Dr. Cutler on Novel Preventive Strategies Against GVHD

Corey S. Cutler, MD, MPH, FRCPC, medical director of the Adult Stem Cell Transplantation Program; director of Clinical Research, Stem Cell Transplantation; director of the Stem Cell Transplantation Survivorship Program; and institute physician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; as well as an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, discusses some of the novel preventive strategies against graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

A significant unmet need with regard to GVHD is prevention, says Cutler; however, ongoing research efforts are exploring novel preventive regimens. Specifically, investigators are developing ways to manipulate the stem cell graft, take out specific T-cell fractions, or modulate the graft to prevent GVHD, says Cutler.

Additionally, several post-transplant medical interventions are available. For example, the post-transplant cyclophosphamide regimen is growing in importance. Additionally, other immunosuppressive agents are available, such as abatacept (Orencia), which is a costimulatory blockade agent that can help prevent GVHD, concludes Cutler.