Larry Rosenberg, PhD

ATLANTA-In a phase I/II randomized trial, a novel leukemia vaccine, PR1 peptide, produced immune responses that correlated with a longer event-free survival.

ATLANTA-Treatment with imatinib (Gleevec) plus high-dose chemotherapy significantly improved 2-year event-free survival in children with Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

ATLANTA-Interim results of an international phase III study show that rituximab (Rituxan)-based salvage chemotherapy results in high response rates in patients with CD20-positive relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) allowing for stem-cell transplantation.

Long-term results of a German randomized trial suggest that a novel escalated-dose regimen may replace the current chemotherapy standard of care for treatment of advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma. Volker Diehl, MD, of the University of Cologne, Germany, presented 10-year follow-up data on behalf of the German Hodgkin Study Group at ASH 2007 (abstract 211).

A novel approach aimed at depleting host hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) by an immunologic method may facilitate subsequent donor stem cell transplantation without the need for traditional myeloablative conditioning regimens. Agnieszka Czechowicz, a medical student conducting research in the laboratory of Irving Weissman, MD, at Stanford, discussed results of her research using murine transplantation models that could reduce the toxicity associated with traditional approaches and expand the potential applications for HSC transplantation (ASH 2007, abstract LB2).

Results of a phase III trial show for the first time a significant survival advantage in patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome who were treated with the DNA methylation inhibitor azacitidine (Vidaza). Pierre Fenaux, MD, of the Hôpital Avicenne, Bobigny, France, presented these findings on behalf of the International Vidaza High-Risk MDS Survival Study Group at ASH 2007 (abstract 817).

Phase III study results show that addition of the proteosome inhibitor bortezomib (Velcade) to standard chemotherapy significantly improves outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are not eligible for high-dose chemotherapy and stem-cell transplantation (SCT).

Patients with multiple myeloma are more likely to mobilize sufficient numbers of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) when plerixafor (AMD3100) is given with G-CSF (Neupogen) than with G-CSF alone.

While reduced-intensity conditioning allows hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) in older cancer patients who cannot tolerate standard conditioning regimens, only about one-third of such patients have an HLA-matched related donor available. For these patients, stem cells derived from unrelated umbilical cord blood (UCB) may provide a suitable and convenient alternative

Use of rituximab (Rituxan) in the pre-transplant setting significantly boosts both progression-free and overall survival for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), without impacting engraftment or treatment-related mortality

Preliminary results suggest that immunotherapy with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) may prolong survival in younger patients with acute myeloid leukemia in first remission. However, the high rate of refusal or discontinuation of such therapy presents challenges for its acceptance

In newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients, lenalidomide (Revlimid) plus low-dose dexamethasone led to superior overall survival, compared with the standard regimen of lenalidomide plus high-dose dexamethasone

A novel frontline regimen has shown efficacy in high-risk patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, with no significant increase in hematologic toxicity, compared with historical data on the standard regimen

Use of intensive immunochemotherapy plus purged stem-cell support can result in long-term survival in patients with mantle cell lymphoma, suggesting that MCL could be considered as curable. Christian Geisler, MD, PhD, of Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark, presented this provocative idea, based on final results of the MCL2 study, at ASH 2007 (abstract LB1), speaking on behalf of the Nordic Lymphoma Group.