A multicenter investigation of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for children with sickle cell disease was conducted that included 27 European and North American transplant centers. Fifty-nine patients who ranged in age from 3.3 to 15.9 years (median, 10.1 years) received HLA-identical sibling marrow allografts between September 1991 and April 2000. Fifty-five patients survive, and 50 survive free from sickle cell disease, with a median follow-up of 42.2 months (range, 11.8 to 115 months) after transplantation. Of the 50 patients with successful allografts, 13 developed stable mixed donor-host hematopoietic chimerism. The level of donor chimerism, measured > or =6 months after transplantation in peripheral blood, varied between 90% and 99% in 8 patients. Five additional patients had a lower proportion of donor cells (range, 11% to 74%). Among these 5 patients, hemoglobin levels varied between 11.2 and 14.2 g/dL (median, 11.3 g/dL; mean, 12.0 g/dL). In patients who had donors with a normal hemoglobin genotype (Hb), the Hb S fractions were 0%, 0%, and 7%, corresponding to donor chimerism levels of 67%, 74%, and 11%, respectively. Among patients who had donors with sickle trait, the Hb S fractions were 36% and 37%, corresponding to donor chimerism levels of 25% and 60%, respectively. Thus, allograft recipients with stable mixed chimerism had Rb S levels similar to donor levels, and only 1 patient required a red blood cell transfusion beyond 90 days posttransplantation. None of the patients have experienced painful events or other clinical complications related to sickle cell disease after transplantation. These observations strongly suggest that patients with sickle cell disease who develop persistent mixed hematopoietic chimerism after transplantation experience a significant ameliorative effect.

Fifty-one patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (16 with end-stage disease, 17 in second or third remission or in early relapse, and 18 in first remission) were given infusions of HLA-identical sibling marrow after cytoreduction with high doses of busulfan and cyclophosphamide. Actuarial two-year survival rates were 0 per cent, 29 per cent, and 44 per cent, respectively. Twelve patients are still alive and in remission after 327 to 1488 days, with 10 surviving beyond two years. Acute graft-versus-host disease and viral pneumonia were the major causes of death. Leukemic cells failed to clear in one patient with end-stage disease, and a relapse with meningeal leukemia occurred in another. Only one other relapse was seen--in a patient given a transplant during a third remission. Survival was favorably affected by younger age and transplantation during first remission. We conclude that high-dose chemotherapy with busulfan and cyclophosphamide, followed by allogeneic-marrow transplantation, can produce long-term remission of acute leukemia. Chemotherapy with high-dose busulfan and cyclophosphamide before transplantation provides an effective alternative to cyclophosphamide and total-body irradiation before transplantation for the treatment of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia.

• First-line CPX-351 vs 713 control in newly diagnosed AML improves 60-day mortality, remission rate, and OS (HR 5 0.46, P 5 .01) in sAML subset.CPX-351 is a liposomal formulation of cytarabine:daunorubicin designed to deliver synergistic drug ratios to leukemia cells. In this phase 2 study, newly diagnosed older acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients were randomized 2:1 to first-line CPX-351 or 713 treatment. The goal was to determine efficacy and identify patient subgroups that may benefit from CPX-351 treatment. Response rate (complete remission 1 incomplete remission) was the primary end point, with event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) as secondary end points. The 126 patients entered were balanced for disease and patient-specific risk factors. Overall, CPX-351 produced higher response rates (66.7% vs 51.2%, P 5 .07), meeting predefined criteria for success (P < .1). Differences in EFS and OS were not statistically significant. A planned analysis of the secondary AML subgroup demonstrated an improved response rate (57.6% vs 31.6%, P 5 .06), and prolongation of EFS (hazard ratio [HR] 5 0.59, P 5 .08) and OS (HR 5 0.46, P 5 .01). Recovery from cytopenias was slower after CPX-351 (median days to absolute neutrophil count ‡1000: 36 vs 32; platelets >100 000: 37 vs 28) with more grade 3-4 infections but without increase in infection-related deaths (3.5% vs 7.3%) or 60-day mortality (4.7% vs 14.6%), indicating acceptable safety. These results suggest a clinical benefit with CPX-351, particularly among patients with secondary AML, and provide the rationale for a phase 3 trial currently underway in newly diagnosed secondary AML patients. This study is registered at Clinicaltrials. gov as #NCT00788892. (Blood. 2014;123(21):3239-3246)

Context A minimally toxic nonmyeloablative regimen was developed for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) to treat patients with advanced hematologic malignancies who are older or have comorbidities. Objective To describe outcomes of patients ≥ 60 years. Design, Setting, and Participants From 1998 to 2008, 372 patients, 60–75 years old were enrolled in prospective clinical HCT trials at 18 collaborating institutions using conditioning with low-dose total body irradiation alone or combined with fludarabine 90 mg/m2 before related (n=184) or unrelated (n=188) donor transplants. Post-grafting immunosuppression included mycophenolate mofetil and a calcineurin inhibitor. Main Outcome Measures Overall and progression-free survivals were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method. Cumulative incidence estimates were calculated for acute and chronic GVHD, toxicities, achievement of full donor chimerism, complete remission, relapse, and non-relapse mortality. Hazard ratios (HR) were estimated from Cox regression models. Results Overall, 5-year cumulative incidences of non-relapse mortality and relapse were 27% (95% CI, 22%–32%) and 41% (95% CI, 36%–46%), respectively, leading to overall and progression-free 5-year survivals of 35% (95% CI, 30%–40%) and 32% (95% CI, 27%–37%), respectively. These outcomes were not statistically significantly different when stratified by age groups. Furthermore, increasing age was not associated with increases in acute or chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) or organ toxicities. In multivariate models, HCT-CI scores of 1–2 [HR, 1.58 (95% CI,1.08–2.31)] and ≥3 [HR, 1.97 (95% CI,1.38–2.80)] were associated with worse survival compared to HCT-CI score of 0 (overall P = 0.003). Similarly, standard relapse risk [HR, 1.67 (95% CI, 1.10–2.54)] and high relapse risk [HR, 2.22 (95% CI, 1.43–3.43)] were associated with worse survival compared to low relapse risk (overall P = 0.0008). Conclusion Among patients aged 60–75 years and treated with nonmyeloablative allogeneic HCT, 5-year overall and progression-free survivals were 35% (95% CI, 30%–40%) and 32% (95% CI, 27%–37%), respectively.

A B S T R A C T PurposeAllogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) after high-dose conditioning regimens imposes prohibitively high risks of morbidity and mortality for patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are older or have comorbid conditions. Here, we examined outcomes after nonmyeloablative allogeneic HCT in such patients. Patients and MethodsTwo hundred seventy-four patients (median age, 60 years) with de novo or secondary AML underwent allogeneic HCT from related (n ϭ 118) or unrelated donors (n ϭ 156) after conditioning with 2 Gy of total-body irradiation (TBI) with or without fludarabine. A calcineurin inhibitor and mycophenolate mofetil were used for postgrafting immunosuppression. ResultsWith a median follow-up of 38 months in surviving patients, the estimated overall survival at 5 years was 33%. The estimated 5-year relapse/progression and nonrelapse mortality rates were 42% and 26%, respectively. The cumulative incidences of grades 2, 3, and 4 acute graft-versushost disease (GVHD) were 38%, 9%, and 5%, respectively. The cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD at 5 years was 44%. Patients in first and second complete remission had better survival rates than patients with more advanced disease (37% and 34% v 18%, respectively). Patients with HLA-matched related or unrelated donors had similar survivals. Unfavorable cytogenetic risk status was associated with increased relapse and subsequent mortality. Chronic GVHD was associated with lower relapse risk. ConclusionAllogeneic HCT from related or unrelated donors after conditioning with low-dose TBI and fludarabine, relying almost exclusively on graft-versus-leukemia effects, can result in long-term remissions in older or medically infirm patients with AML.

Allogeneic HCT relying on GVT effects is feasible and results in cures of an appreciable number of malignancies. Improved results could come from methods that control progression of malignancy early after HCT and effectively prevent GVHD.

Clofarabine is an active agent with acceptable toxicity in patients age 60 years or older with untreated AML who have at least one unfavorable prognostic factor. ORR did not seem affected by the presence of multiple unfavorable prognostic factors.

These data indicate superior survival with CY/TBI conditioning, compared with Bu/CY conditioning, for HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplants in children with ALL.