Methods to Enhance the Safety and Effectiveness of Stem Cell Transplants
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2014-04-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Bone marrow stem cell transplants (otherwise called bone marrow transplants) from healthy
donors are sometimes the only means of curing hematological malignant diseases such as acute
and chronic leukemias, myelodysplastic syndrome, myeloproliferative diseases and lymphomas.
Before transplant the patient receives chemotherapy and radiation treatment to reduce the
malignancy to low levels and to prevent rejection of the transplant. The transplant restores
the blood counts to normal and replaces the patients immunity with that of the donor. The
donors immune cells increase the effect of the transplant by attacking remaining malignant
cells. Donor immune cells (especially those called T lymphocytes) also attack healthy
non-cancerous cells and tissues of the recipient causing "graft-versus-host-disease" (GVHD).
Strong GVHD reactions occurring within weeks after the transplant can be life-threatening .
In this study we remove most of the T lymphocytes from the transplant to minimize the risk of
GVHD. However to improve immunity against residual malignant cells and boost immunity to
infections, donor T cells (stored frozen at time of transplant) are given back around 90 days
after the transplant when they have a reduced risk of causing serious GVHD.
Any patient between 10 and 75 years of age with acute or chronic leukemia, myelodysplastic
syndrome, myeloproliferative syndromes or lymphoma, who have a family member who is a
suitable stem cell donor may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a
medical history and various tests and examinations.