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Is allogeneic transplant for solid tumors still alive?

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 51, pages 751–752 (2016)Cite this article

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Immune therapy for cancer is being pursued with extraordinary interest by investigators and pharma industries, given the new scientific acquisitions on immune mechanisms that control cancer and the introduction to clinical use of checkpoint inhibitor molecules, ipilimumab (anti-CTLA4) and nivolumab/pembrolizumab (PD-1/PDL-1 inhibitors) among others.1

The paradigm for immune therapy of cancer is allogeneic stem cell transplantation, whose therapeutic effect is carried out by immunocompetent T cells of the donor, an effect known as graft-versus-leukemia or graft-versus-tumor effect (GVT).2 After anecdotal reports in breast and lung cancer, Childs et al.3 reported in 2000 a consistent GVT effect of allogeneic stem cell transplant against renal cell cancer. GVT effect was then investigated in other tumors: As STWP of the EBMT, we completed several studies of allografting in selected solid tumors, namely renal cell cancer,4 ovarian cancer,5 breast cancer,6 colorectal cancer7 and others, with circumstantial evidence of GVT in some tumors and occurrence of transplant-related toxicities, mostly GvHD. In renal cell cancer, we have shown a long-term survival effect in a fraction (20%) of patients.8

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncology, Medical Oncology Unit, AO Ospedale di Circolo, Busto Arsizio, Italy

    M Bregni

  2. EBMT Clinical Trial Office, Hôpital Saint Antoine, Paris, France

    M Badoglio

  3. Department of Oncology, Medical Oncology Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy

    P Pedrazzoli

  4. Hematology Unit, Ospedale Cremona, Cremona, Italy

    F Lanza

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  1. M Bregni
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  2. M Badoglio
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  3. P Pedrazzoli
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  4. F Lanza
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on behalf of the STWP of the EBMT

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Correspondence to M Bregni.

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Bregni, M., Badoglio, M., Pedrazzoli, P. et al. Is allogeneic transplant for solid tumors still alive?. Bone Marrow Transplant 51, 751–752 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2015.345

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