Recent Research
Stay up-to-date on the advancing field of HCT with short summaries and links to the most relevant published research.
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Evaluation of new GVHD prevention regimens shows promising results
April 2019Bolaños-Meade J, et al., The Lancet Haematology – In a prospective, phase II trial, researchers found that tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, with post-hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) cyclophosphamide (TMMCy) produced the best GVHD-free, relapse-free survival (GRFS) for patients who received an allogeneic HCT when compared to the current standard of care.
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Steroid-free treatment rivals prednisone as initial GVHD therapy
March 2019Pidala JA, et al., Bio Blood Marrow Transplant – Examining the feasibility of clinical- and biomarker-based risk-adapted therapy for acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a recent phase II trial revealed similar complete response/partial response rates for sirolimus compared to current standard of care, prednisone.
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MRD-negative status prognostic for PFS and OS for patients with multiple myeloma
March 2019Hahn TE, et al., Bio Blood Marrow Transplant – Researchers found that minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative status may be a valuable addition with other clinical factors in determining further therapy needs for patients with multiple myeloma (MM). It can be prognostic for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for patients with MM. -
Neurocognition stabilizes after HCT for patients for sickle cell disease-induced cognitive decline
February 2019In addition to the risk of stroke and cognitive decline, children with sickle cell disease (SCD) may lose approximately one IQ point per year on a full scale IQ (FSIQ) test. For the first time, researchers report stabilization of IQ and central nervous system (CNS) outcomes after unrelated allogeneic hematopoie
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Improved HCT Outcomes for Fit Patients with MDS/AML After Standard Conditioning
March 2017Scott BL, et al. J Clin Oncol – This randomized phase III trial of 272 adults with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) found that patients with hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) comorbidity index scores ≤4 and with <5% marrow myeloblasts had better relapse-free survival (RFS) after HCT with myeloablative conditioning (MAC), than after reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC). -
Multi-Center Study Identifies Biomarkers Associated with HCT Outcomes
February 2017Zaid MA, et al. Blood – This prospective, multi-center study confirmed the correlation of plasma-derived proteins, previously assessed only in single-center cohorts, with the potential to improve diagnosis, assess risk and manage complications after allogeneic HCT. -
No Benefit of Additional Treatment After Auto-HCT for Myeloma with Lenalidomide Maintenance
December 2016Stadtmauer E, et al. ASH abstract oral presentation, December 2016 – The addition of consolidation therapy or a second autologous transplant is not superior to a single autologous transplant followed by lenalidomide maintenance in the upfront treatment of multiple myeloma, according to research presented at the Late-Breaking Abstracts session at ASH. -
One-Year OS of 86% Achieved with Unrelated Donor HCT for Children with SCD
October 2016Shenoy S, et al Blood – This multi-center phase II trial conducted by the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) analyzed outcomes of 29 children (age range 6-19 years) with sickle cell disease (SCD) who underwent reduced-intensity conditioning unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) between 2008 and 2014. -
Better 5-Year QOL after Marrow Transplant than after PBSC Transplant
September 2016Lee SJ, et al. JAMA Oncol – A secondary analysis of 195 recipients from the randomized, multi-center (n=551) Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network trial (BMT CTN 0201), found that bone marrow (BM) recipients experienced significantly better psychological well-being and less burdensome chronic GVHD symptoms five years after HCT than peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) recipients did. -
BMT CTN: Lessons Learned and Opportunities for the Future
August 2016Horowitz MM. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant – This report on the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) highlights its success in planning, implementing, and completing clinical trials through a network of more than 120 centers to improve hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) practice and patient outcomes. -
HCT Yields Over 80% 3-Year Survival and Low Relapse in High-Risk FL Patients
May 2016Laport GG, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant – Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) using reduced-intensity conditioning with rituximab yields excellent survival in high-risk patients with follicular lymphoma (FL), according to results of a prospective phase II study by the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN). -
Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Donors Recover More Quickly Than Bone Marrow Donors
April 2016Burns LJ, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant – A study of unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in a phase 3 Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) trial has shown that peripheral blood stem cell donors recover more quickly than bone marrow donors. -
Higher Rates of Infection after Marrow Compared to PBSC Transplants
April 2016Young J-A H, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant – A study of unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients in a phase 3 Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) trial has shown that bone marrow graft recipients had higher rates of bacterial and pre-engraftment infections than did peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) recipients. -
Higher Relapse-Free Survival with Myeloablative HCT in Patients with AML and MDS
December 2015Scott BL, et al. ASH abstract oral presentation, December 2015 – A phase III randomized trial presented at the ASH Annual Meeting has shown that although reduced-intensity regimens have lower treatment-related mortality (TRM), they also incur higher relapse rates. -
Quality of Life Better After Marrow Transplant Than After PBSC Transplant
December 2015Lee SJ, et al. ASH oral presentation, December 2015 – A secondary analysis of the large-scale (n=551) Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) randomized study of unrelated donor bone marrow (BM) vs. peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplant has found that BM recipients have better psychological well-being and less burdensome chronic GVHD symptoms than PBSC recipients. -
Pre-Transplant Patient-Reported Physical Health Predicts Post-Transplant Mortality
November 2015Wood WA, et al. Cancer – Pre-transplant patient-reported outcomes (PROs) on a physical health scale independently predicted overall mortality (hazards ratio, 1.40 per 10-point decrease; p<0.001) of 336 allogeneic and 310 autologous HCT recipients enrolled in the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network 0902 protocol. -
Comparable Survival in Clinical Trial Participants vs. Nonparticipants
August 2015Khera N, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant — Do clinical trial participants have better outcomes than comparable patients who are not treated on a trial? A study by the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) examined that question by analyzing outcomes of a large-scale, randomized study comparing peripheral blood with bone marrow transplantation from unrelated donors. -
Biomarkers Predict Severity of GVHD after HCT
January 2015Levine JE, et al. Lancet Haematol – A prognostic score based on the blood plasma concentration of three biomarkers can guide risk-adapted therapy at the onset of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). -
Report: BMT CTN 2014 State of the Science
January 2015Appelbaum Fr, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant — This report from the third State of the Science Symposia conducted by the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) outlines a scientific agenda describing the most important clinical questions to be addressed through future clinical trials in the field of hematopoietic cell transplantation. -
MMF Plus Corticosteroids Does Not Improve Acute GVHD Treatment Over Corticosteroids Alone
November 2014Bolaños-Meade J, et al. Blood – This phase 3 multi-center randomized double-blinded trial examined whether mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) plus corticosteroids was superior to corticosteroids alone as initial therapy for acute GVHD. -
Similar Survival Rates in Children Transplanted with One vs. Two Umbilical Cord Blood Units
November 2014Wagner JE, et al. N Engl J Med – Children with high-risk blood cancers transplanted with one vs. two umbilical cord blood units had similar survival, according to a multi-center study of 224 cord blood transplants performed between 2006 and 2012 and reported to CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research). -
BMT CTN Study to Compare HCT to Hypomethylating Agents to Treat MDS
October 2014Saber W, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant — This report outlines the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) trial to compare outcomes of reduced-intensity hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in high-risk patients, 50-75 years of age, with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with outcomes in patients with similar risk receiving novel nontransplant therapies such as hypomethylating agents. -
Tacrolimus-Sirolimus Comparable to Tacrolimus-Methotrexate as GVHD Prophylaxis
August 2014Cutler C, et al. Blood – A phase 3 Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) study of 304 randomized patients demonstrated that tacrolimus and sirolimus (Tac/Sir) was comparable to tacrolimus and methotrexate (Tac/Mtx) in preventing acute GVHD and early mortality after related donor hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). -
Progress Report: Update of BMT CTN State of the Science Symposium
February 2014Ferrara JLM. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant – In this 2014 report, the author updates the status of the 11 hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) clinical trials identified as having the highest scientific priority at the 2007 State of the Science Symposium convened by the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN). -
No Clinical Benefit in Adding Radioimmunotherapy to BEAM Conditioning in Autologous HCT for Relapsed DLBCL
March 2013Vose JM, et al. J Clin Oncol — In patients with relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) undergoing autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), adding radioimmunotherapy to the standard BEAM conditioning regimen provides no clinical benefit, according to results from a randomized phase III clinical trial conducted by the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN). -
Marrow, PBSC Have Comparable Survival; More cGVHD with PBSC
November 2012Anasetti C, et al. N Eng J Med - A phase III, multi-center, randomized trial comparing peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) and bone marrow transplant outcomes has found comparable 2-year survival.
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Lenalidomide after Autologous HCT for Multiple Myeloma Improves Survival
May 2012McCarthy PL, et al. N Eng J Med — Lenalidomide maintenance therapy following autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) results in a significantly longer time to disease progression and significantly improved overall survival among patients with multiple myeloma. -
T Cell-Depletion Yields Low Rates of Chronic GVHD, Relapse in Patients Transplanted for AML
September 2011Devine SM, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant – Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) using T cell-depleted grafts can yield low rates of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and relapse in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in first remission (CR1), according to the results of Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) trial 0303. -
Parallel Phase 2 Trials Confirm Utility of Both Haploidentical and Cord Blood HCT
July 2011Brunstein CG, et al. Blood – Two concurrent multi-center phase 2 studies have confirmed the utility of using unrelated double umbilical cord blood (dUCB) or HLA-haploidentical donor bone marrow grafts in reduced-intensity hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT).