Stem cell transplantation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Despite the significant progress that has been made in recent years in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), mainly due to the introduction of monoclonal antibodies, allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation remains the only method that could potentially cure CLL. However, because of high peritransplant mortality, this method is reserved only for patients with high-risk CLL. Autologous transplantation is currently not recommended for patients with CLL due to the lack of advantage over the standard first-line FCR immunochemotherapy and the lack of efficacy in high-risk CLL

Plerixafor for patients who fail cytokine-or chemotherapy-based stem cell mobilization: Results of a prospective study by the Polish Lymphoma Research Group (PLRG)

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (autoHSCT) requires collection of sufficient number of hematopoietic stem cells. The goal of this study was to evaluate efficacy of plerixafor used in patients with lymphoid malignancies failing conventional stem cell mobilization.This was a prospective, non-interventional study. All consecutive patients (n = 109) treated with plerixafor in 11 centers were reported. The drug was used either in case of previous mobilization failure (n = 67) or interventionally, in case of insufficient CD34 cell output during current mobilization (n = 42). Successful mobilization was defined as resulting in collection of ≥ 2 × 10 CD34 cells/kg for single autoHSCT or ≥ 4 × 10 CD34 cells/kg for double procedure.The overall rate of successful mobilization was 55% (55% for single and 56% for double autoHSCT). The median total number of collected CD34 cells/kg was 2.4 (range, 0-11.5) for patients intended for a single transplantation while 4.0 (0.6-16.9) for double procedure. The number of circulating CD34 cells increased after the use of plerixafor regardless of baseline values. The median fold increase was 3.3 (0.3-155). Data from this observational study confirm high efficacy of plerixafor used in routine clinical practice as salvage for patients with lymphoid malignancies failing conventional stem cell mobilization

Direct Democracy in the EU –The Myth of a Citizens’ Union. CEPS Paperback, November 2018

The European Union has a democracy problem. The polycrisis that has plagued the EU for years has led to a cacophony of voices calling for fundamental change to the integration project. Yet despite the shock of the Brexit referendum and the electoral upsets caused by nativist parties across the continent, few of the plans for EU reform include concrete proposals to address the perennial democratic deficit. This book looks at how the relationship between citizens, the state and EU institutions has changed in a multi-layered Union. As such, it focuses more on polity than on populism, and does not engage deeply with policy or output legitimacy. Building on the notion of increasing social, economic and political interdependence across borders, this book asks whether a sense of solidarity and European identity can be rescued from the bottom up by empowering citizens to ‘take back control’ of their Union. Direct Democracy in the EU: The Myth of a Citizens’ Union is part of the 'Towards a Citizens’ Union' project and is the product of collaboration with 20 renowned think tanks from the European Policy Institutes Network (EPIN). It is the first of three publications that will also cover the state of representative democracy in the EU and the accountability of democratic institutions