Żur‐Wyrozumska, Kamila

Objective This longitudinal study evaluated the long-term efficacy and safety of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in slowing the progression of CSF1R-related disorder (CSF1R-RD).Methods Six symptomatic patients (mean follow-up, 6.6 years) were compared with six matched, untreated controls. The CSF1R Clinical Severity Score (CCSS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Sundal radiological score were used for evaluation.Results Post-HSCT clinical progression slowed significantly from 14.1 to 3.7 CCSS/year, compared with 15.2 CCSS/year in the control group (p<0.01). Cognitive decline was substantially reduced (-1.5 points/year vs. -7.6 points/year), and radiological deterioration slowed (0.4 per year vs. 3.9 per year). Notably, during the observation period, all HSCT patients survived, whereas 50% of the patients in the control group died. No serious transplant-related complications were observed.Conclusion HSCT is a potent disease-modifying therapy for CSF1R-RD that drastically improves survival and slows deterioration. These findings underscore the necessity of early intervention during the symptomatic phase to maximize the preservation of quality of life for affected individuals.

Mutations in the CSF1R gene are the most common cause of adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP), a neurodegenerative disease with rapid progression and ominous prognosis. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been increasingly offered to patients with CSF1R-ALSP. However, different therapy results were observed, and it was not elucidated which patient should be referred for HSCT. This study aimed to determine predictors of good and bad HSCT outcomes in CSF1R-ALSP. We retrospectively analyzed 15 patients, 14 symptomatic and 1 asymptomatic, with CSF1R-ALSP that underwent HSCT. Median age of onset was 39 years, and the median age of HSCT was 43 years. Cognitive impairment was the most frequent initial manifestation (43%), followed by gait problems (21%) and neuropsychiatric symptoms (21%). Median post-HSCT follow-up was 26 months. Good outcomes were associated with gait problems as initial (p = 0.041) and predominant (p = 0.017) manifestation and younger age at HSCT (p = 0.044). Cognitive impairment as first manifestation was a predictor of a bad outcome (p = 0.016) and worsening of cognition post-HSCT (p = 0.025). In conclusion, gait problems indicated a milder phenotype with better response to HSCT and good therapy outcomes. In contrast, patients with a higher burden of cognitive symptoms were most likely not to benefit from HSCT.