View clinical trials related to Graft vs Host Disease.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to measure the effectiveness of 2 drugs, tacrolimus and sirolimus, in preventing graft versus host disease (GVHD) after treatment with chemotherapy followed by donor cord blood transplantation.
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is the treatment of choice for a growing number of malignant and non-malignant indications. Until recently, myeloablative in conjunction with immunosuppressive conditioning was considered mandatory for the elimination of malignant hematopoietic cells and to prevent graft rejection. The aim of allogeneic non-myeloablative stem cell transplantation (NST) is to induce host-to-graft tolerance with fast and durable engraftment of donor stem cells, by means of conditioning, which is well-tolerated by patients. The rationale behind the NST strategy is to induce optimal graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effects for the elimination of all malignant cells by alloreactive immunocompetent cells from a matched donor as an alternative to standard high-dose myeloablative chemo radiotherapy. The NST protocol is therefore mainly based on immunosuppression and thus contains fludarabine, low dose busulfan and anti-T-lymphocyte globulin (ATG). Thymoglobuline is a polyclonal rabbit antiserum specific for human T cells used in organ transplantation for induction of tolerance and rejection prevention and treatment. It was also used in stem-cell transplantation (SCT) for the same purposes (e.g. for generation of tolerance and rejection preclusion) as well as a treatment for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Data from myeloablative protocols suggest that ATG before SCT significantly reduces the risk for grade III-IV acute GVHD. This does not translate to a reduction in transplant-related mortality (TRM) because of the increased risk for infections and thus survival is unchanged. Extensive chronic GVHD was also significantly shown to be reduced in patients receiving ATG in the myeloablative setting. However, the role of ATG in the NST protocol was never evaluated in a prospective randomized trial. In view of the preliminary data suggesting of an additive effect of ATG in these circumstances we, the investigators at Hadassah Medical Organization, evaluate the effect of ATG in NST by a prospective randomized trial.
Twenty-four (2 x 12) patients with intestinal graft versus host disease (GVHD) Grades 2, 3 or 4 will be treated with budesonide 3mg three times daily or placebo for 12 weeks. All of the patients will receive cyclosporine and by mouth (po) prednisone or intravenous (IV) methylprednisone with a starting dose of 2mg/kg/day (standard anti-GVHD treatment). Doses of steroids will be decreased by approximately 10% or 10mg per week (depending upon patient’s weight) upon response to therapy, defined as a decrease of volume of diarrhea by 50% per day, decrease in abdominal pain and no presence of bloody stool. Patients with Grades 3 or 4 will be withdrawn from the study if there is no response after one week of therapy. Patients with Grade 2 may continue with no decrease in prednisone dose until response is achieved.
RATIONALE: Alemtuzumab, tacrolimus, and methylprednisolone may be an effective treatment for graft-versus-host disease caused by a donor stem cell transplant. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving alemtuzumab together with tacrolimus and methylprednisolone works in treating acute graft-versus-host disease in patients who have undergone donor stem cell transplant.
Graft-vs.-Host Disease (GVHD) is a major complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT) commonly affecting the skin, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and eye. The most common clinical manifestations of ocular GVHD generally result from involvement of the lacrimal gland and the conjunctiva. Lacrimal gland involvement can lead to aqueous tear deficiency resulting in severe keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) which can significantly increase the morbidity of patients with chronic GVHD. Systemic immunosuppressants such as cyclosporine (CsA) can be effective for treating ocular GVHD including lacrimal gland dysfunction. However, systemic immunosuppression is not generally prescribed for patients whose sole manifestation of GVHD is ocular complications as it may negate the overall graft-vs.-tumor effect and decrease patient survival. Topical CsA and corticosteroids are generally not effective for treating aqueous tear deficiency possible due to epithelial barriers preventing penetration of the drugs to the lacrimal gland. A sustained-release subconjunctival CsA implant was developed to bypass these epithelial barriers and significantly increase the CsA concentrations in the lacrimal gland to treat aqueous tear deficiency related to GVHD. The objective of this randomized pilot study is to investigate the safety and potential efficacy of a CsA implant in patients with lacrimal gland involvement and aqueous tear deficiency related to GVHD. Safety will be evaluated in terms of adverse events related to the implant. Efficacy will be evaluated by changes in Schirmer tear test (with anesthesia). Secondary efficacy evaluation will include changes in corneal and conjunctival staining grades, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), changes in conjunctival GVHD grades, tear break-up time and meibomian gland dysfunction. Patients with active systemic GVHD with aqueous tear deficiency associated with lacrimal gland dysfunction following allogeneic hematopoietic SCT who are nine years of age or older are eligible for inclusion in this pilot study. The study will involve surgical placement of the CsA implant into the subconjunctival space adjacent to the lacrimal gland of one eye in each participant. Participants older than 12 years of age will be randomized to receive one of two implant release rates. All participants under the age of 12 will receive the smaller, lower dose implant. However, all participants under age 12 will not be randomized and will only be eligible to receive the smaller, lower dose implant. The implant will remain in place for up to two years and then be removed. IF the participant has clinical success, they will be given the option of allowing the implant to remain in place for an additional year. Clinical success is achieved if the participant meets any of the following measures in either eye assessed at the 1-year visit: Interval change from baseline characteristics Decrease in corneal staining by greater than or equal to 2 Decrease in temporal or nasal conjunctival staining grades by greater than or equal to 2 Decrease in total staining grade by greater than or equal to 2 Decrease in OSDI calculated score by greater than or equal to 20% Increase in Schirmer tear test measurement by greater than or equal to 3 mm Meets mild-moderate KCS characteristics at 1 year Corneal staining grade less than or equal to 3 Nasal or temporal conjunctival staining grades less than or equal to 3 OSDI calculated score less than or equal to 15 Schirmer tear test measurement greater than or equal to 5 mm For participants with implant duration of one year, safety evaluations will be conducted at baseline (pre-implantation) and monthly post-implantation for 13 months. Additional safety assessments will be done at 1 day, and at 1 and 2 weeks post-operatively for implant placement and removal procedures. Safety and efficacy evaluations will be conducted at baseline, at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-implantation, and at 3 months following implant removal (15 months post-implantation). For participants with clinical success and who choose the implant to remain for another year, visits will be held as described above then conducted at 2-month intervals starting at month 14. Safety evaluations will be conducted every 2 months until the end of the second year. Additional safety assessments will be done at 1 day, and at 1 and 2 weeks post-operatively for implant removal procedures. Safety and efficacy evaluations will be conducted at 16, 20, and 24 months post-implantation, and at 3 months following implant removal (27 months post-implantation).
This phase II trial studies pentostatin and donor lymphocyte infusion in preventing graft rejection in patients who have undergone donor stem cell transplant. Giving pentostatin and an infusion of the donor's T cells (donor lymphocyte infusion) after a donor stem cell transplant may 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 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 pentostatin before donor lymphocyte infusion may stop this from happening.
RATIONALE: Tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil may be an effective treatment for graft-versus-host disease caused by donor stem cell transplantation. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving tacrolimus together with mycophenolate mofetil works in preventing acute graft-versus-host disease in patients who are undergoing donor stem cell transplantation for advanced hematologic cancer.
RATIONALE: Sirolimus, tacrolimus, and methotrexate may be effective in preventing acute graft-versus-host disease in patients who are undergoing donor stem cell transplantation. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects of sirolimus when given together with tacrolimus and methotrexate and to see how well they work in preventing acute graft-versus-host disease in patients who are undergoing donor stem cell transplantation for hematologic cancer.
This study involves the use of a drug called Thymoglobulin, which is approved in the USA to treat kidney transplant rejection and in Canada to treat and to prevent kidney transplant rejection. Thymoglobulin is not approved for the treatment or prophylaxis of graft versus host disease in bone marrow transplantation. This study is to evaluate two (2) doses of Thymoglobulin and its safety and effectiveness when used with a "myeloablative" conditioning regimen prior to receiving a stem cell transplant (also called bone marrow transplantation) from a matched, related donor. A myeloablative regimen is typically composed of chemotherapy and radiation and destroys the subject's existing bone marrow. Subjects meeting all inclusion and exclusion criteria and who have a relative with matching (genetically similar) stem cells who are also willing to donate them (i.e. matched-related-donor) are eligible to participate in this study. Following myeloablative therapy, the donor's cells are then transplanted (i.e. infused) into the subject's blood stream. One of the most common complications of this type of transplant is graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). This is a condition where the transplanted donor cells attack the transplant recipient's body. Treatments, such as cyclosporine, are used to minimize the risk of GvHD following stem cell transplantation. To enter this study, subjects must be having a matched-related donor stem cell transplant. If a subject qualifies for entry into this study, he/she will be assigned to receive Thymoglobulin at a dose of 4.5 mg/kg or 8.5 mg/kg. The treatment assignment is random and is not chosen by the subject or their physician. Subjects are admitted to the hospital for the transplant procedure and are treated with Thymoglobulin over 3-5 days just prior to receiving the donor stem cells. The subject will also receive standard GvHD prophylaxis with cyclosporine. Methotrexate, which is commonly used by transplant centers to minimize the risk of GvHD, will not be used in this study. Subjects will be monitored during treatment with Thymoglobulin and during the transplant hospitalization. Additional subject monitoring occurs at month 1, 100 days and 6 months following the transplant. Approximately 60 study subjects from approximately 14 transplant centers in the United States and Canada will be enrolled.
This phase II trial studies the side effects and how well sirolimus works as secondary therapy in treating patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) that did not respond to prior treatment. Sirolimus may be an effective treatment for chronic GVHD