Haploidentical Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Expanding the Horizon for Hematologic Disorders

Despite the advent of targeted therapies and novel agents, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation remains the only curative modality in the management of hematologic disorders. The necessity to find an HLA-matched related donor is a major obstacle that compromises the widespread application and development of this field. Matched unrelated donors and umbilical cord blood have emerged as alternative sources of donor stem cells; however, the cost of maintaining donor registries and cord blood banks is very high and even impractical in developing countries. Almost every patient has an HLA haploidentical relative in the family, meaning that haploidentical donors are potential sources of stem cells, especially in situations where cord blood or matched unrelated donors are not easily available. Due to the high rates of graft failure and graft-versus-host disease, haploidentical transplant was not considered a feasible option up until the late 20th century, when strategies such as “megadose stem cell infusions” and posttransplantation immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide showed the ability to overcome the HLA disparity barrier and significantly improve the rates of engraftment and reduce the incidence and severity of graft-versus-host disease. Newer technologies of graft manipulation have also yielded the same effects in addition to preserving the antileukemic cells in the donor graft

Insight into the molecular pathophysiology of myelodysplastic syndromes: targets for novel therapy

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by abnormal cellular differentiation and maturation with variable progression to acute leukemia. Over the last decade, scientific discoveries have unraveled specific pathways involved in the complex pathophysiology of MDS. Prominent examples include aberrations in cytokines and their signaling pathways (such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, SMAD proteins), mutations in genes encoding the RNA splicing machinery (SF3B1, SRSF2, ZRSR2, and U2AF1 genes), mutations in genes disrupting the epigenetic machinery (TET2, DNMT3A, DNMT3B, EZH2, ASXL1). In addition, abnormalities in regulatory T-cell dynamics and atypical interactions between the bone marrow microenvironment, stroma and progenitor cells, and abnormal maintenance of telomeres are also notable contributors to the complex pathogenesis of MDS. These pathways represent potential targets for novel therapies. Specific therapies include drugs targeting aberrant DNA methylation and chromatin remodeling, modulating/activating the immune system to enhance tumor-specific cellular immune responses and reduce anomalous cytokine signaling, and blocking abnormal interaction between hematopoietic progenitors and stromal cells

Nonmyeloablative regimen preserves "niches" allowing for peripheral expansion of donor T-cells

AbstractT-cell recovery following myeloablative preparatory regimens and cord blood transplantation in adult patients gen erally occurs between 1 and 3 years following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. T-cell reconstitution may involve thymic education of donor-derived precursors or peripheral expansion of mature T-cells transferred in the graft. We measured quantitative and qualitative immunologic reconstitution, T-cell receptor spectratyping, and T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC) levels in adult recipients of umbilical cord blood transplants following a novel nonmyeloablative regimen. These results were compared to previously published results of similar patients receiving a myeloablative regimen and cord blood stem cells. With small numbers of patients treated so far, T-cells (CD3+) reached normal levels in adults 6 to 12 months following nonmyeloablative transplantation compared with 24 months in adults receiving a myeloablative regimen. At 12 months after transplantation, the numbers of phenotypically naive (CD45RA) T-cells were higher in those receiving the nonmyeloablative regimen. The T-cell repertoire in cord blood recipients treated with a nonmyeloablative regimen was markedly more diverse and robust compared with the repertoire in those receiving the myeloablative regimen at similar time points. TRECs (which are generated within the thymus and identify new thymic emigrants and those that have not divided) were detected 12 months after transplantation in the nonmyeloablative recipients, whereas TRECs were not detected in adults until 18 to 24 months in those receiving myeloablative regimens. Thus, in adults receiving a nonmyeloablative preparatory regimen, the quantitative and qualitative recovery of T-cells occurs through rapid peripheral expansion. The ability of patients receiving a nonmyeloablative regimen to recover within a few months suggests that the peripheral niches in which T-cells can proliferate are preserved in these patients compared to those receiving ablative regimens. Moreover, the presence of TREC-positive cells within 1 year suggests that thymic recovery is likewise accelerated in non myeloablative compared to myeloablative regimens.Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2002;8(5):249-56

Universal Mask Usage for Reduction of Respiratory Viral Infections After Stem Cell Transplant: A Prospective Trial

Background. Respiratory viral infections (RVIs) are frequent complications of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Surgical masks are a simple and inexpensive intervention that may reduce nosocomial spread

Anti proliferative activity of ELACYT™ (CP-4055) in combination with cloretazine (VNP40101M), idarubicin, gemcitabine, irinotecan and topotecan in human leukemia and lymphoma cells

This study evaluated combination drug partners for CP-4055, the C18:1Δ9,trans unsaturated fatty acid ester of cytarabine in HL-60 and U937 cells. Growth inhibition was assessed by ATP assay and drug interaction by the combination index and three dimensional methods. Synergy was observed in HL-60 cells for simultaneous combinations of CP-4055 with gemcitabine, irinotecan and topotecan, while combinations with cloretazine (VNP40101M) and idarubicin were additive. In U937 cells, synergy was observed with gemcitabine and additivity for the other drugs. In HL-60, the IC50 concentration of CP-4055 could be reduced 10-fold and that of gemcitabine 3-fold in combination versus the agents alone, an interaction that was independent of drug sequence, ratio and exposure time. In contrast, interactions of CP-4055 with the topoisomerase inhibitors became antagonistic when the drugs were administered 24 h prior to CP-4055 and at certain drug ratios, particularly in U937 cells. In summary, CP-4055 produced additive to synergistic anti proliferative activity when combined simultaneously with drugs from four mechanistic classes in cell culture models of human leukemia and lymphoma. The impact of drug sequence and ratio on the interactions argues for incorporation of these parameters into the design of combination chemotherapy regimens

EuFRATE: European FPGA Radiation-hardened Architecture for Telecommunications

The EuFRATE project aims to research, develop and test radiation-hardening methods for telecommunication payloads deployed for Geostationary-Earth Orbit (GEO) using Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). This project is conducted by Argotec Group (Italy) with the collaboration of two partners: Politecnico di Torino (Italy) and Technische Universit¨at Dresden (Germany). The idea of the project focuses on high-performance telecommunication algorithms and the design and implementation strategies for connecting an FPGA device into a robust and efficient cluster of multi-FPGA systems. The radiation-hardening techniques currently under development are addressing both device and cluster levels, with redundant datapaths on multiple devices, comparing the results and isolating fatal errors. This paper introduces the current state of the project’s hardware design description, the composition of the FPGA cluster node, the proposed cluster topology, and the radiation hardening techniques. Intermediate stage experimental results of the FPGA communication layer performance and fault detection techniques are presented. Finally, a wide summary of the project’s impact on the scientific community is provided

Phase II open label study of the oral vascular endothelial growth factor-receptor inhibitor PTK787/ZK222584 (vatalanib) in adult patients with refractory or relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

PTK787/ZK222584 (Vatalanib), an orally active inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGF-Rs), was evaluated in this phase II study of 20 patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Patients received once daily PTK787/ZK222584 at a target dose of 1250mg. Eighteen patients were evaluable for response: 1 patient had a complete response (CR), 6 patients had stable disease but subsequently progressed, 10 patients had progressive disease by 3 cycles, and 1 subject withdrew before response evaluation. The patient who attained a CR underwent autologous stem cell transplantation and remains disease free 76 months after study completion. There were no grade 4 toxicities. Grade 3 thrombocytopenia occurred in 20% and grade 3 hypertension occurred in 10%. There were no episodes of grade 3 proteinuria. In conclusion, PTK787/ZK222584 was well tolerated in a heavily pretreated population of DLBCL patients, though its therapeutic potential as a single agent in DLBCL appears limited

Impact of Venetoclax and Azacitidine in Treatment-Naïve Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and IDH1/2 Mutations

partially_open16Purpose: To evaluate efficacy and safety of venetoclax + azacitidine among treatment-naïve patients with IDH1/2-mutant (mut) acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Patients and methods: Data were pooled from patients enrolled in a phase III study (NCT02993523) that compared patients treated with venetoclax + azacitidine or placebo + azacitidine and a prior phase Ib study (NCT02203773) where patients were treated with venetoclax + azacitidine. Enrolled patients were ineligible for intensive therapy due to age ≥75 years and/or comorbidities. Patients on venetoclax + azacitidine received venetoclax 400 mg orally (days 1-28) and azacitidine (75 mg/m2; days 1-7/28-day cycle). Results: In the biomarker-evaluable population, IDH1/2mut was detected in 81 (26%) and 28 (22%) patients in the venetoclax + azacitidine and azacitidine groups. Composite complete remission [CRc, complete remission (CR)+CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi)] rates (venetoclax + azacitidine/azacitidine) among patients with IDH1/2mut were 79%/11%, median duration of remission (mDoR) was 29.5/9.5 months, and median overall survival (mOS) was 24.5/6.2 months. CRc rates among patients with IDH1/2 wild-type (WT) were 63%/31%, mDoR 17.5/10.3 months, and mOS 12.3/10.1 months. In patients with IDH1mut, CRc rates (venetoclax + azacitidine/azacitidine) were 66.7%/9.1% and mOS 15.2/2.2 months. In patients with IDH2mut, CRc rates were 86.0%/11.1% and mOS not reached (NR)/13.0 months. Patients with IDH1/2 WT AML treated with venetoclax + azacitidine with poor-risk cytogenetics had inferior outcomes compared with patients with IDH1/2mut, who had superior outcomes regardless of cytogenetic risk (mOS, IDH1/2mut: intermediate-risk, 24.5 months; poor-risk, NR; IDH1/2 WT: intermediate, 19.2 and poor, 7.4 months). There were no unexpected toxicities in the venetoclax + azacitidine group. Conclusions: Patients with IDH1/2mut who received venetoclax + azacitidine had high response rates, durable remissions, and significant OS; cytogenetic risk did not mitigate the favorable outcomes seen from this regimen for IDH1/2mut.partially_openembargoed_20230131Pollyea, Daniel A; DiNardo, Courtney D; Arellano, Martha L; Pigneux, Arnaud; Fiedler, Walter; Konopleva, Marina; Rizzieri, David A; Smith, B Douglas; Shinagawa, Atsushi; Lemoli, Roberto M; Dail, Monique; Duan, Yinghui; Chyla, Brenda; Potluri, Jalaja; Miller, Catherine L; Kantarjian, Hagop MPollyea, Daniel A; Dinardo, Courtney D; Arellano, Martha L; Pigneux, Arnaud; Fiedler, Walter; Konopleva, Marina; Rizzieri, David A; Smith, B Douglas; Shinagawa, Atsushi; Lemoli, Roberto M; Dail, Monique; Duan, Yinghui; Chyla, Brenda; Potluri, Jalaja; Miller, Catherine L; Kantarjian, Hagop

Improved efficacy using rituximab and brief duration, high intensity chemotherapy with filgrastim support for Burkitt or aggressive lymphomas: cancer and Leukemia Group B study 10 002

To improve long-term outcomes for Burkitt leukaemia/lymphoma (BL) or aggressive lymphomas in adults, we assessed the benefit of adding rituximab and filgrastim support to a dose-dense modified chemotherapy regimen from the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) 9251 trial. One hundred and five patients (aged 19–79 years) were enrolled; 27% were >60 years old; 47% had high or high-intermediate risk by International Prognostic Index (IPI) criteria. Common severe toxicities included stomatitis/upper gastrointestinal toxicity (69%), renal insufficiency (10%), neurological events (25%) and pulmonary events (18%). Seven died from treatment-related causes (1 central nervous system bleed, 4 infections, 2 respiratory failure); 5 were > 60 years old. Results in this adult population are encouraging as complete response (CR) was observed in 83% and 4-year event-free (EFS) and overall survivals (OS) were 74% and 78%, respectively. Results compare favourably to our prior chemotherapy alone study (CALGB 9251) but despite this, high-risk patients still had worse outcomes. In conclusion, short duration, intensive chemo-immunotherapy is feasible and should be considered in adults with BL as it results in high remission rates and durable remissions

The genetic landscape of immune-competent and HIV lymphoma

This journal supplement is Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Malignancies in AIDS and Other Acquired Immunodeficiencies (ICMAOI)Open Access JournalBurkitt lymphoma (BL) and diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are aggressive forms of lymphoma in adults and demonstrate overlapping morphology, immunophenotype and clinical behavior. The risk of developing these tumors increases ten to hundred-fold in the setting of HIV infection. The genetic causes and the role of specific mutations, especially in the setting of HIV, are largely unknown. The decoding of the human genome and the advent of high-throughput sequencing have provided rich opportunities for the comprehensive identification of the genetic causes of cancer. In order to comprehensively identify genes that are recurrently mutated in immune-competent DLBCL and BL, we obtained a total of 92 cases of DLBCLs and 40 cases of BL. These cases were compared to a set of 5 DLBCLs and BL tumors derived from patients with HIV. The DLBCL cases were divided into a discovery set (N=34) and …link_to_OA_fulltextThe 13th International Conference on Malignancies in AIDS and Other Acquired Immunodeficiencies (ICAMAOI), Bethesda, MD., 7-8 November 2011. In Infectious Agents and Cancer, 2011, v. 7 suppl. 1, article no. O