/kg/d at days +3 and +4 plus standard GVHD prophylaxis. The primary endpoint was the composite endpoint of GVHD- and relapse-free survival (GRFS) at 12 months after HSCT. Eighty-nine patients were randomly assigned to receive either PTCy or control prophylaxis with ATG. At 12 months, disease-free survival was 65.9% in the PTCy group and 67.6% in the ATG group (P = 0.99). Cumulative incidence of relapse, non-relapse mortality, and overall survival were also comparable in the two groups. GRFS at 12 months was 54.5% in the PTCy group versus 43.2% in the ATG group (P = 0.27). The median time to neutrophil and platelet count recovery was significantly longer in the PTCy group compared to the ATG group. Except for day +30, where EORTC QLQ-C30 scores were significantly lower in the PTCy compared to the ATG group, the evolution with time was not different between the two groups. Although the primary objective was not met, PTCy is effective for GVHD prophylaxis in patients receiving Flu-Bu2 conditioning with a PBSC graft from a fully matched donor and was well tolerated in term of adverse events and quality of life. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02876679.

Myeloablative Haploidentical Donor Hematopoietic Transplantation Using Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide and Antithymocyte Globulin

Haploidentical donor (haplo-) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) is now performed on a large scale worldwide. Our patient outcomes did not completely reflect the results published by other groups. We herein present the results of 60 patients with hematologic malignancies treated homogeneously on a modified version of the standard protocol by adding ATG as an additional graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis measure. This was a retrospective analysis of 60 haplo-HSCT recipients using a myeloablative conditioning regimen with antithymocyte globulin and PTCy for GVHD prophylaxis. At 5 years, overall survival was 59.2%, relapse-free survival (RFS) was 48.6%, and chronic GVHD (cGVHD) and relapse-free survival was 40%. The median time to neutrophil and platelet engraftment was 16 days and 28.5 days, respectively. The rates of grade II-IV acute GVHD and extensive cGVHD were 46.7% and 23.3%, respectively. The cumulative incidence of relapse was 30%, nonrelapse mortality was 21.6%, and transplantation-related mortality was 11%. Higher Disease Risk Index and 50% HLA match were associated with lower RFS. Female donor to male recipient and older donor age were associated with an elevated risk of cGVHD. The use of PTCy might not yield the same results in different populations. Many remaining questions need to be addressed in randomized trials, including optimal graft source and donor, date of calcineurin inhibitor initiation, personalized or targeted dose of PTCy, immune reconstitution, and others.

Use of post transplant cyclophosphamide in matched related and unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplant for benign hematological disorders

Use of post transplant cyclophosphamide in matched related and unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplant for benign hematological disorders

New era of GVHD prophylaxis using posttransplant cyclophosphamide

Use of posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) for the prophylaxis of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) has revolutionized the field of HLA-haploidentical stem cell transplantation, which was previously considered high-risk and only feasible in specialized centers. The rapid adoption of PTCy is attributed not only to its superior efficacy in suppressing GVHD but also to its affordability and the lack of need for specialized techniques or equipment to administer it. Recently, PTCy has gained attention for its potential effectiveness in GVHD prophylaxis beyond HLA-haploidentical stem cell transplantation. In a phase III trial (BMT CTN 1703 trial) in patients undergoing allogeneic HLA-matched stem cell transplantation with reduced-intensity conditioning, GVHD-free, relapse-free survival at 1 year was significantly better among those who received PTCy-tacrolimus-mycophenolate mofetil than among those who received tacrolimus-methotrexate. In Japan, a phase II clinical trial that investigated PTCy for GVHD prophylaxis following HLA-matched or 1-2 allele mismatched peripheral blood stem cell transplantation confirmed the efficacy and safety of this approach. Effective suppression of GVHD using PTCy is expected to enhance the safety of allogeneic transplantation, potentially improving transplant outcomes and offering hope for better patient care in the field of transplantation.

Expanding donor options: haploidentical transplant recipients are also highly likely to have a 7/8-matched unrelated donor

AbstractThe use of haploidentical related donor (HRD) hematopoietic cell transplants (HCTs) in the United States grew by more than fourfold in the last decade, driven mainly by use of posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy)-based graft-versus-host-disease prophylaxis. However, not all patients have a suitable HRD available. In this study, we explored the existence of unrelated donors (URDs) on the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) registry at the 8/8- or 7/8-match level for patients receiving HRD HCT in the United States and reporting to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research between 2013 and 2020. The data consist of 9696 HRD HCT recipients. The NMDP search prognosis score and a search simulation were used to estimate counts of URD matches on the registry. NMDP search prognosis varied by patient ancestry, with 27.5% non-Hispanic White having a good score compared with 4.6% of African American HRD HCT recipients. Overall, 34% of recipients had ≥1 8/8-matched URDs and 84% had ≥1 7/8 URDs. Recipients of older HRDs (≥35 years) had a likelihood of between 20%- 65% of having ≥5 existing 7/8-matched URDs who were aged ≤35 years. Donor-selection practices varied among the 10 highest-volume HRD centers: 6 had >20% chance of an existing 8/8-matched URD for their HRD recipients, whereas 4 centers had low likelihood of identifying an 8/8-matched URD. In conclusion, although most US patients undergoing HRD HCT do not have an existing 8/8 URD, the majority have an existing 7/8-matched URD. Studies comparing outcomes in patients receiving either HRD or 7/8-matched URD HCT and PTCy-based graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis may be warranted.

Evaluating the Impact of Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide and Anti-Thymocyte Globulin on CMV Reactivation Following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Systematic Literature Review.

Anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) and post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) are two frequently utilised strategies in graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), currently approved for different recipient-donor settings. In addition, being efficacious in preventing GvHD owing to their T-cell depleting capacity, the employment of these two agents increases the risk of infections, including CMV reactivation, which stands as one of the most common and serious infections following allo-HCT. We performed a systematic literature review of articles published until 1 September 2023, through PubMed, MEDLINE, and Scopus, with the main endpoint being CMV reactivation after PTCy or ATG allo-HCT. The majority of the studies included in the analysis provide supporting evidence for a reduced risk of CMV reactivations following the use of PTCy compared to ATG, although not all findings reached statistical significance. Additionally, it appears that utilising a haploidentical donor leads to a higher incidence of CMV infections and clinically significant CMV infections (CS-CMVis) compared to other donor settings in PTCy allo-HCT. This study aims to compare the risk of CMV infections following allo-HCT in patients who have received either ATG or PTCy as GvHD prophylaxis and discuss other factors that could influence the infectious outcomes of patients who have undergone allo-HCT.

Impact of Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide (PTCY)-Based Prophylaxis in Matched Sibling Donor Allo-HCT for Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome: A Study on Behalf of the Chronic Malignancies Working Party of the EBMT

Background Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) remains the only potentially curative treatment option for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The use of PTCY for GVHD prevention is becoming increasingly prevalent across donor types/transplant platforms. However, limited studies have evaluated the efficacy and safety of using PTCY in patients with MDS undergoing matched sibling donor (MSD) allo-HCT. We hereby compare the outcomes of PTCY-based versus (vs.) conventional GVHD prophylaxis in a contemporaneous cohort of MDS patients undergoing MSD allo-HCT from the EBMT registry. Methods A total of 404 MDS patients undergoing first MSD peripheral blood allo-HCT between 2014 and 2020 in 52 participating centers, receiving either PTCY or other GvHD prophylaxis, were included. Primary outcomes were overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS), GVHD-free/RFS (GRFS), competing risks analyses for relapse (CIR), non-relapse mortality (NRM), and GVHD. The main comparison was PTCY vs. other types of GvHD prevention. Cox regression analyses with predefined covariates were used to obtain adjusted effect estimates of PTCY in post-transplant results.- Results The median age at allo-HCT was 57 years (IQR 49-62), 66 patients (16.3%) received PTCY, 338 (83.7%) received other prophylaxis. As reported in Figure 1, patient characteristics, disease risk, and pre-transplant status were balanced between the two cohorts. The majority of transplant characteristics were also analogous except for the proportion of adults receiving myeloablative regimens, which was higher in the PTCY group (52.3% vs. 38.2%, P=0.047). PTCY was combined with two additional immunosuppressant agents in 66.7% of the cases, with one additional immunosuppressive drug (generally calcineurin inhibitors (CNI)) in 31.8%, and administered as a single agent in only 1 (1.5%) case. Other prophylaxis mainly combined CNI with either mycophenolate mofetil or methotrexate, and in 162 (47.9%) of the cases, anti-thymocyte globulin was also administered. Post-transplant complications and outcomes are shown in Figure 1. Incidences of Day +28 neutrophil (68% vs. 97%, P=0.011) and platelet (71% vs. 92%, P&amp;lt;0.001) engraftment were lower in patients who received PTCY. The day +100 cumulative incidences (CI) of grade II-IV and III-IV aGVHD, and 5-year CI of extensive cGVHD were 32% (21-43%), 18% (9-27%) and 18% (9-28%) for patients who received PTCY, and 25% (20-30%; p=0.3), 13% (10-17%; p=0.4), 31% (26-36%; p=0.09) for those who did not. The 5-year CIs of cardiac and pulmonary toxicities were similar in both groups (23% (6-40%) vs. 19% (12-25%) (p=0.6) and 23% (8-38%) vs. 27% (21-34%) (p=0.6) in PTCY vs others, respectively). At 5-years after allo-HCT, the estimated OS (51% (39-64%) vs. 52% (46-58%), p=0.6), PFS (48% (36-61%) vs. 46% (40-52%), p=0.9), and GRFS (33% (21-45%) vs. 25% (20-30%), p=0.6), were similar between the two study groups. Nevertheless, patients who received PTCY tended to have lower CIR (20% (10-29%) vs. 33% (28-38%) (p=0.06)), but higher NRM rates (32% (20-43%) vs. 21% (16-25%), p=0.09) than the rest. Next, we performed a multivariable analysis (MVA) of OS, PFS, NRM and CIR (Figure 1). The results observed in the MVA confirmed that using PTCY in patients with MDS undergoing MSD allo-HCT resulted in comparable OS (HR 1.23 (0.77-1.97), p=0.4) and RFS (HR 1.13 (0.73-1.77), p=0.6) to conventional prophylaxis. Furthermore, the diagnosis of a high or very high-risk MDS (according to IPSS-R), and the presence of TP53 mutation at diagnosis were independent predictors of worse post-transplant outcomes. In addition, PTCY-based prophylaxis was associated with a higher NRM (HR 1.79 (1.07-2.98), p=0.03) when adjusted by variables known to be clinically relevant for NRM. Conclusion The use of PTCY in adults undergoing MSD allo-HCT for MDS resulted in comparable OS and RFS rates to conventional GVHD prophylaxis. Allo-HCT performed with PTCY was associated with a longer time to engraftment and comparable incidences of clinically relevant aGVHD. Of note, utilization of PTCY was associated with a non-significant trend to a lower incidence of extensive cGVHD. Furthermore, although a non-significant trend to lower rates of relapse were observed in allo-HCTs performed using PTCY, it use was associated with a higher risk for NRM. Further evaluation of PTCY in the MSD setting for MDS is required.

Aurora Kinase a Inhibition for Gvhd and Relapse Prevention after Allogeneic HCT: Phase I Trial in Combination with Ptcy/Sirolimus

Introduction: With the wider use of post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, there is interest in replacing tacrolimus (TAC) with sirolimus (SIR, mTOR inhibitor) to avoid calcineurin inhibitor toxicity, maintain excellent GVHD control, and potentially allow for a greater graft-versus-tumor effect. mTOR and Aurora kinase A (AURKA) mediate CD28 costimulation in alloreactive T cells. SIR can only partially block CD28 costimulation. Adding selective AURKA inhibition to SIR following PTCy fully suppresses CD28 signal transduction, with synergistic GVHD prevention in mice (see ASH 2023 abstract ID 173376). AURKA inhibitors also have direct anti-leukemia activity. Here, we present the phase 1 dose escalation portion of a first-in-human clinical trial of PTCy plus SIR and VIC-1911 (VIC), a selective oral AURKA inhibitor, for GVHD and relapse prophylaxis after myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT). Methods: This single-arm phase I dose escalation trial (NCT05120570) is designed to evaluate the pharmacodynamic potency of AURKA pathway suppression and the safety of PTCy/SIR/VIC. The primary endpoint of phase I is to identify the lowest biologically active dose of VIC, defined as &amp;lt;54% pH3ser10+ CD4+ T cells at day +21 (the lower confidence interval of the normal, pre-transplant frequency of pH3ser10+ CD4+ T cells - a marker of AURKA activity), that is safe with PTCy/SIR. Patients aged 18-60 years receive myeloablative conditioning of TBI alone at a dose of 1320 cGy. PTCy is given as 50 mg/kg on days +3 and +4, SIR on day +5 with levels targeting 8-12 ng/ml and tapered after day +100, and VIC given on days +5 to +45 at doses of 25, 50, or 75 mg BID. Patients undergoing myeloablative TBI-based alloHCT with PTCy/SIR plus mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), without VIC on a separate protocol, served as a control. Results: Proof-of-concept experiments with PTCy/SIR/alisertib (AURKA inhibitor) demonstrate synergistic protection against xenogeneic GVHD and tumor (Raji cells) in mice, compared to PTCy/TAC (median survival: 45 days v undefined, 9 mice/group, 2 experiments, P&amp;lt;0.0001). Unlike alisertib, VIC-1911 is not myelosuppressive, providing rationale for this trial. In vitro studies show killing of multiple leukemia cells lines at physiologically achievable VIC-1911 concentrations. VIC 75 mg BID is the lowest biologically active dose suppressing AURKA activity below the primary endpoint target of &amp;lt;54%, with reduced mean frequency of day +21 pH3ser10+ CD4+ T cells at 23.7% compared to 58.5% with PTCy/SIR/MMF (Figure 1A, P=0.0091). PTCy/SIR/VIC also suppresses mTOR activity in donor T cells (3.9% v 16.6% pS6+ CD4+ T cells, P=NS; pS6 frequency in healthy donor T cells is ~30-40%), concurrently ablating CD28 signal transduction. Data trends show greater Tregs at day +21 with PTCy/SIR/VIC, compared to PTCy/SIR/MMF controls (40.2% v 10.5%, P=NS). Patient characteristics are detailed in Figure 1B. Neutrophil engraftment occurred in 9/9 evaluable patients at a median of 18 days. Platelet engraftment occurred in 8/9 evaluable patients at a median of 21 days; one patient is awaiting platelet engraftment. No dose-limiting toxicities have been observed during dose escalation. Patient 1 died of non-COVID coronavirus during initial hospitalization; he received high-dose methylprednisolone for ARDS beginning on day +17, which made him unevaluable for the primary pharmacodynamic endpoint. Conclusions: A VIC-1911 dose of 75 mg BID from day +5 to day +45 effectively suppresses AURKA activity as determined by a low frequency of pH3ser10+ CD4+ T cells, ablating CD28 T cell costimulation when combined with sirolimus, resulting in no dose-limiting toxicities. VIC 75 mg BID will be studied further in an expanded phase I cohort to obtain estimates of efficacy in preventing both GVHD and relapse in PTCy-based myeloablative alloHCT.