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Pre-transplant minimal residual disease (MRD) impacts negatively on post-transplant relapse risk in AML. Therapeutic drug monitoring by calculating area-under-the-curve (AUC) was developed to optimize busulfan exposure. Here, we compared post-transplant outcomes after individualized versus fixed busulfan dosage in intermediate-risk AML who achieved CR prior to allograft focusing on pre-transplant flow-MRD. 87 patients (median, 56 years) with intermediate-risk AML and pre-transplant flow-MRD ("different from normal") were included. 32 patients received individualized busulfan; 54 fixed dosage. Individualized dosage was adjusted in 25/32 patients: increased, n = 18/25 (72%); decreased: n = 7/25 (28%). After median follow-up of 27 months, we observed lower 3-year relapses (6%, 2-19% vs 35%, 23-49% p = 0.02), improved 3-year LFS (78%, 54-91% vs 55%, 40-70% p = 0.009) and -OS (82%, 60-93% vs 69%, 54-81% p = 0.05) after individualized compared to fixed Bu. NRM and acute GvHD were not different. In multivariate analysis, fixed Bu showed unfavorable impact on OS (HR 4.6, p = 0.044), LFS (HR 3.6, p = 0.018) and relapses (HR 3.6, p = 0.033). Fixed Bu also had unfavorable impact on LFS (3.6, 1.1-12.6, p = 0.041) in pre-transplant MRD-positive patients. Individualized, AUC-based, busulfan is associated with lower relapses in intermediate-risk AML patients allografted in CR and may overcome pre-transplant MRD-positivity.

BACKGROUND Chimerism and minimal residual disease (MRD) are suggested to be prognostic for post-transplant relapses in AML patients. Nevertheless, the predictive values of both approaches in homogeneous population remain underinvestigated. Here, we suggest that MRD may have a higher predictive value for relapses than mixed chimerism (MC) in intermediate risk AML patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS 79 patients with intermediate risk AML (male, n=40, median age, 57 (19-77)) were included. MRD detection on day +100 was performed in bone marrow (multiparameter flow cytometry and quantitative real-time PCR for NPM1-mutated patients). Chimerism analysis was measured in peripheral blood. MC was defined as persistence of

BACKGROUND Minimal residual disease (MRD) prior to allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) in AML is a poor risk factor for outcome. The γδ T cells represents a unique minority lymphocyte population which is preferentially located in peripheral tissues, can recognize antigens in non-MHC restricted manner and plays a "bridging" role between innate and adaptive immune system. OBJECTIVES In this study, we investigated a potential graft-vs-leukaemia effect of γδ T cells reconstitution post-transplant in AML patients with pre-transplant positive minimal/measurable disease status (MRD+). STUDY DESIGN We investigated a potential graft-vs-leukaemia effect of γδ T cells reconstitution post-transplant in AML patients with pre-transplant positive MRD+. MRD assessment was performed in 202 patients (MRD+, n=100) with multicolored flow cytometry ("different from normal" strategy). Analysis for absolute concentrations of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, NK, and γδ T cells were performed by flow cytometry according to an internal protocol at day +30 and +100 post-transplant. Differences between categorical and continuous variables were determined by Chi-square and Student's T-test, respectively. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare medians of continuous variables. Spearman correlation was used for nonparametric assessment of correlation between different cell subsets during immune reconstitution. Kaplan Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were used to investigate the associations between immune reconstitution and survival outcomes. Grays' analysis was used to compute incidences of relapses, non-relapse mortality (NRM) and graft-vs-host disease (GvHD). RESULTS Follow-up for survivors was 28 months (3-59). Younger age (≤58) of recipient and donor (

Retinoic acid (RA) was proposed to increase survival of chemotherapy- treated patients with nucleophosmin-1 (NPM-1c)-mutated acute myeloid leukemia. We reported that, ex vivo, RA triggers NPM-1c degradation, P53 activation and growth arrest. PML organizes domains that control senescence or proteolysis. Here, we demonstrate that PML is required to initiate RA-driven NPM-1c degradation, P53 activation and cell death. Mechanistically, RA enhances PML basal expression through inhibition of activated Pin1, prior to NPM-1c degradation. Such PML induction drives P53 activation, favoring blast response to chemotherapy or arsenic in vivo. This RA/PML/P53 cascade could mechanistically explain RA-facilitated chemotherapy response in patients with NPM-1c mutated acute myeloid leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Sorafenib has shown encouraging results in patients with Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3)-positive acute myeloid leukemia. Its role after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been reported in a few cases with encouraging results. METHODS: The authors describe the use of sorafenib as a maintenance agent after HSCT in 27 patients with FLT3-positive acute myeloid leukemia. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 46 years (range, 15-57 years). Sorafenib was introduced at a median of 70 days (range, 29-337 days) after HSCT. The median treatment duration was 8.4 months (range, 0.2-46 months). Eleven patients experienced treatment toxicities, mainly of grade 1 to 2 (graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria [version 4.0]). Dose reduction or withdrawal was required in 4 patients and 4 patients, respectively. The persistence of toxicity prompted treatment withdrawal in 1 patient. Clinical improvement followed dose modifications. Thirteen patients experienced chronic graft-versus-host disease (limited in 9 patients and extensive in 4 patients), resulting in dose reduction in 5 patients followed by withdrawal in 1 of these individuals. At a median follow-up of 18 months (range, 4-48 months), 25 patients were alive (all of whom were in complete molecular remission) and 18 were still receiving treatment, with 1-year overall survival and progression-free survival rates of 92% ± 6% and 92% ± 5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Sorafenib treatment after HSCT appears to be feasible and highly effective with dose individualization according to patient tolerability. Further analysis is needed to evaluate the immunomodulating role of sorafenib after HSCT. The data from the current support prospective controlled trials of sorafenib after HSCT. Cancer 2017;123:2867–74. © 2017 American Cancer Society.