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The current COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has impacted many facets of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in both developed and developing countries. Realizing the challenges as a result of this pandemic affecting the daily practice of the HCT centers and the recognition of the variability in practice worldwide, the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (WBMT) and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research's (CIBMTR) Health Services and International Studies Committee have jointly produced an expert opinion statement as a general guide to deal with certain aspects of HCT, including diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2 in HCT recipient, pre- and post-HCT management, donor issues, medical tourism, and facilities management. During these crucial times, which may last for months or years, the HCT community must reorganize to proceed with transplantation activity in those patients who urgently require it, albeit with extreme caution. This shared knowledge may be of value to the HCT community in the absence of high-quality evidence-based medicine. © 2020 American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The number of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplants performed globally each year continues to increase. Advances in HLA typing, better supportive care, and administration of reduced-intensity conditioning regimens allow treatment of older patients with older sibling donors. Pretransplant donor assessment and testing are very important processes affecting the quality and safety of donation. For unrelated HSC donors detailed recommendations for health assessment have been published, allowing donation only if they are unrestrictedly healthy. Eligibility criteria for related donors are less strict and vary significantly between centers. In situations where a family donor does not meet the suitability criteria for unrelated donors, involved physicians often struggle with the decision whether the matched relative is suitable for donation or not. On behalf of the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Standing Committee on Donor Issues, we intended to develop a consensus document with recommendations for donor workup and final clearance of family donors who would not be able to serve as unrelated donors because of their age or pre-existing diseases. This article covers different topics intending to support decision-making, with the goal of minimizing medical risk to the donor and protection of the recipient from transmissible diseases.

The optimal therapy for steroid-refractory (SR) acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is undefined. We studied patients with SR aGVHD, comparing extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP; n = 57) and anticytokine therapy (n = 41). In multivariate analyses, ECP, adjusted for steroid dose (odds ratio, 3.42; P = .007), and grade >II aGVHD (odds ratio, 68; P < .001) were independent predictors of response. ECP therapy, adjusted for conditioning regimen intensity and steroid dose, was associated with superior survival (hazard ratio [HR], 4.6; P = .016) in patients with SR grade II aGVHD. Grade >II aGVHD at onset of salvage therapy (HR, 9.4; P < .001) and lack of response to therapy (HR, 3.09; P = .011) were associated with inferior survival. These findings require validation in a prospective randomized study.

Although imatinib has become standard first-line therapy in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is still considered to be an important treatment alternative for patients with drug resistance or advanced disease. We retrospectively analyzed 175 adult CML patients who underwent HSCT at our institution between 1983 and 2007, with the aim to compare outcomes in patient subgroups and to identify prognostic variables. The median follow-up was 65 months. The probability of overall survival (OS) for all patients was 62%, with a significant improvement seen in the imatinib-era (2001-2007) compared to previous time periods (P

Related donors for hematopoietic cell (HC) transplantation are a growing population in recent years because of expanding indications for allogeneic transplantation. The safety and welfare of the donor are major concerns for the transplantation community, especially for related sibling donors of young recipients who are children and, thus, not able to fully consent. Because donation of HC does not improve the donor's own physical health and carries a risk of side effects, careful assessment of medical risks specific to the individual donor, as well as consideration of ethical and legal aspects associated with donation from a child, must be considered. In addition, donor centers must balance the needs of both the donor and the recipient, understanding the inherent conflict parents may have as they can be overly focused on the very sick child receiving a transplant, rather than on the relatively less significant health or emotional problems that a sibling donor may have, which could impact risk with donation. Likewise, consideration must be made regarding the nature of the relationship of the sibling donor to the recipient and also aspects of performing research on pediatric HC donors. In this article, as members of the Donor Issues Committee of the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, we review key ethical concerns associated with pediatric donation and then give recommendations for screening potential child donors with underlying health conditions. These recommendations are aimed at protecting the physical and emotional well-being of childhood donors and arise out of the Third International Conference on Health and Safety of Donors sponsored by the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.