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57 citation(s) found for "Perales, Miguel‐Angel".

Long-term real-world outcomes of axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) in relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL).
Jacobson, Caron A. , Ahmed, Sairah, Lin, Yi, Perales, Miguel-Angel, Lunning, Matthew A. , Herr, Megan, Hill, Brian T., Ganguly, Siddhartha, Perez, Waleska, Feng, Zhongyu, Best, Timothy, Lee, Grace, Nikolajeva, Olga , Du, Brad, Adedokun, Babatunde, Locke, Frederick L., Siddiqi, Tanya , Ahmed, Sairah , Ghobadi, Armin , Miklos, David B. , Perales, Miguel‐Angel , Herr, Megan M. , Hill, Brian T. , Ganguly, Siddhartha , Lee, Grace, Jaglowski, Samantha , Locke, Frederick L.

Mayo Clinic

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 27, 2026 | Volume: 44 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 7028-7028

10.1200/jco.2026.44.16_suppl.7028 Get It

7028 Background: Axi-cel, autologous anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, showed long-term survival and curative potential in R/R LBCL (ZUMA-1; Neelapu et al. Blood . 2023). Few studies have examined long-term outcomes beyond clinical trials. Here we report long-term real-world outcomes of axi-cel in R/R LBCL using large-sample CIBMTR data. Methods: A total of 1500 adults from 79 US centers receiving commercial axi-cel after ≥2 LOT for LBCL from Oct 2017-Aug 2020 were enrolled in a post-marketing requirement study. A protocol was developed prior to the study’s implementation, reviewed by Kite and CIBMTR. This is a secondary analysis of said study. Key outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), time to next therapy (TTNT), disease-specific mortality (competing risks were non-relapse deaths), subsequent malignancies, and non-relapse mortality (NRM). Outcomes were analyzed descriptively. Cases with missing data were excluded separately for each endpoint. Results: As of Aug 2025, 1446 patients (pts) were included in the analysis. Median age at infusion was 62.2 y (range, 19.6-90.8: 38% of pts ≥65 y); 65% were male. Five percent of pts had ECOG PS ≥2 and 16% had high-grade lymphoma. Pts had a median of 3 (range, 2-4) prior LOT, 28% had prior autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation, and 50% received bridging therapy. At 59.7 mo median follow-up, median PFS (95% CI) was 7.9 mo (6.3-10.9) and 5-y PFS was 30% (27-32). The median OS was 25.7 mo (21.6-30.2); 5-y OS was 38% (35-41). The 5-y cumulative incidence of disease-specific mortality was 51%. Among pts who were progression-free at 2, 3, 4, or 5 y post-infusion, the OS at 6 y (95% CI) was 73% (68-78), 81% (76-86), 90% (84-94), and 94% (89-97), respectively. The median duration of response (DOR) was 25.3 mo (95% CI, 20.7-32.8) and 5-y DOR was 38% (35-41). The median TTNT was 12.2 mo and 30% did not need additional LOT at 5 y. Of pts who received subsequent salvage therapy, 12 (2%) received cell therapy, 39 (7%) received hematopoietic cell transplant, and 475 (90%) received other therapy. The 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5-y cumulative incidence of relapse (95% CI) was 49% (46-51), 52% (50-55), 54% (52-57), 55% (53-58), and 56% (53-59), respectively. No new safety signals were observed. The primary causes of death (n=864; 60%) were primary disease (540; 63%), infection (111; 13%), and organ failure (57; 7%). The 5-y cumulative incidence of NRM was 16% (95% CI, 14-18). At 5 y, 11% (95% CI, 10-13) had subsequent malignancies, mostly therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (6%) and non-melanoma skin cancer (3%); none were directly attributed to axi-cel. Conclusions: This real-world study showed sustained survival at 5 y among pts with R/R LBCL treated with axi-cel after ≥2 LOT, consistent with ZUMA-1. Infection and organ failure were common causes of NRM. These results continue to support the use of axi-cel with curative intent in R/R LBCL.
Differential effects of two common GVHD prophylaxis regimens on the gut microbiome: Results from the BMT CTN 1801 study
Wirbel, Jakob , Saber, Wael, Andermann, Tessa M, Fei, Teng , Brooks, Erin F. , Doyle, Boryana , Pincus, Nathan B. , Bar, Merav , Bolaños-Meade, Javier, Chhabra, Saurabh, Choi, Sung Won , Clark, William, Elmariah, Hany, Jones, Richard J. , Jp, Levine, Logan, Brent R, Malki, Monzr M Al, Rashidi, Armin, Rezvani, Andrew R. , Riches, Marcie L., Runaas, Lyndsey, Sandhu, Karamjeet , Spahn, Ashley, Horowitz, MM, Hamadani, Mehdi, Kean, Leslie S. , Perales, Miguel-Angel, Bhatt, Ami S. , Choi, Sung Won , Elmariah, Hany , Andermann, Tessa M. , Saber, Wael , Martens, Michael J , Peled, Jonathan U , Andermann, Tessa M , Fei, Teng , Brooks, Erin F , Doyle, Boryana , Pincus, Nathan B , Jenq, Robert R , Bar, Merav , Bratrude, Brandi , Chhabra, Saurabh , Elmariah, Hany , Gooptu, Mahasweta , Holtan, Shernan , Al Malki, Monzr M , Murthy, Hemant S , Rashidi, Armin , Rezvani, Andrew R , Sung, Anthony D , van den Brink, Marcel R M , Kean, Leslie S , Perales, Miguel-Angel , Bhatt, Ami S , Choi, Sung Won , Saber, Wael , Martens, Michael J. , Peled, Jonathan U. , Jenq, Robert R. , Bolaños‐Meade, Javier , Clark, William, Das, Suman R. , Holtan, Shernan G. , Logan, Brent R. , Malki, Monzr M. Al , Murthy, Hemant S. , Rashidi, Armin , Riches, Marcie , Sung, Anthony D. , Hamadani, Mehdi , Perales, Miguel‐Angel

Mayo Clinic

No container title available | February 20, 2026 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: No issue available | Pages: No page available

10.64898/2026.02.19.706769 | PMID 41756883 Get It

Abstract Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is a potentially curative treatment for many hematological malignancies, but graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common complication. Low gut microbiome diversity is associated with higher GVHD risk and shorter survival in multiple studies. Recently, the BMT CTN 1703 clinical trial demonstrated superiority of a GVHD-prophylaxis regimen including post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) compared to the standard prophylaxis (tacrolimus and methotrexate, Tac/MTX) in terms of GVHD-free, relapse-free survival at one year among reduced intensity conditioning allo-HCT recipients. However, the effect of PTCy on the gut microbiome and its association with clinical outcome have not been described. Here, we report on a companion randomized clinical controlled trial (BMT CTN 1801), which collected 2575 longitudinal stool samples from 304 study participants. Samples were obtained up to weekly up to day 84 post allo-HCT and at less frequent intervals thereafter, up to 2 years. Microbiome diversity and absolute microbial load were lower in the PTCy group compared to the Tac/MTX group on days 14–28 post-HCT. However, diversity at the timepoint closest to neutrophil engraftment was not significantly associated with non-relapse mortality after one year or other clinical outcomes, contrary to expectations from previous studies. Microbial domination events, when a single species exceeds 30% relative abundance, were comparable across treatment arms and reflected both pathogen blooms as well as less severe disruptions of the microbial community. Clostridium scindens and secondary bile acid metabolism pathways were less prevalent in the PTCy arm than in the Tac/MTX arm post-HCT, yet presence of secondary bile acid metabolism pathways was associated with a lower risk of chronic GVHD. Given that PTCy was associated with a greater disruption of the microbiome as measured by diversity, absolute microbial abundance, and bile acid metabolism capability, but better clinical outcomes overall, these data suggest that the importance of the microbiome in modulating the host immune systems after allo-HCT is specific to different types of GVHD prophylaxis.
Combined TCR-seq and single-cell RNA-seq reveal distinct origins for antiviral immunity after post-transplant cyclophosphamide and tac/MTX gvhd prophylaxis: Results from the BMT CTN 1801 study
Schmalz, Joseph , Winn, Nicholas, Kaminski, James J. , Sanders, Catherine , Robins, Harlan , Zavistaski, Jillian, Schichter, Isabella, Steinberg, Lea, Applegate, Kristy, Bar, Merav , Clark, William, Jones, Richard J. , Logan, Brent R. , Martens, Michael, Riches, Marcie , Saber, Wael , Sandhu, Karamjeet , Elmariah, Hany , Runaas, Lyndsey, Rezvani, Andrew R. , Loren, Alison W. , Horowitz, Mary M. , Hamadani, Mehdi, Bolaños‐Meade, Javier , Bhatt, Ami S. , Kean, Leslie S. , Elmariah, Hany , Larkin, Karilyn , Bhatt, Ami S , Siegel, Steven J. , DeWolf, Susan , Kaminski, James, Bien, Stephanie A. , Chhabra, Saurabh , Choi, Sung Won , Das, Suman R. , Jenq, Robert R. , Levine, John E. , Murthy, Hemant S. , Rashidi, Armin , Sung, Anthony D. , Malki, Monzr M. Al , Gooptu, Mahasweta , Alousi, Amin Majid , Shaffer, Brian C. , Jurdi, Najla El , Hamadani, Mehdi , Holtan, Shernan G. , Perales, Miguel‐Angel

Mayo Clinic

Blood | December 5, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 818-818

10.1182/blood-2025-818 Get It

Abstract Background: A randomized multicenter trial (BMT CTN 1703) demonstrated that after reduced intensity conditioning HCT, PT-Cy-based GVHD prophylaxis led to significant reductions in acute and chronic GVHD, but was associated with significantly more Grade 2 (moderate) infections and similar overall survival vs Tac/MTX. A linked mechanistic study (BMT CTN 1801) found that PT-Cy led to pan-T cell depletion and reduced T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire diversity vs Tac/MTX. To discover the molecular mechanisms driving the association of PT-Cy with increased infections, we examined pathogen-specific T cell reconstitution in BMT CTN 1801 patients (n=165 PT-Cy, n=159 Tac/MTX). Methods: We performed deep TCR sequencing on 2,369 blood samples collected pre-HCT (recipient baseline) and on Days +7, 14, 28, 63, 100, 180, 270, 365, 730, and from the graft infusion product. We then applied a novel set of TCR classifiers (Adaptive Biotechnologies) capable of identifying pathogen-specific clones associated with CMV, EBV, SARS-CoV-2, HSV-1, HSV-2, parvovirus, RSV, influenza A, rhinovirus, adenovirus, HHV-6B, norovirus and Toxoplasma. Single-cell (sc) TCR/RNA-sequencing on a sample subset (n=26) was performed to determine the phenotype of pathogen-specific T cells. Results. By linking scRNA-seq with pathogen-specific TCR barcoding, we identified CD4 and CD8 memory T cells as their predominant T cell reservoir. We found that the total number of pathogen-specific singleton TCRs was significantly lower with PT-Cy, starting early post-HCT and persisting through 2 years. For example, at Day +14, PT-Cy patients had 7.8-fold fewer pathogen-specific singleton TCRs vs Tac/MTX (mean of 6.9 vs 54.1, p<0.001). Consistent differences between PT-Cy and Tac/MTX were observed for TCRs specific for each pathogen individually. Patients who developed Grade 3 (severe) viral infections had significantly fewer pathogen-specific singleton TCRs at Day +14 compared to those who had no viral infections (mean of 4.0 vs 32.5, p=0.03). Leveraging intrinsic TCR barcoding of the HCT infusion (“graft”) and of the patient's baseline samples (“recipient”), we could assign the graft/recipient origin of the pathogen-specific cells with high fidelity. This analysis revealed pronounced differences in the origin of pathogen-specific T cells with PT-Cy vs Tac/MTX, especially prior to Day +100. The absolute number of pathogen-specific TCRs originating from the graft was significantly higher with Tac/MTX vs PT-Cy. This difference was observed from day +7 through 6 months post-HCT, with up to 7.1-fold more graft-derived pathogen-specific TCRs in Tac/MTX vs PT-Cy (p<0.001 at each timepoint before day +100). Within patients who received Tac/MTX, the balance of graft vs recipient pathogen-specific clones significantly favored graft clones (for example, a mean of 14.9 graft vs 8.6 recipient pathogen-specific TCRs at Day+14, p=0.02). By contrast, with PT-Cy, in addition to having substantially fewer pathogen-specific TCRs overall, the proportion of these TCRs was not significantly different between graft and recipient clones (mean of 2.1 graft vs 3.3 recipient pathogen-specific TCRs at Day+14, p=0.42). These data uncover that, in addition to the reduction in pathogen-specific T cells with PT-Cy, there was a relative skewing of the anti-microbial T cell reservoir towards recipient cells that persisted after conditioning. Conclusions: PT-Cy led to in vivo T cell depletion across all T cell subsets, which prominently included clones tracked from the allograft itself into the HCT recipient, with a relative sparing of recipient T cell clones that survived transplant conditioning. While the mechanism for relative sparing of recipient cells has not yet been determined, these conditioning-exposed cells may be less proliferative than newly infused graft T cells. The depletion of graft T cells included CD4 and CD8 memory cells specific for infections, which may have contributed to relative deficits in protective immunity against infection in patients receiving PT-Cy. Importantly, these data suggest that with PT-Cy, persisting recipient TCRs may play a key role in preserving anti-infectious immunity. Taken together, these results provide a mechanistic basis for key post-transplant clinical outcomes of the landmark BMT CTN 1703 study. They also underscore the importance of recipient immune status with PT-Cy, creating the opportunity for targeted infection risk assessment in these patients.
Infections in patients with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma receiving idecabtagene vicleucel therapy: A real-world analysis from CIBMTR
Wudhikarn, Kitsada, Ye, Qiran, Gowda, Lohith , Efebera, Yvonne A. , Boghdadly, Zeinab El , Dandoy, Christopher E. , Akhtar, Othman Salim , Oloyede, Temitope, Perales, Miguel-Angel, Huppler, Anna H, Huppler, Anna R. , Dandoy, Christopher E , Huppler, Anna R , Abid, Muhammad Bilal , Martens, Michael J. , Mirza, Abu‐Sayeef , Devarakonda, Srinivas , Ebens, Christen L. , Hill, Joshua A. , Murthy, Hemant S. , Auletta, Jeffery J.

Mayo Clinic

Blood | December 5, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 716-716

10.1182/blood-2025-716 Get It

Abstract Background: Infections account for over half of the non-relapse deaths among chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell recipients. Non-relapse mortality estimates are among the highest in patients with relapsed / refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) receiving B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed CAR-T cell therapy. The current Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplantation Research (CIBMTR) study analyzed the burden, types, risk factors, and outcomes of infection and its impact on survival in 807 patients with RRMM receiving commercial idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel) CAR-T therapy from March 2021 to December 2023. Methods: The primary endpoint was infection density for overall infections and for organism type (bacterial, viral, or fungal) within 100 days post-CAR-T infusion. Infection density was estimated as the number of infections per 100 person days at risk, stratified into two distinct time intervals following CAR-T cell infusion: days 0-30 and days 31-100.Additional endpoints included the cumulative incidence of infections, infection-related mortality (IRM), and overall survival (OS). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were employed to identify factors associated with infectious complications within 100 days post-CAR-T cell infusion. Pre-specified risk factors were considered for the multivariable analysis (MVA) models. We further examined the impact of infections within 100 days of CAR-T on OS at any time beyond 100 days following CAR-T infusion. Results: Infections developed in 114 (14.1%) patients within 30 days and 226 (28%) patients within 100 days post-CAR-T infusion, resulting in an overall infection density of 0.49 per 100 patient-days and a 100-day cumulative incidence of 27.2%. Proportions of bacterial, viral, and fungal infections within 30 days of ide-cel infusion were 82 (10.2%), 50 (6.2%), and 5 (0.6%), respectively. Similarly, proportions of bacterial, viral, and fungal infections within 100 days of CAR T-cell infusion were 126 (15.6%), 125 (15.5%), and 8 (1%), respectively, with corresponding infection densities of 0.23, 0.22, and 0.012 per 100 patient-days. The 100-day cumulative incidence of bacterial, viral, and fungal infections were 14.1% (95% CI, 11.8-16.6%), 14.4% (95% CI, 12-16.9%), and 0.9% (95% CI, 0.3-1.6%) respectively. The 100-day IRM was 1.1% (95% CI, 0.5-2%). With a median follow-up of 11.6 months (1.1-26.7), 222 (27.5%) patients died, and infection was the primary cause of death in 17 cases (7.7%). In MVA, Karnofsky performance score ≤80 (p<0.001), infection prior to CAR-T cell infusion requiring with ongoing treatment after d+0 (p<0.001), cytokine release syndrome grade ³2 (p=0.002), and severe immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome [ICANS] (grade ≥3) (p<0.001) were associated with an increased infection risk within 100 days post-infusion. Similarly, infection prior to CAR-T infusion requiring with continuing treatment after d+0 (p<0.001 for bacterial and p=0.003 for viral infections) and grade ≥3 ICANS (p<0.001 for bacterial and p=0.015 for viral infections) significantly conferred a heightened risk for bacterial and viral infections within 100 days of CAR-T infusion. Number of infections within 100 days (hazard ratio [HR], 2.36 for ≥2 vs. 0 infections; 95%CI, 1.48-3.77; p<0.001), extramedullary disease or plasma cell leukemia (HR, 1.8; 95%CI, 1.19-2.74; p=0.006), and prior BCMA-directed therapy (HR, 1.57; 95%CI, 1.06-2.33; p=0.025) were independent risk factors for inferior OS beyond day+100 after CAR-T therapy. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) replacement post-CAR-T therapy conferred a survival advantage (HR, 0.52; 95%CI, 0.38-0.72; p<0.001). Conclusion: In conclusion, study results demonstrate a significant incidence of infections for a prolonged duration (14.1% in the first 30 days and 28% in the first 100 days) in patients with RRMM undergoing ide-cel therapy. Notably, viral infections increased beyond d+30. Multiple infections (≥2 episodes) were associated with inferior OS. Results identify patients at an increased risk for infection and provide insights into risk-adapted interventions to mitigate infections and improve patient outcomes. Furthermore, continued surveillance for infection pre-emption and prevention beyond 3 months post-CAR T therapy may be necessary to reduce infection burden and IRM. Prophylactic strategies such as IVIG replacement could potentially modify infection risk in patients with RRMM receiving ide-cel.
Secondary graft failure after PT-cy: Modeling a candidate risk assignment biomarker based on lymphocyte reconstitution.  Results from the BMT CTN 1801 study.
Omdahl, Kayleigh Ingersoll , Hebert, Kyle, Schichter, Isabella, Cagnin, Lorenzo , Applegate, Kristy, Bar, Merav , Clark, William , Jones, Richard J. , Logan, Brent R. , Riches, Marcie , Saber, Wael , Sandhu, Karamjeet , Elmariah, Hany , Alousi, Amin, Runaas, Lyndsey, Shaffer, Brian C., Rezvani, Andrew R. , Loren, Alison W. , Horowitz, Mary M. , Bolaños‐Meade, Javier , Bhatt, Ami S. , Kean, Leslie S. , Elmariah, Hany , Larkin, Karilyn , Bhatt, Ami S , Siegel, Steven J. , Dong, Jiayi , DeWolf, Susan , Neuberg, Donna , Albanese, Alexandre , Keskula, Paula , Chhabra, Saurabh , Choi, Sung Won , Clark, William, Das, Suman R. , Jenq, Robert R. , Levine, John E. , Martens, Michael J. , Murthy, Hemant S. , Rashidi, Armin , Sung, Anthony D. , Malki, Monzr M. Al , Gooptu, Mahasweta , Alousi, Amin Majid , Jurdi, Najla El , Holtan, Shernan G. , Perales, Miguel‐Angel

Mayo Clinic

Blood | December 4, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 4198-4198

10.1182/blood-2025-4198 Get It

Abstract Introduction: Graft Failure (GF) is a rare but devastating outcome of HCT. Primary GF (PGF), defined as a failure of neutrophil recovery by Day+28, is straightforward to diagnose. Diagnosing secondary GF (SGF) is more challenging, with its broad time-range, multiple confounding diagnoses, and lack of predictive biomarkers. In BMT CTN1703/1801, we analyzed patients receiving RIC HCT for heme malignancies with either Tac/MTX (n=159) or PT-Cy (n=165) GVHD prophylaxis. SGF was defined as donor chimerism <5% after initial donor engraftment. With Tac/MTX, there were 3 PGF and 1 SGF diagnoses. With PT-Cy, there were 4 PGF and 6 SGF. Median SGF diagnosis was Day +64 (range: Day+28-215). There were too few Tac/MTX patients to analyze SGF, but sufficient events with PT-Cy. To identify PT-Cy SGF predictors, we leveraged lymphocyte, T, B, and NK cell reconstitution analysis. In SGF we found an early, profound deficit in the reconstitution of all major lymphocyte populations, including total lymphocytes, T, B, and NK cells, as early as Day+28. This enabled the modeling of a SGF risk classifier based on the Absolute Lymphocyte Count (ALC). Methods: Clinical ALC measurements were performed on all SGF patients (n=6) and on non-GF controls with ALCs available (146 of 155 non-GF patients). Flow cytometry was performed on all PT-Cy SGF patients (n = 6) and from a subset of non-GF controls (n = 18: controls were chosen as patients without relapse or severe GVHD, to reduce confounders introduced by immunologic interventions, and for whom all samples, including from the graft infusion, were available). T, B, and NK counts, as well as T cell subsets, were compared (using Welch's T test) on Days 7, 14, 21, 28, 42, 63, 98, 180, 270, 365, 730, with SGF patients censored on the day of GF diagnosis. To interrogate the optimal ALC cutoff, the cumulative incidence of SGF was computed at Days +28 and +42, with death without GF as a competing risk. Results: We have previously demonstrated that, compared to Tac/MTX, PT-Cy patients exhibited an early decrease in reconstitution of all T cell populations (with normal NK and B cell reconstitution). Here we focused specifically on PT-Cy patients with or without SGF. Graft CD34 counts/kg were not different between SGF patients and non-GF patients (mean CD34/kg = 1.38 x10e6 (SGF) vs 0.67 x10e6 (non-GF, p = 0.61) However, even amidst the overarching early suppression in T cell reconstitution with PT-Cy, SGF patients could be easily distinguished from the larger PT-Cy cohort, based on more profound deficits in ALC, T, B and NK cells reconstitution, measured using 2 strategies: (1) SGF patients demonstrated significant early (Day +28) quantitative defects in the reconstitution of the ALC (mean +/- SEM 262+/-32 cells/µL (non-GF) vs 60 +/- 25 (SGF, p<0.0001), CD4 T cells (62 +/- 12 cells/µL vs 19+/-15, p=0.048), CD8 T cells (15 +/-3 cells/µL vs 3.5 +/-1 p=0.0009), all CD8 T cell subpopulations, as well as NK cells (116+/-31 cells/µL vs 2.9+/-1.4 cells/µL, p= 0.002) and B cells (3.5 +/-1.4 cells/µL vs 0.16+/-0.07 p =0.03). (2) In SGF, there was a significant deficit in the rate of rise of all major lymphocyte populations between Days 28-42-60 vs non-GF, including CD4 T cells (p<0.0001), CD8 T cells (p = 0.0002), B cells (p<0.0001), and NK cells (p =0.048). These discoveries suggested that a classifier could be identified to risk-stratify patients for SGF. We explored an ALC cutpoint, amenable to standard clinical lab analysis. A statistically significant threshold was identified at both Days+28 and +42, with Day+42 being most predictive: A threshold of 120 cells/µL was identified as optimal, with landmark analysis documenting a SGF rate of 34.7% below the cutpoint, and SGF of 1% above it (HR = 45.9, 95% CI 5.7 - 366). Conclusions: Despite the small number of events, PT-Cy patients with SGF demonstrated a distinctive reconstitution trajectory that encompassed an early, substantial, and sustained deficit in all lymphocyte counts, as well as a lack of their longitudinal expansion. This enabled the discovery of a candidate ALC biomarker cutpoint at Day+42 that could distinguish patients who were more likely to develop SGF. If confirmed, these data could generate a predictive biomarker for SGF, which would enable the design of trials evaluating early interventions (e.g. CD34+ boosts, DLI, modification of immunosuppression) to improve outcomes for these patients.
Multicenter, randomized Phase II study of epcoritamab for patients with large B-cell lymphomas achieving a partial response after CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy: Trial in progress
Bock, Allison M. , Giri, Sharmila, Patel, Dilan A. , Leslie, Lori A. , Geer, Marcus , Nowakowski, Grzegorz S. , Perales, Miguel-Angel, Geer, Marcus J , Raj, Sandeep S , Iqbal, Madiha , Grover, Natalie S. , Oluwole, Olalekan O. , Hu, Boyu

Mayo Clinic

Blood | December 4, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 3748-3748

10.1182/blood-2025-3748 Get It

Abstract Background: Despite the promising efficacy of CAR-T for patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphomas (LBCL), more than 60% of patients will relapse, the majority of which occur in the first 6 months. Approximately 30% of patients with LBCL treated with CAR-T achieve a partial response (PR) on day 30 (D30) PET-CT assessment. Of patients in a D30 PR, 70% will eventually progress, yet the standard of care remains close observation. Early consolidative treatment strategies utilizing therapies with a different mechanism of action may improve outcomes, but there are currently no reliable biomarkers. Epcoritamab (Epco), a bispecific antibody directed against CD20 and CD3, has been approved by the FDA for LBCL patients who relapse after at least 2 lines of therapy. By treating prior to overt relapse, Epco has the potential to salvage inadequate responses post CAR-T. This study is a trial-in-progress that will evaluate the efficacy of epco compared to observation for patients with LBCLs achieving a PR on D30 post CAR-T PET-CT assessment. Methods This is an investigator-initiated, randomized, phase II, multicenter, open-label study (NCT06238648) evaluating epco monotherapy for a fixed duration of 12 cycles compared to observation for LBCL patients with D30 PR after standard of care CAR-T. A maximum of 120 patients will be randomized 1:1 to epco or observation across 10 academic centers. Stratification factors include line of CAR-T (second vs third line) and costimulatory domain (CD28 vs 4-1BB). Key inclusion criteria include PET evidence of a D30 PR. non-bulky disease ( <7.5cm), ANC of >1000, hemoglobin >7 g/dL if asymptomatic or >8 if symptomatic, platelet count >50,000. G-CSF, pRBCs and platelet transfusions are allowed. Key exclusion criteria include ongoing or uncontrolled CRS or ICANS, and active or symptomatic CNS disease. This study is available to all eligible patients, regardless of race, gender, or ethnic origin. To adapt to current practices, prior bispecific antibody exposure is allowed if used as holding or bridging therapy without disease progression. Epco is administered subcutaneously at a dose of 0.16mg on day 1, 0.8mg on day 8, prior to full dose of 48mg on day 15. Epco is administered weekly in 28 day cycles (C) for C1-3, on day 1 and 15 of C4-9 and on day 1 of C10-12. PET-CT response is assessed by the 2014 Lugano criteria after 2 cycles, and then every 3 months during active treatment. The primary objective is efficacy, measured as conversion from D30 PR to CR. The secondary endpoints include frequency and severity of treatment emergent adverse events, ORR, duration of response, duration of complete response, progression free survival, event free survival, and overall survival. Peripheral blood samples will be collected pre-treatment and during treatment to assess for biomarkers of response and resistance and CAR-T persistence. The study was activated in January 2024 and recruitment is ongoing.
Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor and acute kidney injury in hematopoietic cell transplantation
Bhasin, Bhavna , Wang, Tao , Levine, John E. , Shenoy, Shalini , Perales, Miguel‐Angel , Bashey, Asad, Raff, Hershel , Saber, Wael , Bhasin-Chhabra, Bhavna , Perales, Miguel-Angel , Levine, John E

Mayo Clinic

Blood Advances | September 24, 2025 | Volume: 9 | Issue: 24 | Pages: 6394-6401

10.1182/bloodadvances.2025016655 | PMID 40991367 Get It

Abstract Acute kidney injury (AKI) frequently follows hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is a biomarker of AKI in the general population. We evaluated suPAR and its association with AKI requiring dialysis (AKI-D) in patients undergoing allogeneic HCT (alloHCT). Performance of suPAR was compared with serum creatinine (sCr) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL). Data were obtained from the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network 1202 cohort, an observational study of 1709 alloHCT recipients. Adults aged ≥18 years with AKI-D after HCT were included. Adults who did not develop AKI were included as controls and matched 1:1. Periodic serum samples (7-90 days) were analyzed for NGAL, suPAR, and sCr. The 1:1 matched case-control groups (n = 62 each) were balanced in demographic variables, except for graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis. The median time from transplant to AKI-D was 2.6 months (range, 0.03-20.39). The day +7 suPAR level after HCT was higher in patients with AKI (median, 2.7 ng/mL) than in controls (2.1 ng/mL; P = .002). In the multivariate analysis, the day +7 suPAR level was associated with the development of AKI-D (P = .009). The area under the curve for the receiver operating characteristic curve for day +7 suPAR levels was 0.75. Neither NGAL nor sCr were associated with AKI-D. Elevated day +7 suPAR levels predicted AKI and lower overall survival (OS). The suPAR level at day +7 after HCT may be an early prognostic factor for the development of AKI-D and OS. Future prospective studies could evaluate this at different stages of AKI. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrial.gov as #NCT01879072.
New comorbidity index associated with survival after chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for large B-cell lymphoma
Greenbaum, Uri , Hashmi, Hamza , Elsawy, Mahmoud , Kim, Soyoung , Moskop, Amy , Oloyede, Temitope, Awan, Farrukh T. , Bachanová, Veronika , Badar, Talha , Bar, Merav , Barba, Pere , Cashen, Amanda F. , Ganguly, Siddhartha , Kittai, Adam S. , Lulla, Premal , Mead, Elena, Geethakumari, Praveen Ramakrishnan , Saber, Wael , Strouse, Christopher , Valluripalli, Anusha, Wudhikarn, Kitsada , Pasquini, Marcelo C. , Dholaria, Bhagirathbhai R , Farooq, Umar , Hematti, Peiman , Hill, LaQuisa C , Jain, Michael D , Jain, Tania , Lulla, Premal D , McGuirk, Joseph , Mussetti, Alberto , Nishihori, Taiga , Olson, Amanda L , Perales, Miguel-Angel , Riedell, Peter A , Shouval, Roni , Magalhaes-Silverman, Margarida , Pasquini, Marcelo , Ahmed, Sairah , Sorror, Mohamed , Bachanova, Veronika , Badar, Talha , Strouse, Christopher S , Awan, Farrukh T , Kim, Soyoung , Moskop, Amy , Beitinjaneh, Amer , Dholaria, Bhagirathbhai , Foglesong, Jessica , Hematti, Peiman , Hill, LaQuisa C. , Jain, Michael D. , Jain, Tania , Kebriaei, Partow , Locke, Frederick L. , McGuirk, Joseph P. , Mussetti, Alberto , Nishihori, Taiga , Pennisi, Martina , Perales, Miguel‐Angel , Riedell, Peter A. , Shpall, Elizabeth J. , Magalhaes‐Silverman, Margarida , Turtle, Cameron J. , Vallurupalli, Anusha , Ahmed, Sairah , Sorror, Mohamed L.

Mayo Clinic

Blood Advances | August 14, 2025 | Volume: 10 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 217-227

10.1182/bloodadvances.2024015599 | PMID 40811818 Get It

Abstract The cumulative impact of baseline comorbidities on outcomes of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is not well established. Therefore, we developed and validated a Cellular Therapy Comorbidity Index (CT-CI) to predict outcomes following CD19-directed CAR-T therapy for large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). Patients aged 18 or older receiving commercial CAR-T therapy for LBCL during 2017 to 2020 were selected from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research registry. Patients were randomly assigned to training or validation cohorts. Comorbidities given weighted scores comprised the CT-CI, which was then validated for overall survival (OS) prognostication. A total of 1916 patients from 97 medical centers were included, with a median age of 64 years (19-91 years). About 70% of patients had comorbidities, such as cardiac disease (12%); diabetes (14%); hepatic dysfunction (mild, 8%; moderate to severe, 2%); psychiatric disturbance (18%); and pulmonary dysfunction (moderate, 15%; severe, 12%). The CT-CI was calculated, stratified patients in 3 categories, and was associated with increased mortality. Patients with higher CT-CI scores had worse OS (CT-CI 1: hazard ratio [HR], 1.37 [95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-1.62; P< .001]; CT-CI 2: HR, 1.49 [95% CI, 1.17-1.89; P = .001]; CT-CI ≥ 3: HR, 2.55 [95% CI, 1.90-3.42; P< .001]). Higher CT-CI scores predicted treatment-related mortality and relapse. There was no correlation between the CT-CI score and CAR-T–related toxicities. The novel CT-CI score stratifies the effect of patient comorbidities on survival after CAR-T therapy and can be used for clinical decision-making and treatment selection in high-risk populations. However, comorbidities and fear of increased toxicity should not preclude patients from this effective therapy.
Real-world outcomes of infections following tisagenlecleucel in patients with B-cell ALL: a CIBMTR analysis
Rangarajan, Hemalatha G. , Satwani, Prakash , Chen, Min , Wudhikarn, Kitsada , Marks, David I. , Kelly, Matthew S. , Farhadfar, Nosha , Prestidge, Tim , Hossain, Nasheed , Liu, Hongtao , Hashmi, Shahrukh K. , Modi, Dipenkumar , Winestone, Lena E. , Boghdadly, Zeinab El , Chemaly, Roy F. , Dandoy, Christopher E. , Hill, Joshua A. , Huppler, Anna R. , Riches, Marcie , Herr, Megan M. , Martens, Michael J , Kelkar, Amar H , Ringden, Olov , Friend, Brian D , Kelly, Matthew S , Prestidge, Tim , Hossain, Nasheed M , Liu, Hongtao , Hashmi, Shahrukh K , Modi, Dipenkumar , Winestone, Lena E , Murthy, Hemant S , Perales, Miguel-Angel , Chemaly, Roy F , Dandoy, Christopher E , Hill, Joshua A , Huppler, Anna R , Auletta, Jeffery J , Martens, Michael J. , John, Samuel, Fabrizio, Vanessa A , Hsieh, Emily M. , Doherty, Erin , Ringdén, Olle , Murthy, Hemant S. , Perales, Miguel‐Angel , Auletta, Jeffery J.

Mayo Clinic

Blood Advances | July 30, 2025 | Volume: 9 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 5489-5500

10.1182/bloodadvances.2025016149 | PMID 40737539 Get It

Abstract Tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) is a CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for relapsed/refractory precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R B-ALL). We report infectious complications for 100 days (D100) following tisa-cel therapy in 471 pediatric and young adults (median age 13.8 years) with R/R B-ALL reported from September 2017 to June 2022. By D100, 137 (29%) patients had an infectious event, with an infection density of 0.542 per 100 person-days at risk. D100 cumulative incidences of bacterial, viral, and fungal infections were 14.1%, 11.6%, and 1.3%, corresponding to infection density scores of 0.296, 0.213, and 0.033 per 100 person-days at risk, respectively. In a multivariable analysis, receipt of ≥3 lines of therapy before tisa-cel (hazard ratio [HR], 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-3.08; P = .015), any-grade cytokine release syndrome (HR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.17-2.71; P = .007), and lack of neutrophil recovery (HR, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.47-4.69; P = .001) were associated with an increased risk for any infection. Similar associations were observed for bacterial infections, with the addition of younger age as an adverse risk (<6 vs 6-15 years; HR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.23-4.61; P = .01). Risk factors for viral infections included increasing age (1-year increase; HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.09; P = .016), prior history of any infection (HR, 2.76, 95% CI, 1.40-5.46; P = .004), and prior hematopoietic cell transplant (HR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.18-3.71; P = .011). D100 infection-related mortality (IRM) rate was low at 0.2% (95% CI, 0.0-0.8). In this multicenter real-world study, we observed a high incidence of infectious complications but a low IRM following tisa-cel for R/R B-ALL.
Ibrutinib added to standard conditioning and as maintenance therapy following autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for relapsed or refractory activated-B-cell type Diffuse Large B-cell lymphoma: primary analysis of the US intergroup double-bl
Bobek, Olivia , Fenske, Timothy S. , Stiff, Patrick J. , Hill, Brian T. , Geyer, Susan M. , Horwitz, Mitchell E. , Little, Richard F. , Dinner, Shira, Friedberg, Jonathan W. , Perales, Miguel-Angel, Leonard, John P. , Bobek, Olivia , Andreadis, Charalambos Babis , Hsi, Eric D. , Khimani, Farhad , Kahl, Brad S. , Devine, Steven M. , Bartlett, Nancy L.

Mayo Clinic

Leukemia & Lymphoma | July 9, 2025 | Volume: 66 | Issue: 10 | Pages: 1903-1912

10.1080/10428194.2025.2525982 | PMID 40632607 Get It