Publications by authors named "Sumithira Vasu"

We conducted a post-hoc analysis of data from BMT CTN 1506 (MORPHO), a randomized trial of gilteritinib versus placebo as post-transplantation maintenance for patients with FLT3-ITD-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), focusing the interactions between conditioning regimen intensity, measurable residual disease (MRD), and NPM1 co-mutation status reported from diagnosis. Comparing FLT3-ITD MRD before and after conditioning, there was no difference between myeloablative conditioning (MAC) and reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) in eradication or reduction of FLT3-ITD MRD. For participants who were FLT3-ITD MRD-negative pre-HCT, there was no difference in the cumulative incidence of relapse during follow-up between those receiving MAC versus RIC.

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Baseline risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI) during chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy are not well described. Hence, we evaluated the incidence and risk factors associated with AKI among patients undergoing CAR-T for relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma. Among 155 patients, 28 (18%) developed AKI with a median time-to-peak creatinine from CAR-T of 9.

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Background: Transplant associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) confers significant morbidity and mortality in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients. The safety and efficacy of multiple TA-TMA directed therapeutic agents are being tested in ongoing clinical trials. In the absence of approved drugs, several treatments are used off-label.

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No prospective study has evaluated the incidence of transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) in adult allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients. The MIDAS (microangiopathy, endothelial damage in adults undergoing stem cell transplantation) Consortium conducted, to our knowledge, the first multicenter study to prospectively screen for TA-TMA. Longitudinal blood samples and detailed clinical data were collected weekly through day +100 and at months 5, 6, 9, and 12 from first allogeneic HCT recipients at 3 sites (The Ohio State University, Moffitt Cancer Center, and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center).

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Despite recent advances in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, novel approaches to effective prevention of chronic GVHD (cGVHD) remain of high importance. In this prospective, multicenter, phase 2 trial, ruxolitinib, an oral inhibitor of Janus kinase (JAK) 1 and 2, was administered as maintenance therapy after reduced-intensity allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). GVHD prophylaxis consisted of tacrolimus and methotrexate.

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Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has transformed the management of patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) hematologic malignancies, including B-cell lymphomas and multiple myeloma (MM). While data pertaining to the efficacy and toxicity associated with CAR-T have been widely reported, there are limited data on long-term complications. We retrospectively analyzed 246 patients treated with CAR-T for R/R B-cell lymphoma (n = 228) and MM (n = 18) at Ohio State University from 2016 to 2022, with a minimum of two years of follow-up.

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BMT CTN (Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network) 1506 ("MORPHO") was a randomized study of gilteritinib compared with placebo as maintenance therapy after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for patients with FLT3-ITD-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A key secondary end point was to determine the impact on survival of before and/or after HCT measurable residual disease (MRD), as determined using a highly sensitive assay for FLT3-ITD mutations. Generally, gilteritinib maintenance therapy was associated with improved relapse-free survival (RFS) for participants with detectable peri-HCT MRD, whereas no benefit was evident for those lacking detectable MRD.

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Article Synopsis
  • FDA-approved treatments ruxolitinib and belumosudil are effective as steroid-sparing agents for chronic GVHD with overall response rates of 76% and 65% respectively.
  • A study of 20 patients using a combination of these agents showed a 55% overall response rate, helping patients reduce or stop other immunosuppressants without major complications.
  • The combination therapy proved tolerable, did not worsen blood cell counts, and successfully postponed the need for more aggressive treatments.
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  • Patients needing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation have different chances of finding an 8/8 HLA-matched unrelated donor, which can be estimated using a Search Prognosis calculator.
  • The study aimed to see if a search algorithm could equalize transplant rates between patients with a high likelihood (>90%) and low likelihood (<10%) of finding a matched donor.
  • Out of 2225 enrolled patients, 1751 were evaluable for the study, and results indicated that 55% were Very Likely, 30% Less Likely, and 16% Very Unlikely to find a match, with a follow-up median
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Chronic graft--host-disease (cGVHD) is one of the primary causes of morbidity and mortality for patients who undergo allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT). In recent years, advancements in allo-HCT have allowed a broader range of patients to receive transplant, particularly older patients. We sought to assess the impact of cGVHD on outcomes in patients undergoing allo-HCT, for older patients as compared to their counterparts.

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Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has revolutionized treatment for relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Robust biomarkers and a complete understanding of CAR T-cell function in the postinfusion phase remain limited. Here, we used a 37-color spectral flow cytometry panel to perform high dimensional single-cell analysis of postinfusion samples in 26 patients treated with CD28 costimulatory domain containing commercial CAR T cells for NHL and focused on computationally gated CD8+ CAR T cells.

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  • Vitamin A is important for maintaining gut health and helps regulate immune responses, particularly beneficial in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients.
  • In a clinical trial with 80 patients, those who took high-dose vitamin A before transplant experienced lower rates of both acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) compared to those who took a placebo.
  • The vitamin A group also showed lower levels of certain inflammatory markers and gut-influencing T cells, indicating a potential improvement in gut health post-transplant.
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Background: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a rare B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtype which remains incurable despite multimodal approach including chemoimmunotherapy followed by stem cell transplant, targeted approaches such as the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib, and CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. CD74 is a nonpolymorphic type II integral membrane glycoprotein identified as an MHC class II chaperone and a receptor for macrophage migration inhibitory factor. Our group previously reported on CD74's abundant expression in MCL and its ability to increase via pharmacological inhibition of autophagosomal degradation.

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Selinexor, an oral inhibitor of the nuclear transport protein Exportin-1, shows promising single-agent activity in clinical trials of relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and preclinical synergy with topoisomerase (topo) IIα inhibitors. We conducted a phase 1, dose-escalation study of selinexor with mitoxantrone, etoposide, and cytarabine (MEC) in 23 patients aged < 60 years with R/R AML. Due to dose-limiting hyponatremia in 2 patients on dose level 2 (selinexor 40 mg/m), the maximum tolerated dose was 30 mg/m.

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Transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) is an increasingly recognized complication of allogeneic and autologous hematopoietic cellular therapy (HCT), associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although the central drivers of the disease are thought to be endothelial damage and complement activation, no specific diagnostic biomarkers have been identified. TA-TMA is typically diagnosed using criteria comprised of non-specific clinical and laboratory features.

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Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is a potentially curative treatment for many hematological disorders, but is often complicated by relapse of the underlying disease, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and infectious complications. We conducted a retrospective analysis on patients undergoing allo-SCT from 1984 to 2018 to better understand how survival has changed longitudinally with therapeutic advancements made to mitigate these complications. Method: We analyzed data from 1943 consecutive patients who received allo-SCT.

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Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare hematologic malignancy with historically poor outcomes and no worldwide consensus treatment approach. Unique among most hematologic malignancies for its frequent cutaneous involvement, BPDCN can also invade other extramedullary compartments, including the central nervous system. Generally affecting older adults, many patients are unfit to receive intensive chemotherapy, and although hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is preferred for younger, fit individuals, not all are eligible.

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The Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN), funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Cancer Institute for more than 2 decades, is focused on improving the outcomes of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and other cellular therapies. It answered critical questions about conditioning intensity, donor choice, graft-versus-host disease prevention and treatment, and relapse mitigation strategies in a manner made possible by an extensive network of centers that have enrolled more than 16,000 patients to more than 55 trials. Although the BMT CTN has engaged patients in a variety of ways since its establishment, there is a growing realization that increasing that engagement and including caregivers offers many additional benefits to patients and investigators alike.

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Article Synopsis
  • JCO Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a severe form of cancer, and a study has evaluated a treatment called tagraxofusp (TAG) in both newly diagnosed and relapsed patients.
  • In the study involving 89 patients, TAG led to a 75% overall response rate and a significant number of patients achieving complete response (CR) or clinical CR, with a median follow-up of 34 months.
  • TAG was found to be effective for many first-line patients, allowing 51% of those with a positive response to undergo stem-cell transplant, while the treatment had a manageable safety profile with common side effects being mild to moderate.
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The NCCN Guidelines for Hematopoietic Growth Factors provide recommendations for the appropriate use of growth factors in the clinical management of febrile neutropenia (FN), chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia (CIT), and chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA). Management and prevention of these sequelae are an integral part of supportive care for many patients undergoing cancer treatment. The purpose of these guidelines is to operationalize the evaluation, prevention, and treatment of FN, CIT, and CIA in adult patients with nonmyeloid malignancies and to enable the patient and clinician to assess management options for FN, CIT, and CIA in the context of an individual patient's condition.

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