Active clinical trials for "Graft vs Host Disease"

Interventional non-randomized trial. The duration of study will be 47 months. After haploidentical transplantation, patients without complications, mainly a GVHD ≥ grade 2, will receive mDLI. mDLI consists of donor lymphocytes infusion, harvested by apheresis the day before the day planned for infusion (or up to -7 days) as outpatient basis in the Day Hospital using a cell separator. The mDLIs preparation will be performed using a CliniMACS® (Miltenyi). A CD45RA-depletion Product LineTM from Miltenyi, including disposable reagents and devices, will be used. The planned number of mDLI is 3. Day +50 (+/- 7 days) from allogenic transplant, 1st mDLI 5x105CD3+/kg of recipient. 4-6 weeks after 1st DLI, 2nd mDLI 1x106CD3+/kg of recipient. 4-6 weeks after 2nd DLI, 3rd mDLI 5x106CD3+/kg of recipient. Day +50 was chosen as the starting time-point because at that time over two thirds of all acute GvHD episodes have already occurred in the absence of DLI (internal data, median +49 after bone marrow, +27 after peripheral stem cells); acute GvHD will thus be less likely a confounding factor. The choice of a maximum number of 3 mDLIs is based on the relatively narrow time interval where outcome improvement is expected, that is mainly in the first 6 months after haplo-HSCT. The planned doses are those mainly used in conventional DLIs during haplo-HSCT setting. Stopping infusion rules: If GvHD ≥ Grade 2 or relapse occurs, mDLIs will not be administered at any time and patient will be permanently discontinued from treatment. If any severe adverse event (SAE) occurs after the first mDLI, the administration of mDLI will be interrupted for a maximum of 6 weeks until event resolution. If the SAE does not resolve after 6 weeks from last mDLI infusion, patient will be permanently discontinued. At any time, the experimental treatment may be stopped according to clinical judgement or patient's willing.

This research study investigates the benefits and possible risks of adding both etanercept (Enbrel) and ECP (extracorporeal photopheresis) to the conventional preventative (or prophylactic) treatments for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). GVHD is a common, serious, and too often fatal, complication after matched unrelated donor stem cell transplantation, regardless of the pre-transplant conditioning regimen used (full or reduced intensity). Reduced intensity transplants which employ lower doses of chemotherapy during the conditioning phase of the transplant, are less toxic than full intensity transplants. Reduced intensity transplants may extend the unrelated donor transplant option to older patients or to patients with existing medical conditions or illness, where a full intensity transplant is not possible. To be successful, reduced intensity transplants need to offset any lower effectiveness in killing cancer cells during the conditioning phase, with the establishment of a donor cell, graft-versus-leukemia effect (GVL). The GVL effect and GVHD are associated with each other and therefore, the goal of GVHD prophylaxis for this study is not so much to prevent all GVHD, but rather to prevent serious and fatal acute GVHD. Most GVHD-related deaths are either the direct consequence of severe GVHD or from infections associated with intense immunosuppression, a consequence of the standard treatments for acute GVHD, which almost always include high-dose steroids. A more effective prophylaxis therapy that allows for the GVL effect to develop, while limiting the exposure to high-dose steroids may reduce transplant mortality and morbidity. We also will study how key chemical and cellular factors relate to clinical outcome.

In this study, a combination of two T-cell directed antibodies both conjugated to a cell-killing toxin will be evaluated. Previous in vitro studies have demonstrated that this so-called immunotoxin-combination (IT-combination) acts synergistically in eliminating T cells. In a subsequent clinical pilot-study, the IT-combination has generated encouraging results when applied as third line therapy. Extensive biological and clinical responses could be noted in the absence of severe acute toxicities. Building on this experience, the current study aims at evaluating the characteristics of the IT-combination when administered in an earlier phase of the disease, i.e. as second line instead of as third line therapy.

The purpose of this trial is to assess whether an adaptation of cyclosporine (CsA) dose according to a longitudinal calcineurin (CN) activity monitoring would prevent the onset of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

The purpose of this research is to compare the effectiveness of Tacrolimus and Rapamycin to Tacrolimus and Methotrexate in the prevention of severe graft-versus-host-disease. Graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) is a risk associated with allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplants (HCT). An allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant is a transplant using bone marrow and blood cells that come from someone other than the patient (a donor).

RATIONALE: Cyclosporine eye drops may prevent graft-versus-host disease of the eye in patients who have undergone donor stem cell transplant for hematologic cancer or bone marrow failure disorder. PURPOSE: This randomized phase I trial is studying how well cyclosporine eye drops work in preventing graft-versus-host disease of the eye in patients who have undergone donor stem cell transplant for hematologic cancer or bone marrow failure disorder.

This study will determine if a dexamethasone mouth rinse can reduce the risk of developing oral chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) in patients who have undergone a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant procedure. cGVHD is a common complication of stem cell transplantation, resulting from the donor cells attacking the transplant recipient's tissues. In oral cGVHD, the tissues in the mouth are damaged, causing painful mouth sores. Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid that is commonly used to treat inflammation. It is the only corticosteroid available that can be used as a mouth rinse. Patients 12 years of age or older who have received a stem cell transplant may be eligible to participate if they are enrolled within 70 to 90 days of their transplant. Candidates are screened with a medical history and oral exam. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either the dexamethasone rinse or a placebo (a solution that looks and tastes like the dexamethasone rinse but has no active medication). They undergo the following procedures: Treatment with the study solution. Patients rinse their mouth with the dexamethasone solution or placebo three times a day for 3 months. Clinic visits before starting treatment and at 1, 2 and 3 months after starting the study drug for the following procedures: Oral exam (before starting treatment and at each visit). Photographs of the mouth (before starting treatment and at 3 months). Biopsy from inside the cheek (before starting treatment). The inside of the cheek is numbed and a small piece of tissue is removed for examination by a pathologist. Saliva sample collection (before starting treatment). Blood draw (before starting treatment and at each visit). Quality-of-life questionnaires (before starting treatment and at 3 months). Questionnaire to assess level of dry mouth and mouth pain (before starting treatment and at each visit). Review of medications (at each visit). ACTH stimulation test to evaluate adrenal gland function (at 3 months). Patients are given an injection of a drug called "ACTH" or "cosyntropin" which is a version of a hormone normally produced by the pituitary gland. Blood samples are drawn before the injection and at 30 and 60 minutes after the injection to measure levels of the hormone cortisol. After treatment ends, participants are contacted by telephone every month for 6 months to report any symptoms of cGVHD, and they return to the clinic at 6 months for a final evaluation.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the ability of sirolimus to prevent graft versus host disease (GVHD) in patients following stem cell transplant from a related donor.

This study aims to assess the safety and efficacy of autologous fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in gastrointestinal (GI) related graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Stool for FMT will be prepared from pre-allogeneic stem cell transplantation (Allo-SCT) period. This strategy might offer a novel and safe therapeutic approach for these patients, who suffer from high disease related morbidity and mortality and are refractory to multiple treatments.

The purpose of this prospective randomized study is to determine whether infusions of T-memory cells prevent infections in children with leukemia after allogeneic alpha, beta T-cell receptor (TcRab)/CD19-depleted hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).