Citations

Abstract Background: Haploidentical allogeneic stem cell transplantation (haplo-SCT) has been a transformative option for patients lacking matched donors. Post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) at 100 mg/kg total dose (50 mg/kg on Day +3 and +4) is a standard for graft-versus-host diseases (GvHD) prophylaxis. Efforts to decrease toxicity while maintaining efficacy have informed pursuits of dose de-escalation. However, data regarding the efficacy and safety of reduced-dose PTCy (<100 mg/kg) remain scattered and variably reported. Methods: We performed a systematic review registered on PROSPERO (CRD420250650291) and conducted per PRISMA guidelines. Six databases (Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Cinahl, Cochrane) were searched initially up to May 2024. An updated search was conducted to include studies till June 2025. Eligible studies included prospective or retrospective cohorts or randomized trials evaluating low-dose PTCy in haplo-SCT recipients reporting on acute/chronic GvHD, overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), immune reconstitution, or complications such as hemorrhagic cystitis or infections. Non-comparative studies, reviews, and abstracts were excluded. Data was extracted independently by two reviewers, and risk-of-bias (ROB) was assessed using ROBINS-I and Cochrane RoB-2 tools. Results: Thirty-three studies, including 31 observational studies and 2 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), encompassing over 2500 patients, met our eligibility criteria. Most studies originated from Asia, with smaller contributions from Europe, the United States, India and Latin America. Low-dose PTCy regimens ranged from 14.5 to 80 mg/kg, commonly administered as 50 mg/kg ×1 on day +3 or 40 mg/kg ×2 on days +3 and +4. Comparators included standard-dose PTCy (100 mg/kg), ATG-based prophylaxis, or other regimens. Median follow-up ranged from 4 months to over 5 years. Acute GvHD (grades II–IV) rates in low-dose PTCy arms ranged from 9% to 34%. Most observational data showed comparable or reduced incidence of aGvHD compared to controls. Chronic GvHD outcomes varied from 8-46% and showed no clear benefit of dose reduction in most studies.Two-year OS ranged widely from 47% to 100%, with some observational studies favoring low-dose PTCy but others showing no survival advantage. RFS was similarly variable. Hemorrhagic cystitis occurred in 3–33% of patients, with no clear dose-dependent pattern. Infections were inconsistently reported, but, when data were available, viral infections, including BK virus, CMV, and EBV reactivation, were common, with no consistent dose-dependent trend. Median time to immune reconstitution was slightly shorter in some cohorts, but clinical relevance remains uncertain. Two studies reported significantly reduced incidence of cardiac complications with lower PTCy exposure. One randomized controlled trial comparing 80 mg/kg PTCy + ATG with the Beijing Protocol reported significantly reduced aGvHD (11.5% vs. 39.3%, p=0.001) and better OS (75.4% vs. 54.1%, p = 0.021) and RFS ((72.7% vs. 55.0%, p = 0.044)) in the experimental arm. In contrast, the only other randomized study used ultra-low-dose PTCy (14.5 mg/kg ×2) vs. ATG and found no significant difference in acute GvHD (18.2% vs. 18.2%, p=0.996) or survival and was stopped early because of futility. Both RCTs showed comparable rates of cGvHD, toxicity, and immune reconstitution.Importantly, 87% of observational studies had a serious or critical ROB. Both RCTs had some concerns of bias due to inadequate allocation concealment and open-label design but were otherwise at low ROB. Conclusions: Low-dose PTCy for GvHD prophylaxis in haplo-SCT carries comparable or lower rates of acute GvHD, similar chronic GvHD incidence, and non-inferior survival outcomes in many studies. Marked heterogeneity in regimens, patient populations, high ROB, and selective reporting preclude definitive conclusions. Randomized trials must focus on identifying subgroups benefiting from de-escalated PTCy. Until then, low-dose PTCy remains a promising but investigational alternative in haploidentical transplantation.

Abstract Background: Chronic immunosuppression in solid organ transplant recipients leads to B- and T-cell depletion, which increases the risk of somatic driver mutations that drive monoclonal lymphocyte proliferation. Paradoxically, this impairs cellular immunity, leading to increased susceptibility to both bacterial and viral pathogens. Methods: This retrospective cohort study evaluated solid organ transplant recipients diagnosed with post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation between January 1, 2010, and December 30, 2021. Patients aged ≥18 years with infection data available for at least one-year post-PTLD diagnosis were included, excluding hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Data on PTLD subtype, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status, infectious complications, and outcomes were analyzed using univariate analysis (Pearson’s χ² test) and multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors of infections and mortality. Results: Among 98 PTLD cases, the median onset was 7.03 years post-transplant. EBV-positive PTLD had an onset of 6.97 ± 7.21 years, whereas EBV-negative cases occurred later (8.06 ± 5.24 years). Monomorphic PTLD (94.9%), particularly diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL, 63.3%), was predominant. Infections occurred in 60% of patients post-PTLD, with bacterial (41.25%), viral (31.66%), fungal (25.9%), and parasitic (1.19%) infections. At one year, infection-related mortality (48%) exceeded PTLD progression-related deaths (36%). Conclusion: PTLD presents with a complex interplay of immunosuppression, malignancy, and infection. Infections, particularly bacterial infections, are major causes of morbidity and mortality. These findings highlight the need for vigilant infectious disease surveillance and tailored interventions to reduce infection-related mortality and improve outcomes in high-risk populations.

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is a progressive condition resulting from the deposition of amyloid fibrils in the heart, which leads to severe diastolic dysfunction and restrictive cardiomyopathy. The disease has two main subtypes: light-chain and transthyretin (TTR) CA, with the latter subdivided into wild-type and hereditary forms. Despite advances in diagnostic imaging, early detection remains a challenge due to non-specific symptoms that mimic other cardiac conditions. Treatment has evolved significantly with targeted therapies like TTR stabilizers, gene silencers, and RNA interference, showing promise in altering disease progression. However, barriers such as high costs, limited availability of genetic testing, and inadequate multidisciplinary care continue to impede comprehensive management. Future strategies should focus on integrating novel gene-editing therapies, expanding access to diagnostics, and enhancing multidisciplinary care models to improve outcomes. Overall, early diagnosis, equitable access to therapies, and personalized management plans are crucial to advancing care for CA patients.

Introduction Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) have become a key component of treatment in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM). However, despite promising response rates demonstrated in clinical trials, BsAbs have been shown to have a distinct adverse event profile including increased risk of infections as compared with conventional treatment regimens. The aim of this study was to explore the infectious risk of MM patients on active treatment with Teclistamab. Methods This was a retrospective study of MM patients treated with Teclistamab at Taussig Cancer Center from December 16th 2022 to March 31st 2024. Patients who completed step up dosing and received at least one dose of Teclistamab at maintenance dose were included in the study. The study period spanned from the date of the first dose of Teclistamab up to 6 months after the last dose of Teclistamab, change in therapy or death. Infections which required inpatient hospitalization occurring during the study period were included in the study. Neutropenia was defined as absolute neutropenia count <1500 cells/uL. Hypogammaglobulinemia was defined as serum IgG levels below 700 mg/dL. Data were collected on baseline patient characteristics, MM disease characteristics, and infection characteristics. The primary endpoint was rate of infections per patient-year. Results A total of 58 MM patients who were treated with Teclistamab at Taussig Cancer Center were screened for the study. 46/58 (79.3%) of those patients met inclusion criteria and were included in the study. Among the 46 patients included in the study, there were 20 infectious episodes that required inpatient hospitalization, occurring among 18 patients. The median age of the 46 patients was 66 with an interquartile range (IQR) of 62-74. Patients had broad exposure to novel agents including proteasome inhibitors (46, 100.0%), immunomodulatory drugs (44, 95.7%) and monoclonal antibodies (44, 95.7%). Other notable treatment exposures included CAR T-cell therapy (15, 32.6%), and autologous stem cell transplant (3, 6.5%). 6/9 (66.7%) of patients who underwent previous CAR T-cell therapy and 2/3 (66.7%) of patients who underwent previous autologous stem cell transplant developed an infection requiring hospitalization. No statistically significant difference was found in patients with infection and prior CAR T-cell therapy or autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant. The median number of lines of therapy from MM diagnosis to start of Teclistamab therapy was 7 (IQR: 5.5-8). The median time from start of Teclistamab therapy till first infectious episode was 84.5 days (IQR: 27-177). Bacterial infections were most common (12/20, 60%), with the most common organism being Streptococcus spp. (2/12, 17%). The most common source of infection was respiratory (10/20, 50%). Neutropenia was present at diagnosis for 5/20 (25%) infectious episodes with 4/5 (80%) of these episodes having Grade 4 neutropenia. Hypogammaglobulinemia occurred during the study period in 43/46 (93.5%) patients with a median IgG nadir of 168 (IQR: 118-320). 22/43 (51.2%) patients received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) during the study period, with 3/22 (13.6%) of these patients going on to develop an infection that required inpatient hospitalization. Of the 21 patients not administered IVIG, 13/21 (61.9%) went on to develop an infection that required inpatient hospitalization (p-value .0016). The median length of hospital stay for all infectious episodes was 7.5 days (IQR: 4-12.5). 6/20 (30%) infectious episodes required ICU stay with a median length of stay of 4.5 days (IQR: 2-18). The overall rate of infections per patient-year was 0.82. The rate of infections per patient-year for the 22 patients with hypogammaglobulinemia who did receive IVIG was .28. The rate of infections per patient-year for the 21 patients with hypogammaglobulinemia who did not receive IVIG was 1.5 (p-value = .06). The overall infection-related mortality rate was 3/20 (15%). Conclusion Multiple myeloma patients treated with Teclistamab experienced a high rate of infections requiring hospitalization and ICU care while on active treatment regardless of prior CAR T-cell and autologous hemopoietic stem cell transplant. Preventive measures, such as administration of prophylactic IVIG to patients with hypogammaglobulinemia, improved outcomes and should be taken to reduce infectious risk in this susceptible patient population.

Purpose of review This review delves into the potential of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly machine learning (ML), in enhancing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) risk assessment, diagnosis, and personalized treatment. Recent findings Recent studies have demonstrated the superiority of ML algorithms over traditional multivariate statistical models in donor selection for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. ML has recently enabled dynamic risk assessment by modeling time-series data, an upgrade from the static, “snapshot” assessment of patients that conventional statistical models and older ML algorithms offer. Regarding diagnosis, a deep learning model, a subset of ML, can accurately identify skin segments affected with chronic GVHD with satisfactory results. ML methods such as Q-learning and deep reinforcement learning have been utilized to develop adaptive treatment strategies (ATS) for the personalized prevention and treatment of acute and chronic GVHD. Summary To capitalize on these promising advancements, there is a need for large-scale, multicenter collaborations to develop generalizable ML models. Furthermore, addressing pertinent issues such as the implementation of stringent ethical guidelines is crucial before the widespread introduction of AI into GVHD care.