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MESENCHYMAL STROMAL CELLS FOR THE TREATMENT OF STEROID-RESISTANT ACUTE GRAFT VERSUS HOST DISEASE: FACTORS INFLUENCING CLINICAL RESPONSES
Author(s): ,
Antonio Galleu
Affiliations:
Division of Cancer Studies,King's College London,London,United Kingdom
,
Simona Deplano
Affiliations:
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust,London,United Kingdom
,
Richard Szydlo
Affiliations:
Imperial College London,London,United Kingdom
,
Dragana Milojkovic
Affiliations:
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust,London,United Kingdom
,
Anne Bradshaw
Affiliations:
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust,London,United Kingdom
,
Robert Wynn
Affiliations:
Central Manchester University Hospital,Manchester,United Kingdom
,
David Marks
Affiliations:
University Hospitals Bristol,Bristol,United Kingdom
,
Deborah Richardson
Affiliations:
University Hospital Southampton,Southampton,United Kingdom
,
Kim Orchard
Affiliations:
University Hospital Southampton,Southampton,United Kingdom
,
Edward Kanfer
Affiliations:
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust,London,United Kingdom
,
Eleni Tholouli
Affiliations:
Central Manchester University Hospital,Manchester,United Kingdom
,
Muhammad Saif
Affiliations:
Central Manchester University Hospital,Manchester,United Kingdom
,
Ponni Sivaprakasam
Affiliations:
University Hospitals Bristol,Bristol,United Kingdom
,
Sarah Lawson
Affiliations:
Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospitals,Birmingham,United Kingdom
,
Adrian Bloor
Affiliations:
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust,Manchester,United Kingdom
,
Antonio Pagliuca
Affiliations:
King's College Hospital NHS Trust,London,United Kingdom
,
John Snowden
Affiliations:
Royal Hallamshire Hospital,Sheffield,United Kingdom
,
Ajay Vora
Affiliations:
Sheffield Children's Hospital,Sheffield,United Kingdom
,
Bhuvan Kishore
Affiliations:
Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust,Birmingham,United Kingdom
,
Hannah Hunter
Affiliations:
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust,Plymouth,United Kingdom
,
Jane Apperley
Affiliations:
Imperial College London,London,United Kingdom;Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust,London,United Kingdom
Francesco Dazzi
Affiliations:
King's College London,London,United Kingdom;Imperial College London,London,United Kingdom
(Abstract release date: 05/18/17) EHA Library. Galleu A. 06/25/17; 182104; S817
Antonio Galleu
Antonio Galleu
Contributions
Abstract

Abstract: S817

Type: Oral Presentation

Presentation during EHA22: On Sunday, June 25, 2017 from 08:45 - 09:00

Location: Room N111

Background

The immunosuppressive activity of mesenchymal stromal sells (MSC) have been extensively tested for the treatment of steroid-resistant acute graft versus host disease (aGvHD). However, the factors affecting clinical responses are poorly understood

Aims
We assessed the impact of MSC treatment on clinical outcomes and investigate factors influencing the response to MSC

Methods
Data collected from a cohort of 60 patients treated with MSC between May 2008 and December 2014 in the UK were analyzed.  Clinical grade MSC were generated from bone marrow aspirates collected from the iliac crest of healthy donors and expanded using platelet lysate. All patients received MSC for the treatment of steroid-resistant aGvHD, defined as failure to respond to high-dose steroids (2mg/Kg methyl-prednisolone) after 6 days. Informed consent was obtained from all patients in accordance with the local ethics committee requirements. Clinical responses to MSC were assessed 1 week after MSC infusion. Patients were defined as: a) Responders when an improvement of at least 50% in at least one organ affected by aGvHD was observed, or b) Non-Responders if they had stable or progressive disease.

Results
Patient characteristics are summarized in Table 1. aGvHD was biopsy proven in 45 patients, while in the remaining patients the diagnosis was clinical and based on the exclusion of alternative causes. 10, 16 and 1 patients had skin, gut and liver involvement only, respectively. 16 patients exhibited gut and skin, 11 skin, gut and liver, 3 skin and liver and 3 gut and liver. 34 patients received 1 dose, while 19, 6 and 1 were treated with two, three and four doses, respectively. No side effects were observed. 36 patients (60%) responded to MSC. Amongst patients who received multiples doses (26), subsequent doses did not change the status after the first dose (24 responded, 1 did not respond), except from one patient who, although responding to the first dose, failed to respond to the second one. When we evaluated potential factors for response, organ involvement, age at transplant and the cumulative dose of MSC infused were found statistically significant. Response rate was 67% among patients with involvement of gut, skin or both, but only 22% among those with involvement of the liver (alone or in combination with skin and/or gut). Patients younger than 20 years fared better, with 88% of them responding. Conversely, only 30% and 42% of those aged 20-50 years or older than 50 responded, respectively. Lastly, higher cumulative MSC dose (>3.0x106/Kg) was associated with a response in 76%, while none of those receiving less than 1.5x106/Kg responded. All 3 factors remained significant in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Patient gender, pre-MSC therapy, interval from transplant or aGvHD diagnosis to MSC treatment and grade of aGvHD did not affect response. The impact of achieving a response 1 week after MSC had a profound impact on the overall survival at 18 months accounting for 59% in responders and 17% in non-responders (log-rank test, p<.001).

Conclusion

In our cohort of patients, MSC treatment was safe and well tolerated. We conclude that the presence of a response at one week highly impacted on the survival of patients with an otherwise very poor prognosis. Importantly, younger age at the transplant, absence of liver aGvHD involvement and use of higher MSC doses were strong predictors of a response. 

Session topic: 22. Stem cell transplantation - Clinical

Keyword(s): Mesenchymal stem cell, Clinical outcome, Cellular therapy, Acute graft-versus-host disease

Abstract: S817

Type: Oral Presentation

Presentation during EHA22: On Sunday, June 25, 2017 from 08:45 - 09:00

Location: Room N111

Background

The immunosuppressive activity of mesenchymal stromal sells (MSC) have been extensively tested for the treatment of steroid-resistant acute graft versus host disease (aGvHD). However, the factors affecting clinical responses are poorly understood

Aims
We assessed the impact of MSC treatment on clinical outcomes and investigate factors influencing the response to MSC

Methods
Data collected from a cohort of 60 patients treated with MSC between May 2008 and December 2014 in the UK were analyzed.  Clinical grade MSC were generated from bone marrow aspirates collected from the iliac crest of healthy donors and expanded using platelet lysate. All patients received MSC for the treatment of steroid-resistant aGvHD, defined as failure to respond to high-dose steroids (2mg/Kg methyl-prednisolone) after 6 days. Informed consent was obtained from all patients in accordance with the local ethics committee requirements. Clinical responses to MSC were assessed 1 week after MSC infusion. Patients were defined as: a) Responders when an improvement of at least 50% in at least one organ affected by aGvHD was observed, or b) Non-Responders if they had stable or progressive disease.

Results
Patient characteristics are summarized in Table 1. aGvHD was biopsy proven in 45 patients, while in the remaining patients the diagnosis was clinical and based on the exclusion of alternative causes. 10, 16 and 1 patients had skin, gut and liver involvement only, respectively. 16 patients exhibited gut and skin, 11 skin, gut and liver, 3 skin and liver and 3 gut and liver. 34 patients received 1 dose, while 19, 6 and 1 were treated with two, three and four doses, respectively. No side effects were observed. 36 patients (60%) responded to MSC. Amongst patients who received multiples doses (26), subsequent doses did not change the status after the first dose (24 responded, 1 did not respond), except from one patient who, although responding to the first dose, failed to respond to the second one. When we evaluated potential factors for response, organ involvement, age at transplant and the cumulative dose of MSC infused were found statistically significant. Response rate was 67% among patients with involvement of gut, skin or both, but only 22% among those with involvement of the liver (alone or in combination with skin and/or gut). Patients younger than 20 years fared better, with 88% of them responding. Conversely, only 30% and 42% of those aged 20-50 years or older than 50 responded, respectively. Lastly, higher cumulative MSC dose (>3.0x106/Kg) was associated with a response in 76%, while none of those receiving less than 1.5x106/Kg responded. All 3 factors remained significant in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Patient gender, pre-MSC therapy, interval from transplant or aGvHD diagnosis to MSC treatment and grade of aGvHD did not affect response. The impact of achieving a response 1 week after MSC had a profound impact on the overall survival at 18 months accounting for 59% in responders and 17% in non-responders (log-rank test, p<.001).

Conclusion

In our cohort of patients, MSC treatment was safe and well tolerated. We conclude that the presence of a response at one week highly impacted on the survival of patients with an otherwise very poor prognosis. Importantly, younger age at the transplant, absence of liver aGvHD involvement and use of higher MSC doses were strong predictors of a response. 

Session topic: 22. Stem cell transplantation - Clinical

Keyword(s): Mesenchymal stem cell, Clinical outcome, Cellular therapy, Acute graft-versus-host disease

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