Active clinical trials for "Preleukemia"

Background: Major problems with stem cell transplantation (SCT) for cancer treatment are a lack of suitable donors for patients without a human leukocyte-antigen (HLA) tissue-matched sibling and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a serious side effects of immune-suppressing chemotherapy that is given to bring the cancer under control before SCT. In GVHD, the patients immune system attacks the transplanted donor cells. This study will try to improve the results of SCT from unrelated HLA-matched donors using targeted immune-depleting chemotherapy to bring the cancer under control before transplantation and to lower the chance of graft rejection, followed by reduced-intensity transplant chemotherapy to make the procedure less toxic. Objectives: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of targeted immune-depleting chemotherapy followed by reduced-intensity transplant chemotherapy in patients with advanced cancers of the blood and immune system. To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of two different drug combinations to prevent GVHD. Both regimens have been successful in preventing GVHD, but they work by different mechanisms and affect the rebuilding of the immune system after the transplant. Eligibility: People 18 to 74 years of age with advanced or high-risk cancers of the blood and immune system who do not have a suitable HLA-matched sibling. Design: All patients receive chemotherapy before transplant to treat the cancer and suppress immune function. All patients receive a conditioning regimen of cyclophosphamide for 4 days and fludarabine for 4 days before SCT to prepare for the transplant. Patients are randomly assigned to one of two combination drug treatments to prevent GHVD as follows: Group 1: Tacrolimus starting 3 days before SCT and continuing for 6 months, plus methotrexate on days 1, 3, 6, and 11 post-SCT, plus sirolimus starting 3 days before the SCT and continues for 6 months following SCT. Group 2: Alemtuzumab for 4 days starting 8 days before SCT, plus cyclosporine starting 1 day before SCT and continuing for 6 months. Patients receive the donors stem cells and immune cells 2 days after completing the conditioning regimen. Patients are followed at the clinic regularly for the first 6 months after SCT, and then less often for at least 5 years. Some visits may include bone marrow aspirates and biopsies, blood draws, and other tests to monitor disease status. A skin biopsy, oral mucosa biopsy, and saliva collection are done to study chronic GVHD. ...

Certain percentage of MDS patients develop iron overload. Iron is known to participate in intracellular reactions that generate free radicals, inducing oxidative stress and apoptosis, which was found to be increased in MDS patients and consequently resulted in ineffective hematopoiesis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the antioxidant effect of the oral iron chelator Deferasirox -Exjade in low risk MDS patients with iron over load by evaluating changes in several oxidative stress parameters Certain percentage of MDS patients develop iron overload.

RATIONALE: Giving chemotherapy before a donor peripheral stem cell transplant or bone marrow transplant using stem cells from a brother or sister that closely match the patient's stem cells, helps stop the growth of cancer or abnormal cells. It also helps stop the patient's immune system from rejecting the donor's stem cells. The donated stem cells may replace the patient's immune cells and help destroy any remaining cancer or abnormal cells (graft-versus-tumor effect). Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can also make an immune response against the body's normal cells. Giving colony-stimulating factors, such as G-CSF, to the donor helps the stem cells move from the bone marrow to the blood so they can be collected and stored. Giving methotrexate and cyclosporine before and after transplant may stop this from happening. It is not yet known whether a donor peripheral stem cell transplant is more effective than a donor bone marrow transplant in treating hematologic cancers or other diseases. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying filgrastim-mobilized sibling donor peripheral stem cell transplant to see how well it works compared with sibling donor bone marrow transplant in treating patients with hematologic cancers or other diseases.

This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of GTI-2040 in treating patients with relapsed, refractory, or high-risk acute leukemia, high-grade myelodysplastic syndromes, or refractory or blastic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as GTI-2040, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer or abnormal cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing.

This study will test the safety and effectiveness of two vaccines on slowing disease progression, improving blood counts, reducing the need for transfusions of blood and platelets, or achieving remission in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS, also known as myelodysplasia), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The vaccines consist of peptides (parts of proteins) found in MDS, AML and CML stem cells, combined with a substance called "MontanideTM". They are administered with granulocyte- macrophage colony- stimulating factor (GM-CSF). The Montanide and the GM-CSF help the immune system respond to the vaccines. People 18 years of age or older with MDS, AML or CML may be eligible for this study. Participants receive six injections of the vaccines, one dose every other week for a total of 10 weeks. The injections are given in the upper arm, upper leg, or abdomen. A separate injection of GM-CSF is given in the same area as the vaccine injections. Subjects are observed for 2 hours after the first vaccination and at least 30 minutes after each subsequent vaccination for allergic reactions. In addition to the vaccination, subjects undergo the following: History and physical exam, chest x-ray, blood tests and bone marrow aspirate and biopsy before starting the vaccinations. Safety monitoring during vaccine administration (every other week for 10 weeks) with blood tests and check of vital signs. Follow-up safety monitoring (weeks 12 and 16) with blood tests every visit, chest x-ray at week 12 and bone marrow biopsy visit 16.

The main purpose of this study is to learn how patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) respond to the study drug dasatinib. The study drug, dasatinib, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of leukemia, but has not been approved for the treatment of other kinds of cancer. The use of dasatinib in this study is considered experimental.

RATIONALE: Giving chemotherapy and total body irradiation before a donor bone marrow transplant or peripheral blood stem cell transplant helps stop the growth of cancer cells. It also helps stop the patient's immune system from rejecting the donor's stem cells. When the healthy stem cells from a donor are infused into the patient they may help the patient's bone marrow make stem cells, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can make an immune response against the body's normal cells. Giving antithymocyte globulin and removing the T cells from the donor cells before transplant may stop this from happening. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of donor T cells and antithymocyte globulin when given together with chemotherapy and total-body irradiation in treating young patients who are undergoing T-cell depleted donor stem cell transplant for myelodysplastic syndrome, leukemia, bone marrow failure syndrome, or severe immunodeficiency disease.

RATIONALE: Bortezomib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well bortezomib works in treating patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

RATIONALE: Giving low doses of chemotherapy, such as fludarabine and busulfan, before a donor peripheral blood stem cell transplant helps stop the growth of cancer cells. It also stops the patient's immune system from rejecting the donor's stem cells. The donated stem cells may replace the patient's immune system and help destroy any remaining cancer cells (graft-versus-tumor effect). Giving an infusion of the donor's T cells (donor lymphocyte infusion) after the transplant may help increase this effect. Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can also make an immune response against the body's normal cells. Giving cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil after the transplant may stop this from happening. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects of giving busulfan and fludarabine together with total-body irradiation and to see how well they work in treating patients who are undergoing a donor stem cell transplant for hematologic cancer.

This is a new platform in non-myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation to improve survival by harnessing the immunologic potential of donor T-cells to induce and maintain long-term remissions in patients with hematologic malignancies without undue toxicity. This study involves is the first study in humans directed at optimizing the graft vs leukemia effect by infusing activated T-cells from healthy donors prophylactically, months after recovery from the initial transplant. Investigators are studying whether the activation of donor cells prior to infusion will enhance the patient's ability to "seek and destroy" residual malignant cells while also helping the immune system to fight infection without increasing the immune reaction against the host.