Donor Stem Cell Transplant With No or Low-Intensity Chemotherapy Using Sirolimus and Treated Immune Cells to Treat Blood and Lymph Cancers

Clinical Trial Summary

Background:

Patients with cancers of the blood and immune system often benefit from transplants of stem cells from a genetically well-matched sibling. However, severe problems may follow these transplants because of the high-dose chemotherapy and radiation that accompany the procedure. Also, donated immune cells sometimes attack healthy tissues in a reaction called graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), damaging organs such as the liver, intestines and skin. To reduce toxicity of high-dose preparative chemotherapy, this study performs allogeneic transplant after low doses of chemotherapy. In an attempt to improve anti-tumor effects without increasing GVHD, this study uses donor immune cells (T helper 2 (Th2) cells) grown in the laboratory; some patients will receive standard donor immune cells (not grown in laboratory). All patients will receive immune modulating drugs sirolimus and cyclosporine to prevent GVHD.

Objective:

To determine the safety, treatment effects and rate of GVHD in patients receiving transplants that use low-intensity chemotherapy, sirolimus plus cyclosporine, and transplant booster with either Th2 cells or standard immune cells.

Eligibility:

Patients 16 to 75 years of age with acute or chronic leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, or myelodysplastic syndrome.

Patients must have a suitable genetically matched sibling donor and adequate kidney, heart and lung function.

Design: The protocol has three treatment groups: cohort 1, Th2 booster at two weeks post-transplant; cohort 2, standard T cell booster at two weeks post-transplant; cohort 3, multiple infusion of Th2 cells.

Condition: Hematologic Neoplasms, Myeloproliferative Disorders

Intervention: Biological; therapeutic allogeneic lymphocytes

Drug: Sirolimus

Study Type: Interventional

Study Design: Primary Purpose: Treatment

Phase: Phase II

Background

In protocol 99-C-0143, we evaluated a new approach to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) that involved intensive host T cell ablation and graft augmentation with in vitro generated donor T helper 2 (Th2) cells. Rapid full donor engraftment occurred with this regimen; however, grade II to IV acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) was not significantly reduced in Th2 cell recipients. In an attempt to improve clinical results using Th2 cell graft engineering, this second-generation Th2 cell clinical trial was developed that incorporates the following interventions: (1) In an attempt to reduce transplant-related toxicity, this protocol now uses a very low-intensity host preparative chemotherapy; (2) In an attempt to reduce GVHD, this study will utilize Th2 cells expanded in the presence of the immune modulation agent, rapamycin (sirolimus), as murine Th2 cells grown in rapamycin reduce GVHD more effectively than control Th2 cells; (3) To further reduce GVHD, subjects will receive a short-course of sirolimus therapy in addition to standard cyclosporine GVHD prophylaxis; and (4) Using this novel low-intensity transplant platform, compare in a preliminary manner the post-transplant outcome of patients receiving pre-emptive donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) using either Th2 cells or unmanipulated donor T cells.

Objectives

In the setting of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched sibling allogeneic HSCT using GVHD prophylaxis of cyclosporine and short-course sirolimus, compare in a preliminary manner the safety, feasibility, alloengraftment, clinical anti-tumor effects, and GVHD rate of low-intensity Preparative Chemotherapy with pre-emptive DLI using either Th2 cells or unmanipulated T cells at day 14 post-HSCT.

Eligibility

Subjects that are 16 to 75 years of age that have a suitable 6/6 HLA-matched sibling donor are potentially eligible. Subjects with a diagnosis of acute or chronic leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, or myelodysplastic syndrome are potentially eligible. Adequate kidney, cardiac, and pulmonary function are required.

Design

- Patients age 18 or older with lymphoma (all types) or chronic lymphocytic leukemia will be randomized just prior to the transplant regimen to receive DLI with either donor Th2 cells (cohort 1) or unmanipulated T cells (cohort 2); n=10 patients will be accrued to each arm provided that stopping rules pertaining to excessive GVHD or graft rejection are not met. For these randomized patients, the preparative regimen will consist of low-intensity fludarabine (120 mg/m(2)) plus cyclophosphamide (1200 mg/m(2)) and GVHD prophylaxis will consist of short-course, high-dose sirolimus followed by maintenance cyclosporine. Cohorts 1 and 2 will be compared in a preliminary manner with respect to their post-transplant outcome, in particular: (a) conversion of mixed chimerism to predominant donor chimerism; (b) rate and severity of classical acute and late acute GVHD at the day 100 and day 180 post-transplant time points; and (c) time to induction of leukemia/lymphoma remission (if entering transplant with disease) or time to relapse (if entering transplant in remission).

- Patients with non-lymphoma diagnoses, patients with lymphoma that are under the age of 18 and lymphoma patients that are projected to be unable to complete the protocol-defined therapy through day 180 post-transplant will not be randomized but will be treated on cohort 3 (n=40), which will evaluate transplantation without the Flu/Cy preparative regimen and with pre-emptive Th2 cell DLI. The primary objective of cohort 3 is to evaluate whether transplantation without a preparative regimen will reduce the rate of acute GVHD associated with Th2 cell DLI from 41% (the rate observed with the fludarabine/cyclophosphamide (Flu/Cy) preparative regimen) to a rate of 15% (6 cases out of 40). ;

Study Design

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Leukemia
• Lymphoma
• Multiple Myleoma
• Myelodysplastic Syndrome
• Myelodysplastic Syndromes
• Myeloproliferative Disorders
• Preleukemia
• Syndrome