A phase II study of post-remission therapy with pembrolizumab in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Not available.

Therapy With Allogeneic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2-Specific T Cells for Persistent Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Immunocompromised Patients.

We administered severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 viral-specific T cells (VSTs) under emergency investigational new drug applications to 6 immunocompromised patients with persistent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and characterized clinical and virologic responses. Three patients had partial responses after failing other therapies but then died. Two patients completely recovered, but the role of VSTs in recovery was unclear due to concomitant use of other antivirals. One patient had not responded to 2 courses of remdesivir and experienced sustained recovery after VST administration. The use of VSTs in immunocompromised patients with persistent COVID-19 requires further study.

Manufacturing and validation of Good Manufacturing Practice-compliant regulatory dendritic cells for infusion into organ transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Regulatory (or "tolerogenic") dendritic cells (DCregs) are a highly promising, innovative cell therapy for the induction or restoration of antigen-specific tolerance in immune-mediated inflammatory disorders. These conditions include organ allograft rejection, graft-versus-host disease following bone marrow transplantation and various autoimmune disorders. DCregs generated for adoptive transfer have potential to reduce patients' dependence on non-specific immunosuppressive drugs that can induce serious side effects and enhance the risk of infection and certain types of cancer. Here, our aim was to provide a detailed account of our experience manufacturing and validating comparatively large numbers of Good Manufacturing Practice-grade DCregs for systemic (intravenous) infusion into 28 organ (liver) transplant recipients and to discuss factors that influence the satisfaction of release criteria and attainment of target cell numbers. RESULTS: DCregs were generated in granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor and interleukin (IL)-4 from elutriated monocyte fractions isolated from non-mobilized leukapheresis products of consenting healthy adult prospective liver transplant donors. Vitamin D3 was added on day 0 and 4 and IL-10 on day 4 during the 7-day culture period. Release and post-release criteria included cell viability, purity, phenotype, sterility and functional assessment. The overall conversion rate of monocytes to DCregs was 28 ± 8.2%, with 94 ± 5.1% product viability. The mean cell surface T-cell co-inhibitory to co-stimulatory molecule (programmed death ligand-1:CD86) mean fluorescence intensity ratio was 3.9 ± 2.2, and the mean ratio of anti-inflammatory:pro-inflammatory cytokine product (IL-10:IL-12p70) secreted upon CD40 ligation was 60 ± 63 (median = 40). The mean total number of DCregs generated from a single leukapheresis product (n = 25 donors) and from two leukapheresis products (n = 3 donors) was 489 ± 223 × 106 (n = 28). The mean total number of DCregs infused was 5.9 ± 2.8 × 106 per kg body weight. DCreg numbers within a target cell range of 2.5-10 × 106/kg were achieved for 25 of 27 (92.6%) of products generated. CONCLUSIONS: High-purity DCregs meeting a range of quality criteria were readily generated from circulating blood monocytes under Good Manufacturing Practice conditions to meet target cell numbers for infusion into prospective organ transplant recipients.

How do I: Evaluate the safety and legitimacy of unproven cellular therapies?

BACKGROUND: Unproven cellular therapies are being offered to patients for a variety of conditions and diseases for which other treatments have failed. The use of untested cellular therapies is a worldwide problem. Practitioners (e.g., physicians, scientists, QA/QI facility managers, and policy advocates) are perhaps unaware of the risks involved with such therapies. Therefore, a critical need exists to bring attention to the potential limitations and adverse effects of these therapies to inform and limit misinformation. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We describe the extent of the unproven cellular therapy problem through a search of scientific literature and social media coverage. We also describe the regulatory framework that can be used by the practitioner to review and evaluate both proven and unproven cellular therapies. RESULTS: We report on the current state of unproven cellular therapies across the globe. A workflow to facilitate an understanding of the regulatory processes involved in the approval of cellular therapies is provided as well as a list of warnings required by regulatory agencies on various products. It is hoped that this article will serve as a tool kit to educate the practitioner on navigating the field of unproven cellular therapy products. DISCUSSION: Increasing awareness of the issues associated with unproven therapies through education is important to help in reducing misinformation and risks to patients.

CARD9 facilitates microbe-elicited production of reactive oxygen species by regulating the LyGDI-Rac1 complex.

In response to invading microorganisms, macrophages engage in phagocytosis and rapidly release reactive oxygen species (ROS), which serve an important microbicidal function. However, how phagocytosis induces ROS production remains largely unknown. CARD9, a caspase-recruitment domain (CARD)-containing protein, is important for resistance to fungal and bacterial infection. The mechanism of CARD9-mediated bacterial clearance is still mostly unknown. Here we show that CARD9 is required for killing intracellular bacteria in macrophages. CARD9 associated with the GDP-dissociation inhibitor LyGDI in phagosomes after bacterial and fungal infection and binding of CARD9 suppressed LyGDI-mediated inhibition of the GTPase Rac1, thereby leading to ROS production and bacterial killing in macrophages. Thus, our studies identify a key pathway that leads to microbe-elicited ROS production.

Rapid identification and discrimination of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of major clinical pathogens responsible for both hospital- and community-acquired infections worldwide. A delay in targeted antibiotic treatment contributes to longer hospitalization stay, higher costs, and increasing in-hospital mortality. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been integrated into the routine workflow for microbial identification over the past decade, and it has also shown promising functions in the detection of bacterial resistance. Therefore, we describe a rapid MALDI-TOF MS-based methodology for MRSA screening with machine-learning algorithms. METHODS: A total of 452 clinical S. aureus isolates were included in this study, of which 194 were MRSA and 258 were methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA). The mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) features from MRSA and MSSA strains were binned and selected through Lasso regression. These features were then used to train a non-linear support vector machine (SVM) with radial basis function (RBF) kernels to evaluate the discrimination performance. The classifiers' accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) were evaluated and compared with those from the random forest (RF) model. RESULTS: A total of 2601 unique spectral peaks of all isolates were identified and 38 m/z features were selected for the classifying model. The AUCs of the non-linear RBF-SVM model and the RF model were 0.89 and 0.87, respectively, and the accuracy ranged between 0.86 (RBF-SVM) and 0.82 (RF). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that MALDI-TOF MS coupled with machine-learning algorithms could be used to develop a rapid and easy-to-use method to discriminate MRSA from MSSA. Considering that this method is easy to implement in routine microbiology laboratories, it suggests a cost-effective and time-efficient alternative to conventional resistance detection in the future to improve clinical treatment.

Outcomes of Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant for Elderly Patients with Hematologic Malignancies.

Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens, improved HLA matching, and better supportive care allow allogeneic stem cell transplant (alloSCT) to be offered to older patients. Only a small percentage of eligible patients between ages 65 and 74 years actually undergo alloSCT, and comprehensive outcome data from the aging population are still lacking. We examined the outcome of older patients who underwent alloSCT using melphalan-based RIC for hematologic malignancies at our institution. We identified 125 patients older than 65 years (median, 69; range, 66 to 77) who underwent matched related donor, matched unrelated donor, or combined haploidentical/umbilical cord alloSCT between 2012 through November, 2017. Among them, 52 (41.6%) and 70 (56%) had, respectively, intermediate and high/very high Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) disease risk index (DRI). One hundred six patients (85%) received fludarabine/melphalan-based RIC regimen with either antithymocyte globulin (ATG) or alemtuzumab. The median time to neutrophil engraftment was 13 days (range, 8 to 37) and platelet engraftment 17 days (range, 9 to 169). The cumulative incidence of nonrelapse mortality was 11.5% at 100 days and 30.1% and 34.8% at 1 and 2 years, respectively. The cumulative incidence of relapse was 35% and 40% at 1 and 2 years. The cumulative incidence of grades II to IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) at day 100 and 6 months was 29.5% and 34.5%, and chronic GVHD at 6, 12, and 24 months was 2.5%, 5.2%, and 6.3%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 32 months, the 1-, 2-, and 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 34.6%, 24.4%, and 16.5%, respectively. The graft GVHD-free survival was 24.6%, 16.1%, and 9.3%, respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival (OS) was 44.5%, 30.7%, and 26.5%, respectively. In multivariable analysis, low albumin was predictive of poor PFS and OS and high hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index, and CIBMTR DRI was predictive of worse graft GVHD-free survival. Among long-term survivors the median Karnofsky performance status was 80. Older patients, even when referred with advanced disease, can benefit from melphalan-based alloSCT with HLA-matched or alternative donor sources without discernible impact of donor source on outcome. Using alemtuzumab- or ATG-based in vivo T cell depletion, the incidence of chronic GVHD is extremely low. Performance status in survivors is excellent. Better predictors for outcome in this patient population need to be identified.

Thawed solvent/detergent-treated plasma demonstrates comparable clinical efficacy to thawed plasma.

BACKGROUND: Thawed Plasma (TP), plasma thawed and refrigerated for up to 5 days, is a commonly transfused plasma product. This pilot study was conducted to determine whether Thawed Solvent/Detergent-treated Plasma stored refrigerated for up to 5-days post-thaw (T-S/D) was as efficacious as TP. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This single institution retrospective cohort analysis evaluated the efficacy of T-S/D in reversing coagulopathies in comparison to TP. Utilizing the institution's electronic medical records, transfusion data were collected in adult patients who received either TP or T-S/D. The primary outcome was the incidence of subsequent transfusions within 24 hours after first dose of either type of plasma. Secondary outcomes included the number of blood products transfused within 24 hours of first-dose plasma, correction of pre-transfusion coagulation laboratory values, volume transfused, and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: TP was received by 301 patients and 137 received T-S/D during the first 32 months post-implementation of T-S/D. There was no difference in incidence of subsequent transfusions or number of blood products given. The median pre-INR of both the TP and T-S/D cohorts was 1.9, with a similar decrease in INR of 0.2 and 0.3 (p = 0.36), respectively, post plasma transfusion. There was no difference in correction of PT/aPTT, mortality, transfusion reactions, readmission rates, length of stay, or inpatient deep venous thrombosis. The median volume of T-S/D plasma transfused for the first dose was 126 mL less than TP (p = .0001). CONCLUSION: T-S/D was as efficacious as TP for the treatment of coagulopathies and the reversal of coagulation laboratory values.

Differential processing of high-molecular-weight kininogen during normal pregnancy.

RATIONALE: Studies identified kininogen as a potential biomarker of preeclampsia, a major cause of adverse maternal outcomes. High-molecular-weight kininogen (HK) and its activated form participate in numerous pathways associated with establishing and maintaining pregnancy. However, dynamic changes in HK and naturally occurring HK-derived peptides during the natural course of pregnancy are largely unknown. METHODS: Longitudinal serum samples during the course of normal pregnancy (trimesters T1, T2, T3) from 60 pregnant women were analyzed by western blot with an anti-HK antibody. Circulating peptides in longitudinal serum specimens derived from 50 participants were enriched using nanoporous silica thin films. Peptides were identified by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) and database searching. Relative quantification was performed using MaxQuant and in-house scripts. Normality was evaluated by either ANOVA or Friedman tests with p < 0.05 for statistical significance. RESULTS: Western blotting revealed that HK significantly decreased during normal pregnancy (T1 vs T2, p < 0.05; T1 vs T3, p < 0.0001). A 100 kDa intermediate increased during pregnancy (T1 vs T2, p < 0.005; T1 vs T3, p < 0.01). Moreover, the heavy chain (T1 vs T2, p < 0.0001; T1 vs T3, p < 0.0001; T2 vs T3, p < 0.01) and light chain (T1 vs T2, p < 0.0001; T1 vs T3, p < 0.0001; T2 vs T3, p < 0.05) significantly increased during pregnancy. LC/MS/MS analysis identified 180 kininogen-1 peptides, of which 167 mapped to domain 5 (D5). Seventy-three peptides with ten or more complete data sets were included for further analysis. Seventy peptides mapped to D5, and 3, 24, and 43 peptides showed significant decrease, no trend, and significant increase, respectively, during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates dynamic changes in HK and naturally occurring HK-derived peptides during pregnancy. Our study sheds light on the gestational changes of HK and its peptides for further validation of them as potential biomarkers for pregnancy-related complications.

Red blood cells donated by smokers: A pilot investigation of recipient transfusion outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Current regulations do not require blood collection facilities to ask donors about cigarette smoking, and the prevalence of nicotine and its metabolites in blood products is not well established. Although smokers have higher hemoglobin (Hb) levels, smoking may adversely affect the quality of donated red blood cells through higher carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) content and premature hemolysis. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Red blood cell (RBC) unit segments from 100 unique donors were tested for nicotine and its metabolite cotinine by mass spectrometry and for COHb spectrophotometrically. Outcomes were evaluated retrospectively in adult non-bleeding patients receiving single RBC units. RESULTS: Thirteen of 100 RBC segments (13%) were positive for cotinine at levels consistent with current smoking (> 10 ng/mL). The cotinine positive RBCs showed significantly greater COHb content compared to cotinine negative units (median 3.0% vs. 0.8%, p = 0.007). For patients transfused cotinine-positive units, there was no significant change in their vital signs following transfusion and no transfusion reactions were observed. However, patients transfused cotinine-positive units showed significantly reduced hematocrit and hemoglobin increments (median +1.2% and +0.4 g/dL) following transfusion compared to patients receiving cotinine negative units (median +3.6% and +1.4 g/dL) (p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: Thirteen percent of RBC units tested positive for cotinine at levels consistent with active smoking, accordant with the estimated national smoking rate of 15.5%. Cotinine-positive RBC units had greater COHb content and showed reduced hematocrit and hemoglobin increments following transfusion. These preliminary results should be validated in a larger cohort.

The impact of Daratumumab on transfusion service costs.

BACKGROUND: Daratumumab (DARA) is a human IgG1κ monoclonal antibody directed against CD38, approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma. As CD38 is expressed on RBCs, DARA can interfere with pretransfusion testing. DARA interference can be negated by denaturation of CD38 on RBCs with dithiothreitol (DTT) reagents. Because of this interference in pretransfusion testing, our hospital implemented a notification and testing/transfusion algorithm (NATTA) for pretransfusion testing and RBC product provision for DARA patients. This standardized approach combines DTT-based testing with selective genotyping and the provision of phenotypically similar RBCs for patients with clinically significant antibodies. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We evaluated pretransfusion test results and transfusion requirements for 91 DARA patients in an academic medical center over 1 year to determine the incremental cost of pretransfusion testing and RBC selection. The actual costs for the NATTA approach were compared to a theoretical approach using universal genotyping with a provision of phenotypically similar RBC transfusions. RESULTS: The annual cost of testing related to DARA after NATTA implementation was $535.76 per patient. The simulated annual cost for the alternative genotyping with provision of phenotypically similar RBC transfusions approach was $934.83 per patient. CONCLUSION: In our entire cohort of DARA patients, a DTT-based testing algorithm with selective genotyping and provision of phenotypically similar RBCs only for patients with clinically significant antibodies was less expensive than a simulated model of universal genotyping and provision of phenotypically similar RBCs.

CXCL12 in early mesenchymal progenitors is required for haematopoietic stem-cell maintenance.

Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) primarily reside in the bone marrow where signals generated by stromal cells regulate their self-renewal, proliferation and trafficking. Endosteal osteoblasts and perivascular stromal cells including endothelial cells, CXCL12-abundant reticular cells, leptin-receptor-positive stromal cells, and nestin-green fluorescent protein (GFP)-positive mesenchymal progenitors have all been implicated in HSC maintenance. However, it is unclear whether specific haematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) subsets reside in distinct niches defined by the surrounding stromal cells and the regulatory molecules they produce. CXCL12 (chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12) regulates both HSCs and lymphoid progenitors and is expressed by all of these stromal cell populations. Here we selectively deleted Cxcl12 from candidate niche stromal cell populations and characterized the effect on HPCs. Deletion of Cxcl12 from mineralizing osteoblasts has no effect on HSCs or lymphoid progenitors. Deletion of Cxcl12 from osterix-expressing stromal cells, which include CXCL12-abundant reticular cells and osteoblasts, results in constitutive HPC mobilization and a loss of B-lymphoid progenitors, but HSC function is normal. Cxcl12 deletion from endothelial cells results in a modest loss of long-term repopulating activity. Strikingly, deletion of Cxcl12 from nestin-negative mesenchymal progenitors using Prx1-cre (Prx1 also known as Prrx1) is associated with a marked loss of HSCs, long-term repopulating activity, HSC quiescence and common lymphoid progenitors. These data suggest that osterix-expressing stromal cells comprise a distinct niche that supports B-lymphoid progenitors and retains HPCs in the bone marrow, and that expression of CXCL12 from stromal cells in the perivascular region, including endothelial cells and mesenchymal progenitors, supports HSCs.

Logistical and safety implications of temperature-based acceptance of returned red blood cell units.

BACKGROUND: AABB requires that red blood cells (RBCs) are maintained at 1 to 10°C during transport. Historically, blood banks used the 30-minute rule for returned RBCs transported outside of validated containers. The implications of this policy have not been previously reported in a real-life hospital setting. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A 2-year, retrospective review of RBC units returned outside of qualified containers was conducted. During the first year, the 30-minute rule was used to accept RBCs back into inventory. Sequentially, the following year, a temperature-based approach was implemented using a thermometer with an accuracy of ±1°C. Time out of the blood bank, temperature upon return, wastage, and transfusion reactions associated with the reissued RBCs were analyzed. RESULTS: In our practice, the 30-minute rule would have accepted 15.2% of RBC units outside of the allowed temperature. Compared to the 30-minute rule, temperature-based acceptance was associated with a 13% increase in wastage (p < 0.001). During the 30-minute rule period, transfusion of returned and subsequently reissued RBCs was associated with a nonsignificant trend toward a higher transfusion reaction rate compared to the overall RBC transfusion reaction rate (1.4% vs. 0.6%, p = 0.084). During the temperature period, transfusion of returned and subsequently reissued RBCs had the same transfusion reaction rate compared to the overall RBC transfusion reaction rate (0.5% vs. 0.5%, p = 1.0). CONCLUSION: Temperature-based acceptance of returned RBCs is associated with significantly higher wastage compared to the 30-minute rule. A temperature-based acceptance practice mitigates the risk of accepting RBCs with unacceptable temperatures returned within 30 minutes of issue.

Validating and implementing the use of an infusion pump for the administration of thawed hematopoietic progenitor cells-a single-institution experience.

BACKGROUND: Direct thaw and administration of previously cryopreserved peripheral blood stem cell products is a commonly used practice and should be performed rapidly to reduce cellular damage caused by dimethyl sulfoxide exposure. Cells are typically thawed at the bedside and infused by gravity through a high-flow-rate central venous catheter. An existing nontunneled catheter is occasionally used instead and often results in a slower infusion rate. To ensure expedient and consistent infusions, we validated and implemented the use of an infusion pump for thawed peripheral blood stem cells. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Validation was performed in two phases: in vitro simulation and in vivo clinical assessment. Total nucleated cell recovery and viability plus progenitor cell viability and potency were compared in vitro between two cryopreserved peripheral blood stem cell units that were either passed through a preset infusion pump or drained by gravity. The infusion rate, adverse events, and engraftment times were retrospectively compared between patients who received infusions by infusion pump (n = 35) and by gravity (n = 38). RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in vitro between the infusion methods for all measured variables. Overall infusion rates were similar in vivo for both groups but were significantly lower for patients who had nontunneled catheters that delivered the infusion by gravity. The time to neutrophil and platelet engraftment was similar for both groups. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to assess the use of an infusion pump for stem cell transplant. The use of an infusion pump for peripheral blood stem cell infusion is safe, provides a reliable and consistent infusion method, and can mitigate the effect of the type of venous access line used.

A Full Good Manufacturing Practice-Compliant Protocol for Corneal Stromal Stem Cell Cultivation.

Corneal scarring, a significant cause of global blindness, results from various insults, including trauma, infections, and genetic disorders. The conventional treatment to replace scarred corneal tissues includes partial or full-thickness corneal transplantation using healthy donor corneas. However, only 1 in 70 individuals with treatable corneal scarring can undergo surgery, due to the limited supply of transplantable donor tissue. Our research focuses on cell-based strategies, specifically ex vivo-expanded corneal stromal stem cells (CSSCs), to address corneal scarring. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of CSSC treatment in reducing corneal inflammation and fibrosis, inhibiting scar formation, and regenerating native stromal tissue. Mechanisms include CSSC differentiation into stromal keratocytes and the expression of regenerative cytokines. Here, we present a good manufacturing practice (GMP)-compliant protocol to isolate and expand human CSSCs. This method paves the way to produce clinical-grade CSSCs for transplantation and clinical trials. Key features • This protocol utilizes surgical skills to dissect human corneal tissues for CSSC isolation. • The yield and features of CSSCs rely on donor tissue quality (freshness) and have donor-to-donor variability. • Up to 0.5 billion CSSCs can be generated from a single cornea specimen, and cells at passage 3 are suitable for treatment uses.

A robust quality infrastructure is key to safe and effective delivery of immune effector cells: how FACT-finding can help.

ABSTRACT: Immune effector cells (IECs) include a broad range of immune cells capable of modulating several disease states, including malignant and nonmalignant conditions. The growth in the use of IECs as both investigational and commercially available products requires medical institutions to develop workflows/processes to safely implement and deliver transformative therapy. Adding to the complexity of this therapy are the variety of targets, diseases, sources, and unique toxicities that a patient experiences following IEC therapy. For over 25 years, the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) has established a standard for the use of cellular therapy, initially with hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), and more recently, with the development of standards to encompass IEC products such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells. To date, IEC therapy has challenged the bandwidth and infrastructure of the institutions offering this therapy. To address these challenges, FACT has established a programmatic framework to improve the delivery of IEC therapy. In this study, we outline the current state of IEC program development, accreditation, and solutions to the challenges that programs face as they expand their application to novel IEC therapy.