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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Ibrutinib study shows the need for effective chronic GVHD treatment options
April 2023Miklos DB, et al.- Novel research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology investigated the effectiveness of ibrutinib as a first-line treatment for newly diagnosed moderate or severe chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) in patients without prior systemic treatment. While the results did not show statistical significance in response rates, duration of response, and overall survival, the study emphasized the urgent need for more effective cGVHD treatments and research in this vital area. -
Prospective use of an HCT donor search prognosis algorithm may ensure comparable transplant access regardless of initial search results
April 2023Dehn J, et al. – Research presented at the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting showed that a donor search prognosis-based algorithm can be implemented into a multicenter trial and results in equivalent chances of patients receiving HCT regardless of their baseline search prognosis. The study suggests the algorithm can be a valuable tool for defining the donor search strategy and improving the success rate of transplantation in patients needing curative cellular therapy. -
Prioritizing sibling over parental haploidentical donors may improve pediatric HCT outcomes
April 2023Liberio N, et al. – The CIBMTR conducted a study to address the lack of data guiding haploidentical (haplo) donor selection for pediatric HCT. Research presented at the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Annual Meeting showed that sibling donors had a lower risk of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease and graft failure when compared to parental donors. The study suggests sibling donors may be the optimal haplo donor choice for pediatric HCT to minimize risks and improve outcomes. -
GVHD prophylaxis regimens may impact CMV reactivation but not disease after HCT
April 2023Oshima MU, et al. – Research published in Blood Advances compared CMV reactivation and disease in seropositive HCT recipients using different GVHD prophylaxis approaches. Post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) combined with a calcineurin inhibitor and mycophenolate mofetil was associated with a higher risk of early CMV reactivation. However, the risk of CMV disease was not significantly different, though patients who develop GVHD are more susceptible to CMV. This highlights that GVHD prevention remains a priority. -
Factors associated with young adults opting out of donation for HCT may provide insights into donor availability
March 2023Hamed AB, et al. – Research published in Transplantation and Cellular Therapy showed factors associated with potential hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) donors aged 30 and younger opting out of donation on national donor registries. Results suggest potential approaches that national registries could consider to improve donor availability. -
Alternative donor HCT may yield comparable outcomes and expand access for myelofibrosis patients
February 2023Jain T, et al. – Research found that outcomes of myelofibrosis patients receiving HCT were comparable between unrelated and haploidentical donor sources, with matched sibling donors still being the preferred option. This data was presented at the 2023 Tandem Meetings of the ASTCT and the CIBMTR. -
Younger matched unrelated donors may reduce relapse risk after allogeneic HCT compared to using older matched sibling donors
February 2023Abid MB, et al. – Two research studies presented at the 2023 Tandem Meetings of the ASTCT and the CIBMTR compared the outcomes of adult allogeneic HCT recipients with AML and B-cell ALL based on donor type. Results showed recipients with older matched sibling donors had a significantly higher 5-year disease relapse than those with younger matched unrelated donors. -
Allogeneic HCT may be a better option for older patients with AML than conventional consolidation therapy
December 2022Niederwieser D, et al. – Research showed older patients with AML in their first complete remission who received allogeneic HCT had better outcomes than those who received non-transplant, conventional consolidation treatment. This data was presented at the 64th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition. -
COVID-19's continued impact on HCT unrelated donor registry logistics
December 2022Stefanski HE, et al. – Research shows the number of HCT unrelated donors testing positive for COVID-19 following medical clearance for donation was 2.4-fold higher in the first half of 2022 compared to the first half of 2021 (n=53 vs. 22). Donor positivity led to transplantation postponement for some patients that already started conditioning and for all who had not started conditioning, highlighting the need for transplant centers to have a backup plan. -
Sequential conditioning may offer comparable remission and survival rates to intensive induction chemotherapy pre-allogeneic HCT for relapsed refractory AML patients
December 2022Stelljes M, et al. – Researchers presented this novel randomized controlled trial at the 64th Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Society of Hematology. Results showed that patients with relapsed/refractory AML may have comparable remission and survival outcomes with sequential conditioning versus intensive induction chemotherapy before allogeneic HCT. -
HLA matching in the setting of PTCy improves outcomes in related and unrelated donor HCT
July 2022Mehta R, et al. – Research published in Transplantation and Cellular Therapy shows better outcomes for matched unrelated donor and matched sibling donor hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) than haploidentical donor HCT when using post-transplant cyclophosphamide for graft-versus-host disease prevention in a single center study. -
Abatacept can reduce racial disparities by mitigating the impact of mismatching in unrelated donor HCT
January 2022Qayed M, et al. – Research published in Blood Advances shows reductions in acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in both matched unrelated and mismatched unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (MUD and MMUD HCT) when abatacept is added to standard of care treatment. Effects were substantial in MMUD, revealing abatacept as another promising tool to expand HCT access to those without a fully matched donor, which is more common for racially and ethnically diverse patients.
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Less HLA mismatching may provide better outcomes over haploidentical donor HCT in the setting of PTCy
January 2022Battipaglia G, et al. – Research published in Bone Marrow Transplantation finds that less HLA mismatching is associated with better overall survival, non-relapse mortality, and leukemia-free survival when comparing one-antigen mismatched unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplant to haploidentical donor HCT in the presence of post-transplant cyclophosphamide.
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Allogeneic HCT improves 5-year survival for patients over 60 with AML in CR1
December 2018Devillier R et al. ASH Annual Meeting 2018 - Results from a recent multicenter analysis support hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) as a curative option for patients over 60 with acute myeloid leukemia. Researchers found that HCT improved relapse-free survival and overall survival for older patients at 5 years when compared with patients who did not undergo HCT. (Devillier R et al. 2018 ASH Annual Meeting)
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Survival has significantly improved in recent years for patients with AML undergoing HCT
December 2018Canaani J, et al. Journal of Internal Medicine - Researchers analyzed outcomes of patients with acute myeloid leukemia who underwent hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in the past 20 years. Patients who underwent HCT in more recent years experienced significantly improved overall survival and decreased non-relapse mortality. -
New Patient Care Coordination Model Addresses Complexities of HCT Therapy
September 2017Khera N, et al. Blood Advances – A multi-disciplinary team has proposed a care coordination framework to deliver a continuum of care to hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) patients. -
90% Survival, Low GVHD at Two Years after Alternative Donor HCT for SCD
August 2017Gilman AL, et al. Blood Advances – A study of patients with symptomatic sickle cell disease (SCD) who underwent CD34+ cell-selected, T-cell–depleted peripheral blood HCT from a mismatched family member or unrelated donor has resulted in a 2-year overall survival rate of 90%. -
Is Cord Blood the Best Alternative Graft Source for Patients with Minimal Residual Disease?
October 2016Milano F, et al. N Engl J Med – A retrospective study of 582 patients with acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes has shown that umbilical cord blood may be a superior graft choice for the approximately 70% of patients who lack an HLA-matched related donor, especially if they are minimal residual disease positive (MRD+). -
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. -
Pre-Transplant Emotional Support Contributes to Longer Survival
September 2016Ehrlich KB, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant – Researchers have found that good pre-transplant emotional support predicts longer overall survival at 2 years. -
Higher Post-Relapse Survival with Related or Unrelated HCT than Haploidentical HCT
August 2016Solh M, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant – This single-center study of 237 consecutive patients who relapsed after HCT found that one-year post-relapse survival (PRS) was significantly higher in patients receiving matched related and matched unrelated grafts compared to those receiving haploidentical donor transplants using post-transplant cyclophosphamide. -
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. -
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. -
Haploidentical vs. Matched Unrelated HCT for AML
July 2015Ciurea SO, et al. Blood — This study of 2,174 adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) compared using haploidentical (n=192) and 8/8 HLA-matched unrelated donor (n=1,982) grafts. -
Level of HLA Match Affects Outcomes in Reduced-Intensity HCT
June 2015Verneris MR, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant — This retrospective, large-scale study examined the effect of HLA match on reduced-intensity, unrelated donor transplantation. -
Simple Procedure Offers Significant Advances in Umbilical Cord Blood HCT
May 2015Popat U, et al. Blood — A simple ex vivo technique to improve the ability of umbilical cord blood cells to find their way to the bone marrow can significantly accelerate neutrophil and platelet engraftment following double cord blood transplantation. -
Multi-Center Validation of the Prognostic Value of the HCT-Specific Comorbidity Index
May 2015ElSawy M, et al. Br J Haematol — This multi-center, retrospective analysis of 2,523 consecutive allogeneic transplants at five U.S. transplant centers has validated the prognostic value of the hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index (HCT-CI) to predict the risk of non-relapse mortality (NRM) and overall survival (OS). -
PET Scans Predict Relapse in Patients with NHL
April 2015Bachanova V, et al. Oral presentation, BMT Tandem Meetings — New research results from a large-scale study have demonstrated that positron emission tomography (PET) scans can be used to predict risk of relapse in adults undergoing allogeneic HCT for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). -
Younger Donor Age Correlates with Higher CD-8 T Cell Counts, Better HCT Outcomes
April 2015Reshef R, et al. Oral presentation BMT Tandem Meetings — New research presented at the BMT Tandem Meetings has shown that younger donor age correlates with higher CD-8 T cell counts, and that more CD-8 T cells lead to significantly better HCT outcomes. -
Allogeneic HCT for Acute Biphenotypic Leukemias
April 2015Munker R, et al. Oral presentation, BMT Tandem Meetings — New research presented at the BMT Tandem Meetings on transplants in patients with acute biphenotypic leukemias (ABiL) has found that 3-year overall survival (OS) in these patients is 65%, leading researchers to conclude that “allogeneic HCT is a valid treatment option for patients with ABiL and should be explored in patients without significant comorbidities.” -
Haploidentical HCT with Cyclophosphamide for High-Risk Leukemias
April 2015Symons H, et al. Oral presentation, BMT Tandem Meetings — Myeloablative transplants using T-cell-replete haploidentical grafts and post-transplant cyclophosphamide can result in a 2-year overall survival (OS) of 57%, with cumulative incidence of relapse reaching 44% at 3 years according to results of a phase II study presented at the BMT Tandem Meetings. -
Comparable HCT Outcomes for Patients with de novo or Secondary AML in CR1
April 2015Michelis FV, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant — A single-center study of 264 patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML; n=180) and secondary AML (sAML; n=84) in first complete remission (CR1) undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has shown that both patient groups have comparable long-term outcomes. -
Related, Unrelated HCT Outcomes Comparable in Pediatric ALL
March 2015Peters C, et al. J Clin Oncol — A large-scale, multi-center study of 411 transplants for children with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has shown comparable transplant outcomes with sibling and unrelated donors. -
No Impact of Patient Age on Survival in Reduced-Intensity HCT
March 2015Federmann B, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant — Patient age has no significant impact on survival, according to results of a retrospective study of 151 patients aged ≥60 undergoing reduced-intensity allogeneic HCT with related and unrelated donors between 2000 and 2012. -
HCT Better than Chemotherapy As Post-Remission Therapy for AML Patients Age 40-60
February 2015Cornelissen JJ, et al. Leukemia — In this study comparing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), chemotherapy, and autologous HCT outcomes in 760 patients age 40-60 years with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in CR1, allogeneic HCT had improved 5-year survival compared with chemotherapy: 57% vs. 40%, respectively (p<0.001). -
Autologous, Allogeneic HCT Both Effective in Pediatric High-Risk AML
February 2015Locatelli F, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant — A prospective multi-center study of 243 children with high-risk AML in CR1 undergoing allogeneic HCT (n=141) or autologous HCT (n=102), depending on availability of an HLA-compatible sibling donor. -
Review: How I Treat JMML
February 2015Locatelli F, et al. Blood — In this installment of the “How I treat ...” series in Blood, the authors outline the somatic or germline mutations that are the underlying cause of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) and describe their treatment algorithm for this aggressive hematopoietic disorder of infancy/early childhood. -
Post-HCT Fungal and Viral Infections: Improving Outcomes over Time
February 2015Parody R, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant — This retrospective analysis comparing post-transplant infections in cord blood (n=65) and bone marrow/PBSC transplant recipients (n=369) found that although cord blood transplantation was associated with a higher risk of invasive aspergillosis and cytomegalovirus infections, infection-related mortality was comparable in the two types of transplants. -
Review: How I Treat the Older Patient with AML
January 2015Ossenkopple G, et al. Blood – In this installment of the “How I treat” series in Blood, the authors discuss the highly heterogeneous clinical biology of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) among patients and how those variations are relevant for prognosis and treatment choice. -
Marrow, Peripheral Blood Yield Comparable 5-year Survival in Reduced-Intensity HCT
January 2015Eapen M, et al. J Clin Oncol — This study examining the outcomes of peripheral blood stem cell (PB) and bone marrow (BM) transplants using reduced-intensity conditioning found no significant differences in outcomes based on graft source. -
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. -
Survival of Patients with AML Relapsing after Allogeneic HCT
December 2014Bejanyan N, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant — This large-scale study of 1,231 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) relapsing after allogeneic HCT during first or second complete remission has identified several factors associated with longer post-relapse survival. -
Alternative Donor HCT for Lymphoma Patients Lacking an HLA-Matched Donor
December 2014Bachanova V, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant — Allogeneic HCT using matched unrelated donors, mismatched unrelated donors, and umbilical cord blood (UCB) have comparable survival in patients with lymphoma, according to a large-scale analysis of 1,593 transplants between 2000 and 2010 reported to CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research). -
Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide Yields Comparable Outcomes Across Donor Types and Conditioning Regimens
December 2014McCurdy SR, et al. ASH abstract oral presentation, December 2014 — Adults transplanted for advanced or poor-risk hematologic malignancies can have comparable outcomes using haploidentical, related donor, or unrelated donor grafts when high-dose post-transplant cyclophosphamide is administered to reduce graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), according to study results presented at ASH. -
Pre-Transplant, Patient-Reported Quality of Life is Prognostic for Transplant Outcomes
December 2014Wood WA, et al. ASH abstract oral presentation, December 2014 — Pre-transplant, patient-reported physical health on a health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scale was strongly prognostic for allogeneic transplant survival, according to a study of 310 patients enrolled in a multi-center trial conducted by the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN). -
Comparable Transplant Outcomes in AML Regardless of Donor Source
November 2014Warlick ED, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant — A study of 414 adults transplanted for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in remission between 2000 and 2010 at two institutions has found comparable 6-year overall survival across four donor types: matched related donors (47%); umbilical cord blood (36%); matched unrelated donors (54%); and mismatched unrelated donors (51%) (p=0.11). -
HCT Prognostic Index Guides Clinical Decision-Making
November 2014Sorror ML, et al. J Clin Oncol — New research into a composite prognostic index combining age and comorbidities has validated the utility of the index to guide clinical decision-making in HCT. -
Significant Improvement in Survival of Unrelated-Donor HCT Over Time
October 2014Majhail NS, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant — In this retrospective analysis, researchers analyzed the outcomes of 15,059 unrelated donor transplants reported to CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research) between 2000 and 2009. -
High-Resolution HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 Matching Yields Optimal Survival in Unrelated HCT
September 2014Pidala J, et al. Blood — A large-scale study of 8,003 unrelated donor myeloablative transplants between 1999 and 2011 has demonstrated that high-resolution matching at HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 yields optimal survival. -
Review: Donor Selection for Adults Lacking a Matched Related or Unrelated Donor
September 2014Eapen M, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant — Using a case study of a patient with de novo AML lacking a matched related or unrelated donor, the authors evaluate published current and relevant data on choosing between an umbilical cord blood transplant and a haploidentical transplant for this patient. -
Review Series in Blood Journal: Advances in HCT
August 2014Negrin RS, et al. Blood — Scientific and clinical translational research highlighting treatment advances in the field of HCT are available in five review articles in Blood. -
Consensus Report: Optimal Benefits Packages for HCT Focused on Outcomes
August 2014Maziarz RT, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant — Variable benefits packages for HCT may directly affect outcomes of patients undergoing transplant, according to a new report from the National Marrow Donor Program-sponsored System Capacity Initiative. -
High Likelihood that Patients Needing Unrelated HCT Will Find Donor on Be The Match Registry
July 2014Gragert L, et al. N Engl J Med — A study of the U.S. marrow and cord blood registry using population-based genetic models for 21 race and ethnic groups has found that, depending on the group, between 66-97% of patients will have a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched or minimally mismatched available adult donor on the Be The Match Registry®. -
Better QoL for HCT Survivors with Umbilical Cord Blood vs. Matched Sibling Donors
June 2014Liu H-I, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant — This single-center study compared outcomes of 185 consecutive adult patients who underwent myeloablative transplantation using unrelated umbilical cord blood (UCB; n=70) or HLA-identical sibling donor peripheral blood stem cells alone or combined with bone marrow (BM/PBSC; n=115). -
Lower Risk for Serious Adverse Events and No Increased Risk for Cancer after PBSC vs BM Donation
June 2014Pulsipher MA, et al. Blood — In a study of nearly 9,500 peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) and bone marrow donors who donated through the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP®)/Be The Match®, researchers found that life-threatening events were very rare for both types of donation: 0.26% for marrow and 0.03% for PBSC donors. -
Large-Scale Study Validates Prognostic Value of HCT Disease Risk Index
May 2014Armand P, et al. Blood — A new study of 13,131 hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients whose outcomes were reported to the CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research) has validated the prognostic value of the Disease Risk Index (DRI). -
Pre-Transplant Comorbidities Predict Severity of Acute GVHD
May 2014Sorror ML, et al. Blood — A multi-center study of 2,985 allogeneic transplants has demonstrated that the hematopoietic cell transplantation comorbidity index (HCT-CI) can predict the severity of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and subsequent mortality. -
Long-Term Study Shows HCT Survival Increasing over Time
May 2014Malard F, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant — This single-center study analyzed 827 allogeneic transplants and compared outcomes in three time periods: 1983-1990, 1991-2000, and 2001-2010. -
Review: Preserving Fertility in HCT Recipients
April 2014Joshi S, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant - In this review, the authors note that the optimal time to address fertility issues in patients considering HCT is before the onset of therapy for the underlying disease, and that a referral to a reproductive specialist should be made for patients interested in fertility preservation. -
HCT Outcomes Improving over Time in Teens and Young Adults with ALL
April 2014Wood WA, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant - Survival in adolescents and young adults (AYAs, ages 15-40 years) undergoing myeloablative HCT for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has improved over time, according to study data from 2,668 transplant recipients reported to the CIBMTR. -
WMDA Report: Unrelated Donor Medical Suitability
April 2014Lown RN, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant - This World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) report outlines the clinical and regulatory issues affecting unrelated adult donor and recipient safety, and practical methods for assessing the health of unrelated adult donors at each stage of the donation process. -
IPSS-R and Monosomal Karyotype Predict HCT Outcomes in MDS and AML
March 2014Della Porta MG, et al. Blood — This multi-center study of 519 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or oligoblastic acute myeloid leukemia (<30% marrow blasts) demonstrated that both monosomal karyotype and IPSS-R risk category are important factors predicting outcomes of allogeneic transplantation. -
Unrelated Donor, Cord Blood Grafts Yield Extended Survival in Older AML Patients
February 2014Weisdorf DJ, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant – Allogeneic transplantation using either unrelated donor or cord blood grafts “can produce extended and even curative long-term survival” in patients over age 50 with AML in first complete remission, according to a study of 740 transplants reported to CIBMTR and Eurocord.
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Related, Unrelated Donor HCT Comparable in DLBCL
February 2014Avivi I, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant -- A multi-center retrospective analysis of 473 adults with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has shown that hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) outcomes using matched sibling and unrelated donors are comparable. -
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). -
Impact of the Affordable Care Act on HCT
January 2014Farnia S, et al. Curr Hematol Malig Rep — This paper, by NMDP/Be The Match Payor Policy and other staff, reviews the main provisions of the ACA with specific attention to their impact on the field of hematopoietic cell transplantation. -
No Significant Difference in Long-Term Experiences of Marrow, PBSC Donors
January 2014Switzer GE, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant - A prospective longitudinal study has found no long-term health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) differences between bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donors. -
Review: Options for Patients with Refractory Aplastic Anemia
December 2013Marsh JCW et al. Blood - This review discusses the therapeutic options for aplastic anemia patients not responding to first-line immunosuppressive therapy (IST) with antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and cyclosporin, and have severe cytopenias at six months after IST. -
Comparable Outcomes for Unrelated, Sibling HCT in Aplastic Anemia
December 2013Bacigalupo A, et al. ASH abstract oral presentation, December 2013 – Unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and sibling donor HCT yield comparable outcomes in patients with acquired severe aplastic anemia, according to a study of 1,500 patients. -
Review: Comparing HCT Donor Options in Ph- ALL
November 2013Nishiwaki S, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant - This review discusses selecting among unrelated, cord blood, and haploidentical grafts for patients with Ph-negative ALL in CR1 when an HLA-matched related donor is unavailable . -
Understanding Factors in Long-Term HCT Outcome in Fanconi Anemia
November 2013Peffault de Latour RP, et al. Blood - The estimated 20-year survival of 795 Fanconi anemia (FA) patients who underwent first HCT between 1972 and 2010 is 49%, according to this multi-center study published in Blood. -
Reduced-Intensity HCT for Primary Myelofibrosis is Potentially Curative
November 2013Gupta V, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant - In this multi-center study of 233 adults undergoing reduced-intensity conditioning HCT for primary myelofibrosis, five-year survival was 47% and donor type was the only independent factor associated with survival. -
IV Busulfan Better Than TBI in HCT for AML in CR1
October 2013Copelan EA, et al. Blood - Hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first complete remission (CR1) conditioned with intravenous busulfan (IV-Bu) have better outcomes than those receiving total body irradiation (TBI). -
Immune-Modulating Drugs, Hypomethylating Agents to Treat Relapse
October 2013Kröger N, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant - This review summarizes the current knowledge and potential use of immune-modulating drugs and hypomethylating agents in preventing or treating relapse after allogeneic HCT. -
Comparable Survival in Cord Blood and Adult Donor HCT for ALL
October 2013Marks DI, et al. Haematologica - A study of 802 adults transplanted for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in first or second complete remission has found comparable outcomes using three different unrelated donor graft sources. -
Report: HCT Trends in Europe
September 2013Passweg JR, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant - This survey of HCT practices in Europe in 2011 collected data on 13,470 allogeneic transplants and 18,605 autologous transplants at 651 transplant centers. -
Better HCT Outcomes with Younger Unrelated Donors vs. Older Related Donors
September 2013Ayuk F, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant - In this retrospective study of 168 patients with acute myeloid leukemia in complete remission who underwent allogeneic HCT, five-year survival was significantly higher using unrelated donors ≤39 years compared to related donors >39 years: 66% vs. 34%, respectively (p=0.001).
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Unrelated Donor HCT is Underused in the United States
September 2013Yao S, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant - Unrelated donor HCT is underused in the U.S., according to a study comparing the number of patients transplanted using NMDP donors in 2007 with the estimated number of patients eligible for HCT in the same year.
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Report: Prophylaxis and Treatment of GVHD
August 2013Ruutu T, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant - A working group formed by the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and European LeukemiaNet has developed recommendations for prophylaxis and treatment of acute and chronic GVHD.
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Lower Chronic GVHD in Double Cord Blood HCT
August 2013Malard F, et al. Leukemia - Double cord blood and 9/10 matched unrelated donor reduced-intensity transplants have similar outcomes, but using cord blood results in a significantly lower incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), according to a study of 152 patients (median age 53 years) transplanted for hematological malignancies. -
Study Predicts More Than 500,000 HCT Survivors by 2030 in U.S.
August 2013Majhail NS, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant - An analysis of 170,628 recipients of autologous and allogeneic HCT reported to CIBMTR between 1968 and 2009 has led researchers to estimate that there will be 242,000 HCT survivors by 2020 and 502,000 HCT survivors by 2030 in the United States. -
Earlier HCT Improves Outcomes in T-cell NHL
August 2013Smith SM, et al. J Clin Oncol - In patients with T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), delaying either autologous or allogeneic HCT results in significantly worse outcomes, according to an analysis of 241 transplants reported to CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research). -
Outcomes for HCT in Patients Over Age 70
July 2013Brunner AM, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant - Select older patients can undergo HCT, according to results of a study of 54 consecutive patients >70 years undergoing reduced-intensity transplantation between 2007 and 2012 at Massachusetts General Hospital (n=14) or the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (n=40). -
Updated Guidelines on HCT Graft Selection
July 2013Spellman SR, et al. Blood - This article presents updated guidelines on the selection of unrelated donors and cord blood units for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) developed by the NMDP and the CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research). -
Review: Cord Blood Transplant Supported by Third-Party Donor Cells
July 2013Van Besien K, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant - This article reviews umbilical cord blood transplantation (CBT) supported by co-infusion of adult CD34+ stem cells from mismatched unrelated donors.
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Comparing Transplant vs. Non-Transplant for De Novo MDS by IPSS Score
July 2013Koreth J, et al. J Clin Oncol - A study of 514 patients between 60-70 years old with de novo myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) has shown that for patients with intermediate-2/high International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) scores, a reduced-intensity allogeneic transplant leads to a significantly longer life expectancy (LE) compared to non-transplantation therapies. -
Related, Well-Matched Unrelated HCT Outcomes Comparable in MDS
July 2013Saber W, et al. Blood - Well-matched unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) yields comparable outcomes compared to matched related donor HCT in patients with MDS, according to a study of 701 adult MDS patients transplanted between 2002 and 2006 and reported to CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research).
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Similar Survival Using Sibling, Unrelated Donor, and Cord Blood Grafts in AML
July 2013de Latour RP, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant - Reduced-intensity conditioning HCT in patients 50 years and older with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in complete remission has similar outcomes using sibling donors, unrelated donors, and cord blood units.
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Negative Impact of Minimal Residual Disease is Similar for AML in CR1 and CR2
July 2013Walter RB, et al. Blood - A single-center study of 253 consecutive patients with AML has shown that the negative impact of pre-transplant minimal residual disease (MRD) is similar for patients in first and second complete remission (CR1, CR2), and that even minute levels (≤0.1%) are associated with significantly worse outcomes. -
How I Treat Older Patients with ALL
June 2013Gökbuget N. Blood - In this installment of the “How I Treat” series in the journal Blood, Dr. Nicola Gökbuget outlines how improved supportive care, targeted therapies, moderately intensified consolidation, and reduced-intensity hematopoietic cell transplantation have improved outcomes somewhat for older patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). -
Cord Blood HCT: The first 25 Years and Beyond
June 2013Ballen KK, et al. Blood - Although first used only to treat children - due to the low cell dose infused - umbilical cord blood (UCB) has been proven effective in treating adults when cord blood units of sufficient cell dose and HLA match are used.
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Review: Allogeneic HCT for Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma
June 2013Klyuchnikov E, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant - In this review article, the authors note that despite overall improvements in outcomes of patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), approximately 30-40% will develop relapsed or refractory disease.
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Significant Improvement in HCT Survival Over Time
June 2013Hahn T, et al. J Clin Oncol - Survival for patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has significantly improved over time, according to a study of 38,060 patients with hematologic malignancies transplanted between 1994 and 2005 and reported to CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research).
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Comparable Outcomes in AML/MDS Using Related, Unrelated Donors
May 2013Robin M, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant - Matched unrelated or matched sibling donors can lead to comparable transplant survival, according to a single-center research study of 108 patients with AML (n=63) and MDS (n=45). -
To Transplant or Not: Clinical Decisions in Elderly Patients with AML
May 2013Ustun C, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant - Although intensive induction chemotherapy can lead to complete remission rates of 40-60% in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), median survival is typically less than 12 months, according to the authors of this review article.
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Autologous, Allogeneic, or Chemotherapy for Transformed Follicular Lymphoma
April 2013Villa D, et al. J Clin Oncol - A multicenter cohort study of 172 patients with follicular lymphoma and subsequent biopsy-proven aggressive histology transformation. Twenty-two patients (13%) underwent allogeneic HCT, 97 (56%) underwent autologous transplant, and 53 (31%) received rituximab-containing chemotherapy.
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Graft-Versus-Tumor Effects in Advanced Malignancies
March 2013Storb R, et al. J Clin Oncol - A study of a minimal-intensity pre-transplant conditioning regimen consisting of low-dose total body irradiation with or without fludarabine has shown that it can induce strong graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effects leading to lasting remissions in 45% to 75% of patients.
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Allogeneic HCT for Neuroblastoma
March 2013Hale GA, et al. Bone Marrow Transplant - A report on the outcomes of allogeneic HCT in 143 patients with neuroblastoma reported to CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research) in 1990-2007. -
The Myth of CR2 in Adult Acute Leukemia
March 2013Forman SJ, et al. Blood - In this commentary in Blood, Drs. Stephen Forman and Jacob Rowe note that although allogeneic HCT in patients with relapsed acute leukemia in second remission (CR2) can be effective, most patients are not actually able to achieve CR2.
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HCT for Chemorefractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma
February 2013Hamadani M, et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant - This study examined 202 adults with chemotherapy-unresponsive mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who underwent allogeneic HCT between 1998 and 2010 and whose outcomes were reported to CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research). -
Risk-Stratified Adoptive Cellular Therapy After HCT for CLL
February 2013Richardson SE, et al. Br J Haematol - This study examined outcomes of 50 consecutive patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) transplanted after reduced-intensity conditioning followed by pre-emptive donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI) with the intention of reducing the risk of GVHD. -
New Autoimmune Diseases after Cord Blood Transplantation
January 2013Daikeler T, et al. Blood - An analysis of 726 cord blood transplants reported to the European cord blood transplant database has found that the cumulative incidence of autoimmune disease developing post-transplant in these patients was 5.0% at 1 year and 6.6% at 5 years. -
Myeloablative HCT Improves Survival in Younger Adults with ALL in First Remission
January 2013Gupta V, et al. Blood - A meta-analysis combining data from 13 studies including 2,962 adults has shown that allogeneic, but not autologous, hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) improves survival in younger adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in first complete remission.
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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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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).