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Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is a potentially curative treatment in high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Conditioning regimens based on ≥12 Gray total body irradiation (TBI) represent the current standard in patients ≤45 years, whereas elderly patients frequently receive intermediate intensity conditioning (IIC) to reduce toxicity. To evaluate the role of TBI as a backbone of IIC in ALL, a retrospective, registry-based study included patients >45 years transplanted from matched donors in first complete remission, who had received either fludarabine/TBI 8 Gy (FluTBI8, n = 262), or the most popular, irradiation-free alternative fludarabine/busulfan, comprising busulfan 6.4 mg/kg (FluBu6.4, n = 188) or 9.6 mg/kg (FluBu9.6, n = 51). At two years, overall survival (OS) was 68.5%, 57%, and 62.2%, leukemia-free survival (LFS) was 58%, 42.7%, and 45%, relapse incidence (RI) was 27.2%, 40%, and 30.9%, and non-relapse-mortality (NRM) was 23.1%, 20.7%, and 26.8% for patients receiving FluTBI8Gy, FluBu6.4, and FluBu9.6, respectively. In multivariate analysis, the risk of NRM, acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease was not influenced by conditioning. However, RI was higher after FluBu6.4 (hazard ratio [HR] [95% CI]: 1.85 [1.16–2.95]), and LFS was lower after both FluBu6.4 (HR: 1.56 [1.09–2.23]) and FluBu9.6 (HR: 1.63 [1.02–2.58]) as compared to FluTBI8. Although only resulting in a non-significant advantage in OS, this observation indicates a stronger anti-leukemic efficacy of TBI-based intermediate intensity conditioning.

We compared transplants (HSCT) from matched related siblings (MSD) with those from matched 10/10 and mismatched 9/10 unrelated (UD) and T-replete haploidentical (Haplo) donors in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first complete remission (CR1) achieved after two inductions, a known poor prognostic factor. One thousand two hundred and ninety-five patients were included: MSD (n = 428), UD 10/10 (n = 554), UD 9/10 (n = 135), and Haplo (n = 178). Acute GVHD II–IV was higher in all groups compared to MSD. Extensive chronic (c) GVHD was significantly higher in UD 9/10 (HR = 2.52; 95% CI 1.55–4.11, p = 0.0002) and UD 10/10 (HR = 1.48; 95% CI 1.03–2.13, p = 0.036) and cGVHD all grades were higher in UD 9/10 vs MSD (HR = 1.77; 95% CI 1.26–2.49, p = 0.0009). Non-relapse mortality was higher in all groups compared to MSD. Relapse incidence, leukemia-free, and overall survival did not differ significantly between donor types. Finally, GVHD-free relapse-free survival was lower in HSCT from UD 9/10 (HR = 1.56, 95% CI 1.20–2.03, p = 0.0009) but not in those from UD 10/10 (HR = 1.13, p = 0.22) and Haplo donors (HR = 1.12, p = 0.43) compared to MSD. In conclusion, in AML patients undergoing HSCT in CR1 achieved after two induction courses 10/10 UD and Haplo but not 9/10 UD donors are comparable alternatives to MSD.

Chronic GvHD (cGvHD) remains a prominent barrier to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantion as the leading cause of non-relapse mortality and significant morbidity. Tremendous progress has been achieved in both understanding of pathophysiology and the development of new therapies for cGvHD. While our field has historically approached treatment from an empiric position, research performed at the bedside and bench has elucidated some of the complex pathophysiology of cGvHD. From the clinical perspective, there is significant variability of disease manifestations between individual patients, pointing to diverse biological underpinnings. Capitalizing on progress made to date, the field is now focused on establishing personalized treatment approaches. The manuscript's intent is to concisely review recent knowledge gained and formulate a path towards patient-specific cGvHD therapy.

Outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) for adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have improved over time. Studies have shown that total body irradiation (TBI) is the preferable type of myeloablative conditioning (MAC). However, outcomes based on central nervous system (CNS) involvement, namely CNS-positive versus CNS-negative, have not been compared. Here, we evaluated outcomes of 547 patients (CNS-positive = 96, CNS-negative = 451) who were allografted in the first complete remission (CR1) between 2009 and 2019. Primary endpoint was leukemia-free survival (LFS). Median follow-up was not different between the CNS-positive and CNS-negative groups (79 versus 67.2 months, P = 0.58). The CNS-positive group were younger (median age 31.3 versus 39.7 years, P = 0.004) and were allografted more recently (median year 2012 versus 2010, P = 0.003). In both groups, MAC was the preferred approach (82.3% versus 85.6%, P = 0.41). On multivariate analysis, the CNS-positive group had higher incidence of relapse (RI) (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.58 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.06-2.35], P = 0.025), but no adverse effect on LFS (HR = 1.38 [95% CI = 0.99-1.92], P = 0.057) or overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.28 [95% CI = 0.89-1.85], P = 0.18). A subgroup multivariate analysis limited to CNS-positive patients showed that a TBI-based MAC regimen resulted in better LFS (HR = 0.43 [95% CI = 0.22-0.83], P = 0.01) and OS (HR = 0.44 [95% CI = 0.21-0.92], P = 0.03) and lower RI (HR = 0.35 [95% CI = 0.15-0.79], P = 0.01). Another subgroup analysis in CNS-negative patients showed that MAC-TBI preparative regimens also showed a lower RI without a benefit in LFS or OS. While a MAC-TBI allo-HCT regimen may not be suitable to all, particularly for older patients with comorbidities, this approach should be considered for patients who are deemed fit and able to tolerate.

In 2016, the European Hematology Association (EHA) published the EHA Roadmap for European Hematology Research(1) aiming to highlight achievements in the diagnostics and treatment of blood disorders, and to better inform European policy makers and other stakeholders about the urgent clinical and scientific needs and priorities in the field of hematology. Each section was coordinated by one to two section editors who were leading international experts in the field. In the five years that have followed, advances in the field of hematology have been plentiful. As such, EHA is pleased to present an updated Research Roadmap, now including eleven sections, each of which will be published separately. The updated EHA Research Roadmap identifies the most urgent priorities in hematology research and clinical science, therefore supporting a more informed, focused, and ideally a more funded future for European hematology research. The eleven EHA Research Roadmap sections include Normal Hematopoiesis; Malignant Lymphoid Diseases; Malignant Myeloid Diseases; Anemias and Related Diseases; Platelet Disorders; Blood Coagulation and Hemostatic Disorders; Transfusion Medicine; Infections in Hematology; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; CAR-T and Other Cell-based Immune Therapies; and Gene Therapy.

Trends in outcome of transplantation (HSCT) in secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML) are limited. We evaluated results of HSCT in 4224 patients with sAML in complete remission; 1337 were transplanted in 2000-2010 and 2887 in 2011-2020. Median age was 54 (range, 18-74) and 59 (range, 18-78) years, respectively (p 0.0001). Donors were MSD in 65% vs. 37%, 10/10 UD in 27% vs. 50%, and 9/10 UD in 8% vs. 13%, respectively (p 0.0001). Conditioning was myeloablative in 46% and 38%, respectively. Two-year non-relapse mortality (NRM) was lower in patients transplanted in 2011-2020 vs. those transplanted in 2000-2010, 18% vs. 21% (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68-0.9; p = 0.04) and modified GVHD-free, relapse-free survival (GRFS) (HR = 0.9, 95% CI: 0.81-0.99; p = 0.04) was better in patients transplanted in the 2011-2020 vs. those transplanted in 2000-2010. Two-year relapse incidence (RI) was similar between the 2 groups with 32% vs. 31%, (HR = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.9-1.22; p = 0.55). Likewise, leukemia-free survival (LFS) (HR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.84-1.07; p = 0.38) and overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.82-1.05; p = 0.26) were not significantly different between the two periods. In conclusion, Incidence of NRM has been significantly reduced and GRFS significantly increased in HSCT for sAML in the last 2 decades.

BackgroundIn patients with acute leukemia, lymphoma and chronic malignancies, donor and/or recipient Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) seropositive status increases the risk of development of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) after allo-hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), while it has no influence on other transplant outcomes. No data are available on the impact of EBV serostatus on transplant outcomes in patients with nonmalignant hematological disorders.ObjectiveWe analyzed the influence of the recipient's (R) and donor's (D) EBV serostatus on transplant outcomes (overall survival (OS); relapse-free survival (RFS); relapse incidence (RI); nonrelapse mortality (NRM); acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD); cGVHD) in patients with nonmalignant hematological disorders undergoing allo-HCT.Patients and MethodsA total of 2,355 allo-HCTs performed between 1997 and 2016 for acquired bone marrow failure or hemoglobinopathies were included in this retrospective Registry megafile Infectious Diseases Working Party of the European Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation (IDWP-EBMT) study.ResultsDemographics: The median age of recipient was 17.7 years (range: 0–77), and 50.8% were children. 79.0% of recipients and 75.4% of donors were EBV-seropositive. 67.8% had HCT from a matched family donor, 4.6% from a mismatched family donor, and 27.6% from an unrelated donor (UD). T-cell depletion was performed in vivo and ex vivo in 82.2% and 6.6% of patients, respectively. Conditioning regimen was myeloablative in 63.7% and reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) in 36.3% of patients. The median follow-up was 4.7 years. Transplant outcomes: EBV-seropositive recipients in comparison with EBV-seronegative recipients had lower OS (85.4% vs. 88.4%, p = 0.035) and higher NRM (10.0% vs. 6.4%, p = 0.018). No other significant differences were found for: RI, RFS, and aGVHD or cGVHD with respect to EBV pretransplant serostatus donor and/or recipient. Multivariate analysis: A trend toward higher risk of development of cGVHD (HR = 1.31; p = 0.081) and better survival (HR = 0.78; p = 0.087) in allo-HCT from EBV-seropositive donors was found. Allo-HCT in EBV-seropositive recipients had a trend toward lower risk of development of cGVHD (HR = 0.75; p = 0.065). When four subgroups (R−/D−, R−/D+, R+/D−, R+/D+ EBV serology) were analyzed, the EBV serostatus had no significant impact on OS, RFS, RI, NRM and development of aGVHD or cGVHD.ConclusionsAllo-HCT from EBV-seropositive versus EBV-seronegative donors are at 31% higher risk of cGVHD in patients with nonmalignant hematological disorders undergoing allo-HCT; however this difference is nonsignificant in multivariate analysis.

There are no data indicating whether the number of induction courses needed to achieve first complete remission (CR1) is of prognostic significance in Haploidentical transplantation (HaploSCT). We compared transplantation outcomes of adults with AML that underwent HaploSCT in CR1, achieved following one or two induction courses. A total of 635 patients were included: 469 (74%) with 1 and 166 (26%) with two induction chemotherapy courses. A total of 429 (91.5%) and 151 (91%) patients had de novo AML and 40 (8.5%) and 15 (9%) had secondary AML (p = 0.84). Engraftment rates were 97.2 and 97.6%. Day 180 incidence of acute GVHD II-IV and III-IV was similar in both induction groups (31.1 and 34.8%, and 10 and 10.6 %), as was 2-4 year total and extensive chronic GVHD (33.7 and 36.5 %, and 12.2 and 12.1%), respectively. Two-year relapse incidence (RI) was higher while leukemia-free survival (LFS), overall survival (OS) and GVHD-free, relapse-free survival (GRFS) were inferior for patients achieving CR1 with 2 vs 1 course and were 29.1% vs 15.1%, 88 (p = 0.001), 56.2% vs 66.9% (p = 0.03), 58.8% vs 72.2% (p = 0.044) and 44% vs 55.6% (p = 0.013), respectively. Non-relapse mortality (NRM) did not differ, 18% vs 14.6% 90 (p = 0.25). These results were confirmed by multivariate analysis.

International audience; Whether to choose Haploidentical (Haplo) or one-antigen mismatched unrelated donor (1Ag-MMUD) hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) with post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) remains an unanswered question. We compared PTCy- Haplo-HCT to PTCy-1Ag-MMUD-HCT for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in complete remission (three groups: 1Ag-MMUD using peripheral blood (1Ag-MMUD-PB; n = 155); Haplo using bone marrow (Haplo-BM; n = 647) or peripheral blood (Haplo-PB; n = 949)). Haplo-BM and Haplo-PB had a higher non-relapse mortality (NRM) compared to 1Ag-MMUD-PB (HR 2.28, 95% CI 1.23-4.24, p

The Idelalisib treatment prior to allogeneic stem cell transplantation for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a report from the EBMT chronic malignancies working party, written by Johannes Schetelig, Patrice Chevallier, Michel van Gelder, Jennifer Hoek, Olivier Hermine, Ronjon Chakraverty, Paul Browne, Noel Milpied, Michele Malagola, Gerard Socié, Julio Delgado, Eric Deconinck, Ghandi Damaj, Sebastian Maury, Dietrich Beelen, Stéphanie Nguyen Quoc, Paneesha Shankara, Arne Brecht, Jiri Mayer, Mathilde Hunault-Berger, Jörg Bittenbring, Catherine Thieblemont, Stéphane Lepretre, Henning Baldauf, Liesbeth C. de Wreede, Olivier Tournilhac, Ibrahim Yakoub-Agha, Nicolaus Kröger, Peter Dreger was originally published Online First without Open Access. After publication in volume 56, issue 3, page 605–613 the author decided to opt for Open Choice and to make the article an Open Access publication. Therefore, the copyright of the article has been changed to © The Author(s) 2020 and the article is forthwith distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0. Open access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. Korrektur zu 10.1038/s41409-020-01069-w

Recently a new three-group clinical classification was reported by an International Consortium to stratify CMML patients with regard to prognosis. The groups were defined as follows: (1) Myelodysplastic (MD)-CMML: WBC ≤ 10 × 109/l, circulating immature myeloid cells (IMC) = 0, no splenomegaly; (2) MD/MP (overlap)–CMML: WBC 10–20 × 109/l or WBC ≤ 10 × 109/l but IMC > 0 and/or splenomegaly; (3) Myeloproliferative (MP)-CMML: WBC > 20 × 109/l. By analysing EBMT Registry patients who underwent allo-HCT for CMML between 1997 and 2016, we aimed to determine the impact of this classification on transplantation outcome and to make a comparison with the conventional WHO classification (CMML-0/CMML-1/CMML-2). Patient grouping was based on the data registered at time of transplantation, with IMC replaced by peripheral blasts. Among 151 patients included in the analysis, 38% were classified as MD-CMML, 42% as MD/MP-CMML and 20% as MP-CMML. With a median survival of 17 months in the whole series, MD-CMML patients were distinguished as a low-risk group with higher CR rate at transplant and a longer post-transplant 2-year progression-free survival in comparison to others (44.5% vs 33.5%, respectively), whereas the WHO classification was superior in identifying high-risk patients (CMML-2) with inferior survival outcomes.

The optimal conditioning regimen prior haploidentical stem cell transplantation (Haplo-SCT) with post transplantation cyclophosphamide (PT-Cy) for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unknown. A non-myeloablative conditioning (NMAC) regimen (cyclophosphamide + fludarabine + TBI 2 Gy [CyFluTBI]) is a safe approach, but relapse incidence remains high in this setting. Alternatively, a reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) regimen combining thiotepa and reduced-dose busulfan with fludarabine (TBF) may decrease AML relapse. However, an excess of toxicity may counterbalance this potential benefit. We retrospectively compared CyFluTBI vs. TBF in CR AML patients who underwent Haplo-SCT with PT-Cy, in two different populations based on age. We analyzed 490 patients. In patients aged

In the original version of this article, the given and family names of Jacques-Emmanuel Galimard were incorrectly structured. The original article has been corrected. in press

Optimal conditioning for adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated with haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation (haplo-HCT) and post-transplant cyclophosphamide has not been established so far. We retrospectively compared outcomes for two myeloablative regimens: fludarabine + total body irradiation (Flu-TBI, n = 117) and thiotepa + iv. busulfan + fludarabine (TBF, n = 119). Patients transplanted either in complete remission (CR) or with active disease were included in the analysis. The characteristics of both groups were comparable except for patients treated with TBF were older. In univariate analysis the incidence of non-relapse mortality (NRM) at 2 years was increased for TBF compared to Flu-TBI (31% vs. 19.5%, p = 0.03). There was a tendency towards reduced incidence of relapse after TBF (p = 0.11). Results of multivariate analysis confirmed a reduced risk of NRM using Flu-TBI (HR = 0.49, p = 0.03). In the analysis restricted to patients treated in CR1 or CR2, the use of Flu-TBI was associated with a decreased risk of NRM (HR = 0.34, p = 0.009) but an increased risk of relapse (HR = 2.59, p = 0.01) without significant effect on survival and graft-versus-host disease. We conclude that for haplo-HCT recipients with ALL, Flu-TBI may be preferable for individuals at high risk of NRM while TBF should be considered in cases at high risk of relapse.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (SCT) is currently the only therapy that can restore normal hematopoiesis in patients with Fanconi anemia (FA). Patients with FA have a high baseline risk of squamous cell cancers (SCCs) of the head, neck, and esophagus, and SCT conditioning may increase SCC incidence. We evaluated the risks of SCC and death in 145 patients with FA in the North American Survey (NAS) cohort who did not receive transplants, and 117 patients with FA in the Hôpital Saint Louis (SLH) cohort who did receive transplants. The age-specific hazard of SCC was 4.4-fold higher in patients who received transplants than in those who did not (P = .003), and SCCs occurred at significantly younger ages in the former (respective medians, 18 and 33 years, P = .004). Survival after SCC was similarly poor in both cohorts (P = .135, median, 13 months). The hazard of SCC increased at a greater than linear rate, to 4.4% per year by age 40 in NAS and 4.7% per year by 10 years after transplant in SLH. In SLH, the hazard of non-SCC death was biphasic, declining significantly (P = .004) from 7.1% per month during the first 6 months after transplant to 0.13% per month (1.6% per year) after the first year. Acute and chronic graft-versus-host diseases were significant SCC risk factors. Adverse event rates in these cohorts provide historical control rates to assess emerging therapies for FA.

Long-term survival after HLA-matched sibling transplants for SAA is 80–90% in patients 40 years (n=127). Beyond 40 years, we were unable to find an age effect despite 44% of patients in this group being ≥50 years. Patients older than 40 years were more likely to have received >50 red blood cell transfusions, immunosuppressive therapy (65% vs. 50% in patients 40 years, respectively. Recovery was more likely with peripheral blood transplants (odds ratio [OR] 1.96, p=0.022). Neutrophil recovery was lower with cyclophosphamide alone (OR 0.50, p=0.002) and fludarabine-containing conditioning regimens (OR 0.44, p=0.033). In contrast, age at transplantation was associated with platelet recovery (day- 100). Recovery was lowest in patients >40 years (89%) compared to 94% in patients 40 years. As shown in the Table below mortality risks increased with age. The 5-year probabilities of overall survival after adjusting for performance score, preparatory regimen, interval from diagnosis to transplantation, donor-recipient sex match and cytomegalovirus serostatus, factors affecting overall survival, were 81%, 72% and 53% in patients aged 40 years, respectively (p6 months from diagnosis to transplantation (RR 1.50, p=0.001) and female recipients receiving grafts from male donors (RR 1.57, p=0.001). Mortality rates were lower when both donor and recipient were CMV sero-negative (RR 0.53, p40 years was significantly lower compared to younger patients. Longer interval from diagnosis to transplantation, higher numbers of pretransplant red blood cell transfusions and poor performance scores at transplantation may explain the inferior outcomes in patients >40 years. Use of peripheral blood grafts did not affect overall survival (p=0.169). The data suggest there is a need to improve survival in older patients; early referral for transplantation and improved supportive care may improve outcomes. Outcome Relative Risk P-value Overall mortality 20–40 years vs. 40 years vs. 40 years vs. 20–40 years 2.00

Long-term survivors after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) develop solid tumors. Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) increases the risk of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Five of 24 patients with HSCT and SCC, had sex-mismatched HSCT. In 3 of them, tumor sex karyotype studied by combined XY FISH and double immunostaining on the same SCC section, with 3D Z-stack analysis, was compatible with a cancer originating from donor hematopoietic cells. After control by short tandem repeats analysis (PCR-STR) of laser micro-dissected tumor and normal epidermal cells from the recipient and donor or PCR-STR and FISH analysis of a tumoral cell line from one SCC, a recipient origin was found in one case but in the two other cases the donor genotype of the tumor was confirmed. In a third step, PCR-STR of laser micro-dissected tumor in 2 cases after sex-matched transplant proved SCC to be of the donor origin. We thus obtain conclusive evidence that 4 epithelial tumors among 8 studied arose from the engrafted donor cells. Tissue stem cells were proposed to exhibit an unexpected level of plasticity, although issues on cell fusions have lead to some controversies. Only transplantation experiments using genetically distinct recipients and donors can unequivocally demonstrate these changes in cell fate. We have analyzed a unique set of squamous cell carcinomas arising in long terms survivors of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. In these patients, chronic graft-versus host disease greatly favors development of solid tumors, possibly as a consequence of mucosal inflammation and immunosuppression. Thus, donor-derived hematopoietic stem cells recruited to sites of chronic inflammation yielded epithelial tumors.