~3 spots leftby Nov 2025

Stem Cell Transplant for Sickle Cell Disease

Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Overseen byDamiano Rondelli, MD
Age: < 65
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Phase 2
Recruiting
Sponsor: University of Illinois at Chicago
Disqualifiers: HIV-positive, Pregnant, HLA-matched sibling, others
No Placebo Group
Prior Safety Data
Breakthrough Therapy

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The study is a Phase II clinical trial. Patients will receive intensity modulated total body irradiation (TBI) at a dose of 3 Gy with standard fludarabine/ i.v. cyclophosphamide conditioning prior to human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). The primary objective of the study is to determine the engraftment at Day +60 following HLA-haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplant protocol using immunosuppressive agents and low-dose total body irradiation (TBI) for conditioning and post-transplant cyclophosphamide in patients with sickle cell disease.

Do I need to stop my current medications for the trial?

The trial information does not specify if you need to stop your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your doctor.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Stem Cell Transplant for Sickle Cell Disease?

Research shows that fludarabine, a component of the treatment, is effective in conditioning regimens for stem cell transplants, helping to prevent graft rejection and achieve successful donor cell integration in patients with severe aplastic anemia. This suggests potential effectiveness in similar transplant settings, like sickle cell disease.12345

Is stem cell transplant for sickle cell disease generally safe in humans?

Stem cell transplants, which often use drugs like fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, have been studied for safety in humans. While these treatments can be effective, they may have side effects such as myelosuppression (a decrease in bone marrow activity leading to fewer blood cells). Some studies show that higher doses of these drugs can lead to worse outcomes, so careful monitoring and dose adjustments are important to ensure safety.14567

How is the stem cell transplant treatment for sickle cell disease different from other treatments?

This treatment is unique because it combines stem cell transplantation with a specific regimen of drugs, including cyclophosphamide and fludarabine, and total body irradiation to prepare the body for the transplant. This approach aims to reduce the risk of rejection and graft-versus-host disease (a condition where the donor cells attack the recipient's body), which are common challenges in treating sickle cell disease with unrelated donor transplants.148910

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for people aged 16-60 with severe sickle cell disease, who have complications like stroke, recurrent pain episodes, or organ damage. They must not be pregnant, HIV-negative, and without a fully HLA-matched sibling donor but have an HLA-haploidentical relative willing to donate stem cells.

Inclusion Criteria

Patient is not pregnant
Patient is able and willing to sign informed consent
I have sickle cell disease with serious complications like stroke, frequent pain, or vision loss.
See 9 more

Exclusion Criteria

My donor relative is not a close enough genetic match for the transplant.
I have a sibling who is a complete HLA match and willing to donate stem cells.

Trial Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Conditioning

Patients receive intensity modulated total body irradiation (TBI) at a dose of 3 Gy with standard fludarabine/i.v. cyclophosphamide conditioning prior to HLA-haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT)

6 days

Transplantation

HLA-haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is performed

1 day

Post-Transplant Evaluation

Post-transplant evaluation with data collection at days 30, 60, 100, 180, 365, and annually thereafter

Up to 1 year

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

Up to Day +60

Treatment Details

Interventions

  • ATG (Immunosuppressant)
  • Cyclophosphamide (Alkylating agents)
  • Fludarabine (Anti-metabolites)
  • Mycophenolate Mofetil (Immunosuppressant)
  • Sirolimus (Immunosuppressant)
  • Stem cell infusion (Procedure)
  • Total body irradiation (Radiation)
Trial OverviewThe study tests a new way of transplanting stem cells from half-matched relatives in patients with aggressive sickle cell disease. It involves low-dose body radiation and drugs like fludarabine and cyclophosphamide before the transplant, followed by post-transplant medication to help the body accept the new cells.
Participant Groups
1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Subject treatmentExperimental Treatment7 Interventions
Patients will receive the following conditioning regimen: ATG, fludarabine (6 days before stem cell infusion), cyclophosphamide, and total body irradiation. The stem cell product will be infused according to BMT unit policy. Patients will also receive GVHD prophylaxis which will consist of cyclophosphamide, sirolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil according to the protocol. Post-transplant evaluation will be done as per standard care with study data collected at days 30, 60, 100, 180, 365, and annually thereafter.

Cyclophosphamide is already approved in United States, European Union, Canada, Japan for the following indications:

🇺🇸 Approved in United States as Cytoxan for:
  • Breast cancer
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Leukemia
  • Lymphoma
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
🇪🇺 Approved in European Union as Endoxan for:
  • Breast cancer
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Leukemia
  • Lymphoma
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
🇨🇦 Approved in Canada as Neosar for:
  • Breast cancer
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Leukemia
  • Lymphoma
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
🇯🇵 Approved in Japan as Endoxan for:
  • Breast cancer
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Leukemia
  • Lymphoma

Find a Clinic Near You

Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Illinois at ChicagoLead Sponsor

References

Higher Fludarabine and Cyclophosphamide Exposures Lead to Worse Outcomes in Reduced-Intensity Conditioning Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Adult Hematologic Malignancy. [2021]Reduced-intensity conditioning regimens using fludarabine (Flu) and cyclophosphamide (Cy) have been widely used in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients. The optimal exposure of these agents remains to be determined. We aimed to delineate the exposure-outcome associations of Flu and Cy separately and then both combined on HCT outcomes. This is a single-center, observational, pharmacokinetic (PK)-pharmacodynamic (PD) study of Flu and Cy in HCT recipients age &#8805;18 years who received Cy (50 mg/kg in a single dose), Flu (150 to 200 mg/m2 given as 5 daily doses), and total body irradiation (TBI; 200 cGy). We measured trough concentrations of 9-&#946;-D-arabinosyl-2-fluoradenine (F-ara-A), an active metabolite of Flu, on days -5 and -4 (F-ara-ADay-5 and F-ara-ADay-4, respectively), and measured phosphoramide mustard (PM), the final active metabolite of Cy, and estimated the area under the curve (AUC). The 89 enrolled patients had a nonrelapse mortality (NRM) of 9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3% to 15%) at day +100 and 15% (95% CI, 7% to 22%) at day +180, and an overall survival (OS) of 73% (95% CI, 63% to 81%) at day +180. In multivariate analysis, higher PM area under the curve (AUC) for 0 to 8 hours (PM AUC0-8 hr) was an independent predictor of worse NRM (P &lt; .01 at both day +100 and day +180) and worse day +180 OS (P &lt; .01), but no associations were identified for F-ara-A trough levels. We observed lower day +100 NRM in those with both high F-ara-ADay-4 trough levels (&#8805;40 ng/mL; &gt;25th percentile) and low PM AUC0-8 hr (&lt;34,235 hr ng/mL; &lt;75th percentile), compared with high exposures to both agents (hazard ratio, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.48). No patients with low F-ara-ADay-4 (&lt;40 ng/mL; &lt;25th percentile) had NRM by day +100, regardless of PM AUC. The interpatient PK variability was large in F-ara-ADay-4 trough and PM AUC0-8 hr (29-fold and 5.0-fold, respectively). Flu exposure alone was not strongly associated with NRM or OS in this reduced Flu dose regimen; however, high exposure to both Flu and Cy was associated with a &gt;16-fold higher NRM. These results warrant further investigation to optimize reduced-intensity regimens based on better PK-PD understanding and possible adaptation to predictable factors influencing drug clearance.
Population pharmacokinetic/dynamic model of lymphosuppression after fludarabine administration. [2021]Quantitative relationships between 9-β-D-arabinofuranosyl-2-fluoroadenine (F-ara-A) concentrations and lymphosuppression have not been reported, but would be useful for regimen design. A population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model was constructed in this study using data from 41 hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients conditioned with busulfan in combination with fludarabine (total dose 120 mg/m², Protocol 1519) or with fludarabine (total dose 250 mg/m²) with rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG, Protocol 2041).
[Fludarabine-based increased-intensity conditioning regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in acquired severe aplastic anemia]. [2014]To observe the effects of increased-intensity conditioning regimen with FBCA (Fludarabine, Busulfan, Cyclophosphamide, and Antithymocyte globulin) for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in acquired severe aplastic anemia (SAA).
Non-radiotherapy conditioning with stem cell transplantation from alternative donors in children with refractory severe aplastic anemia. [2013]Conditioning including total body/lymphoid irradiation is widely used to prevent graft rejection in patients with refractory severe aplastic anemia (SAA) undergoing hemopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) from alternative donors and or after graft manipulation. To reduce regimen-related toxicity we transplanted three children with refractory SAA after conditioning with radiotherapy-free regimens. Conditioning included fludarabine 175-180 mg/m2 in all patients. In addition, patient 1 (failing two previous grafts) received thiotepa 10 mg/kg and Campath-1H 60 mg/m2; patient 2 cyclophosphamide 120 mg/kg, thiotepa 15 mg/kg and OKT-3 0.1 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks; and patient 3 cyclophosphamide 120 and ATG 90 mg/kg. Stem cell source was unmanipulated marrow from the same unrelated donor as for the two previous transplantations in patient 1 and CD34+-purified peripheral blood stem cells from an HLA-matched unrelated donor and from the haploidentical mother in patients 2 and 3. Only patient 1 received graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis with cyclosporine A and mycophenolate mofetil. Follow-up is now 30, 51, and 15 months. None of the patients developed GVHD. All patients have normal counts with complete donor chimerism. Fludarabine-based conditioning is powerfully immunosuppressive and may be used for children with refractory SAA undergoing HCT from alternative donors even after rejection following previous HCT.
Association of fludarabine pharmacokinetic/dynamic biomarkers with donor chimerism in nonmyeloablative HCT recipients. [2018]Fludarabine monophosphate (fludarabine) is an integral component of many reduced-intensity conditioning regimens for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Fludarabine's metabolite, 9-β-D-arabinofuranosyl-2-fluoroadenine (F-ara-A), undergoes cellular uptake and activation to form the active cytotoxic metabolite fludarabine triphosphate (F-ara-ATP), which inhibits cellular DNA synthesis in CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells. In this study, we evaluated whether fludarabine-based pharmacologic biomarkers were associated with clinical outcomes in HCT recipients.
F-ara-A pharmacokinetics during reduced-intensity conditioning therapy with fludarabine and busulfan. [2013]Fludarabine is commonly used in combination with busulfan as part of conditioning regimens before allogeneic stem cell transplantation. So far, no data are available on busulfan-fludarabine drug interactions in transplant recipients. The pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of F-ara-A (9-beta-D-arabinosyl-2-fluoradenine) before and after application of busulfan were prospectively investigated in 16 patients with hematological malignancies. The conditioning regimen consisted of intravenous fludarabine 30 mg/m(2) over 30 min from day -6 to day -3, and oral busulfan given at 1 mg/kg every 6 h from day -5 to day -2. PK parameters of F-ara-A, derived from plasma and urine on day -6, -5, -4 and -3, were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). AUC, C(max), t(1/2), Cl(total) and V(SS) were 21.9 microMh, 3.5 microM, 13.0 h, 4.3 l/h/m(2), 60.0 l/m(2) on day -6 and 22.4 microMh, 3.5 microM, 14.0 h, 4.7 l/h/m(2), 69.0 l/m(2) on day -5 to (-2), respectively. Cl(renal) and the urine-recovery were 4.8 l/h, 43.7% of the fludarabine dose on day -6 and 3.9 l/h, 44.2% of the fludarabine dose on day -5 to (-2), respectively. There were no changes in PK parameters of fludarabine given before and after intake of busulfan. This implies that a clinically relevant busulfan-fludarabine drug interaction is unlikely.
Phase I study of fludarabine (2-fluoro-ara-AMP). [2019]Fludarabine phosphate is a derivative of adenosine arabinoside. The compound is an antimetabolite which resists deamination by the addition of a phosphate moiety. A phase I trial was conducted and showed the safe dose to good-risk patients to be 20 mg/m2 in 125 ml of 5% dextrose given over 30 min every 12 hr for 6 doses. The cycle can be repeated every 21 days. The major side-effect is myelosuppression, which can be severe at higher doses.
Using fludarabine to reduce exposure to alkylating agents in children with sickle cell disease receiving busulfan, cyclophosphamide, and antithymocyte globulin transplant conditioning: results of a dose de-escalation trial. [2015]High-dose busulfan, cyclophosphamide, and antithymocyte globulin (BU-CY-ATG) is the most commonly used conditioning regimen in HLA-matched related hematopoietic cell transplantation for children with sickle cell disease. Disease-free survival with this regimen is now approximately 95%; however, it produces significant morbidity. We hypothesized we could create a less toxic regimen by adding fludarabine (FLU) to BU-CY-ATG and reduce the dosages of busulfan and cyclophosphamide. We conducted a multicenter dose de-escalation trial with the objective of decreasing the doses of busulfan and cyclophosphamide by 50% and 55%, respectively. Using day +28 donor-predominant chimerism as a surrogate endpoint for sustained engraftment, we completed the first 2 of 4 planned levels, enrolling 6 patients at each and reducing the total dose of cyclophosphamide from 200 mg/kg to 90 mg/kg. On the third level, which involved a reduction of i.v. busulfan from 12.8 mg/kg to 9.6 mg/kg, the first 2 patients had host-predominant T cell chimerism, which triggered trial-stopping rules. All 14 patients survive disease-free. No patients suffered severe regimen-related toxicity. Our results suggest BU-FLU-CY-ATG using lower dose CY could be a less toxic yet effective regimen. Further evaluation of this regimen in a full-scale clinical trial is warranted.
Outcomes of Unrelated Donor Stem Cell Transplantion with Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide for Graft-versus-Host Disease Prophylaxis in Patients with Severe Sickle Cell Disease. [2019]Unrelated donor (URD) hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with a high incidence of rejection and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). We report on the first 4 patients with severe SCD who underwent URD HCT using a novel myeloablative and immunosuppressive regimen composed of busulfan, fludarabine, and antithymocyte globulin with a single dose of post-transplant cyclophosphamide along with tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil for GVHD prophylaxis. Three patients engrafted and remain disease-free after a median follow-up period of 2.5 years. One patient had primary graft failure attributed to low stem cell content of the graft. Of interest, none of the engrafted patients developed acute or chronic GVHD. This preparative regimen along with the use of post-transplant cyclophosphamide offers a promising approach for unrelated donor transplants in patients with SCD and needs further corroboration in larger number of patients.
10.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Fludarabine-based nonmyeloablative stem cell transplantation for sickle cell disease with and without renal failure: clinical outcome and pharmacokinetics. [2021]End-organ damage is common in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) thereby limiting the use of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). We report the outcome of 2 adult SCD patients, 1 with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), who underwent fludarabine-based nonmyeloablative SCT from HLA-identical matched siblings. To prevent fludarabine toxicity, the patient with ESRD underwent aggressive dialysis following adjusted fludarabine dosing. Pharmacokinetics of the fludarabine metabolite F-Ara-A was studied on the patient with ESRD and 2 additional patients with normal renal function. Both patients with SCD achieved full donor erythroid chimerism, have normal blood counts, and are on no immunosuppressive medications. With a 20% dose reduction followed by daily dialysis, we achieved fludarabine drug exposure that is nearly identical to that achieved in patients with normal renal function. We conclude that fludarabine-based nonmyeloablative allogeneic SCT for adult patients with SCD is feasible, even in the setting of ESRD.