Changing Trends of Unrelated Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation for Hematologic Diseases in Patients Older than Fifty Years: A Eurocord-Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research Survey

Updated Comparison of 7/8 HLA Allele-Matched Unrelated Bone Marrow Transplantation and Single-Unit Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation as Alternative Donors in Adults with Acute Leukemia

The outcomes of 7/8 allele-matched unrelated bone marrow transplantation (7/8 UBMT) and umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) have been improving. We retrospectively analyzed adults with acute leukemia who underwent their first 7/8 UBMT or UCBT in Japan. Between January 2008 and December 2017, a total of 4150 patients were recorded, including 488 who underwent 7/8 UBMT and 3662 who underwent UCBT. Only 32 patients with 7/8 UBMT had graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) high-risk HLA mismatched pairs. Overall survival at 3 years was 54% for 7/8 the UBMT group and 46% for the UCBT group, a nonsignificant difference in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR], 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], .88 to 1.17; P = .89). The 7/8 UBMT and UCBT groups showed a similar nonrelapse mortality rate (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, .96 to 1.45; P = .16) and relapse rate (HR, .85; 95% CI, .71 to 1.02; P = .08). However, the UCBT group had a lower risk of grade II-IV acute GVHD (HR, .76; 95% CI, .65 to .88; P < .001) and chronic GVHD (HR, .77; 95% CI, .66- .91; P = .002) compared with the 7/8 UBMT group. In stratified analyses combining disease risk with conditioning intensity, 7/8 UBMT showed superior overall survival to UCBT in standard risk and myeloablative conditioning (HR, .72; 95% CI, .56 to .93; P = .014). Both 7/8 UBMT and UCBT are appropriate alternative donor procedures. The stem cell source can be selected on the basis of disease risk, patient tolerability, or concerns regarding GVHD.

Using umbilical cord blood for regenerative therapy: Proof or promise?

The identification of nonhematopoietic progenitor cells in cord blood has spawned great interest in using cord blood cells for new indications in regenerative therapy. Many preclinical studies demonstrated improvement in reperfusion and markers of organ recovery using cord blood-derived cells in a range of animal models. Initial results heralded increasing clinical interest regarding the use of cord blood for regenerative therapy. Initial clinical studies were largely uncontrolled feasibility studies that were case series and reported on small numbers of patients. The emergence of controlled studies has been slower, although multiple controlled studies have been conducted in patients with cerebral palsy and type I diabetes. Heterogeneity in the cellular product, patients, study design, and the timing of outcome measurements remains barriers to meta-analysis and a clearer understanding of efficacy. Controlled studies of modest size have been reported for a range of additional conditions. The conduct of controlled clinical trials to evaluate potential new uses of cord blood for regenerative therapy remains essential. None of the indications studied to date can be regarded as proven. Moreover, consistency in outcome reporting in terms of the instruments used and the time points for assessment after therapy are needed, including longer follow-up of study participants. Frequent and careful evaluation of the evidence will allow cord blood banks, health care providers, and patients to assess potential new options in the use of cord blood for regenerative therapy.

Portrayal of umbilical cord blood research in the North American popular press: promise or hype?

Aim: This study examined how umbilical cord blood (UCB) use was portrayed in the English language North American popular press. Methods: Directed content analysis was conducted on 400 articles from 2007 to 2017 containing 'cord blood,' published by the most read Canadian and American news sources. Results: A total of 86.3% of the articles detailed UCB treatments and therapies, the majority of which align with clinical evidence. Some articles portrayed speculative/experimental therapies as efficacious. Public and private banking initiatives received substantial attention, and were portrayed diversely. Promotional narrative messaging was evident around private banking. Conclusion: Findings demonstrate the need for continual monitoring of the media portrayals of UCB as stem cell and transplantation research develops and as clinics continue to operate.

Can haploidentical transplantation meet all patients' needs?

Allotransplantation in the absence of an HLA-matched sibling donor can offer numerous donor options including unrelated donor and umbilical cord blood grafting. Recently, haploidentical transplantation has exploded in popularity and worldwide use following the application of post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) for GVHD prophylaxis. Various approaches, disease states, conditioning intensities and supportive care advances have improved all these choices without demonstrable superiority of one approach versus the others. However, PTCy limits risks of GVHD; bone marrow over peripheral blood stem cells limits risks of chronic GVHD, which suggests that both these promising techniques can inform these donor and graft choices. Formal and prospective data will answer whether situationally adapted best options-tailored to each patient's disease risk and comorbidity status-will help guide future decision-making to improve patient outcomes with the least cumulative morbidity.