Articles related to STEM CELLS

This article reviews the novel CXCR4 inhibitor motixafortide and its use in hematopoietic stem-cell mobilization. We present a history of stem-cell mobilization and update of recent innovations in novel mobilization strategies. Hematopoietic stem-cell mobilization is a crucial step in autologous stem-cell transplantation. Motixafortide is a novel CXCR4 inhibitor that has been shown in preclinical and clinical trials to mobilize hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for transplantation. The drug has extended in vivo activity (>48 h) and high affinity (Ki, 0.32 nM). In a phase 1, two-part study, motixafortide administered to healthy subjects was safe, well tolerated, and led to a rapid and robust increase in the number of circulating HSCs. Motixafortide has been evaluated in a randomized phase 3 trial for autologous transplantation in multiple myeloma. The study showed that the combination of motixafortide and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was superior to G-CSF alone in terms of the number of CD34+ cells collected and the time to engraftment. The drug has also been evaluated in combination with plerixafor, another CXCR4 inhibitor, in a phase 1/2 study for autologous transplantation in multiple myeloma. The study showed that the combination of motixafortide and plerixafor was safe and effective in mobilizing HSCs. Motixafortide has […]

An essential component of successfully enhancing transplant outcomes is early viral infection prevention. Clinically severe viral infections have been successfully avoided in hematopoietic cell transplant patients with prophylactic and preventive therapy with antiviral medications. Through a better understanding of the biology and risk factors, the introduction of novel antiviral agents, and developments in immunotherapy, significant progress has been made in the past few decades in preventing viral infections. There is solid proof that herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, and CMV infection and illness can be prevented. There is a dearth of information on how to effectively prevent infections with human herpesvirus 6, Epstein-Barr virus, adenovirus, and BK virus.

In patients with R/R MDS/AML, the combination ipilimumab + decitabine (IPI + DEC) therapy shows a favorable safety profile and significant therapeutic activity that doesn’t seem to require T cell-mediated alloreactivity. Potential transplant candidates may find that IPI + DEC therapy acts as a less strenuous transition to transplant. Future research is necessary to determine logical IPI-based treatment plans that can provide persistent responses without causing significant immune damage.

Especially after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), infections are a major factor in morbidity and mortality. Neutropenic diets have long been advised to prevent these infections despite the scant evidence. The results of a recent research evaluating this notion show no discernible difference between a nonrestrictive diet and infection rates, feeding outcomes, and the incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease.

Patients with previously untreated mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) have relied on autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) for more than 20 years; the current standard of care entails high-dose cytarabine-containing chemoimmunotherapy, ASCT, and rituximab maintenance. A recent clinical trial’s findings, which revealed that FFS was superior to ASCT when ibrutinib medication was added, may change this.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with Philadelphia chromosome positivity (Ph+) has a poor prognosis historically, so allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is advised after the first complete remission (CR1). The rapid achievement of a complete molecular remission (CMR), however, is associated with excellent outcomes without allo-HCT in the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) era, indicating transplant may not be necessary for these patients. To test this theory, the authors of this journal-based CME program looked into 5 transplant centers in the US to find adult Ph+ ALL patients who received induction therapy, such as TKIs, and received CMR within 90 days of diagnosis. They then compared the outcomes of people who received allo-HCT in the first remission versus those who did not.