ASBMT eNews

Intrabone cord blood
transplants hold promise
for treating leukemia

Stem cell lines created
from tissues of patients
with genetic diseases

September 2, 2008

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Top Stories

Legislation and Regulation

Clinical Research

Biopharmaceutical News

Association News

Calendar

Job & Fellowship Connections

Monthly Journal

eNews Archives

BMT Tandem Meetings
Feb. 11-15, 2009
Tampa, Florida

Calendar

• September
10th International Conference on Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Biological Basis of Therapy
European School of Haematology
Sept. 5-7
Boston Sheraton Hotel
Boston, Massachusetts

American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB)
32nd Annual Meeting
Sept. 6-9
Marriott Chicago Magnificent Mile
Chicago, Illinois

11th Biennial National Symposium on Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Stanford University School of Medicine BMT Program
Sept. 12-13
Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center
Stanford, California

European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)
Annual Meeting
Sept. 12-16
Stockholm International Fair
Stockholm, Sweden

ISCT Europe Regional Meeting
International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT)
Sept. 14-16
Cultural Conference Center Elzenveld
Antwerp, Belgium

American Society of Multicultural Health and Transplant Professionals (ASMHTP)
16th Annual Meeting
Sept. 17-19
Radisson Plaza Hotel
Minneapolis, Minnesota

25th National Oncology Economics Conference
Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC)
Sept. 17-20
Hyatt Regency San Francisco
San Francisco, California

5th Annual Symposium on Controversies and Clinical Challenges in Myeloma, Lymphoma and Leukemia
Physicians’ Education Resource
Sept. 19-20
Arizona Biltmore Resort
Phoenix, Arizona

Celebrating a Second Chance at Life Survivorship Symposium
BMT InfoNet
Sept. 20-21
Doubletree Hotel at the Galleria
Dallas, Texas

8th Annual Somatic Cell Therapy Symposium
International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT)
Sept. 22-24
Hyatt Regency Bethesda
Bethesda, Maryland

Stem Cells, Cancer and Aging
Keystone Symposium
Sept. 29-Oct. 4
Swissotel The Stamford/Biopolis
Singapore

• October
American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)
2008 Annual Meeting
Oct. 4-7
Palais des Congrès de Montréal
Montreal, Canada

9th International Congress on Cell Biology
Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology
Oct. 7-9
COEX Convention & Exhibition Center
Seoul, Korea

Targeted and Tailored Therapies in Hematology/Oncology
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Oct. 11
McDonald’s Hamburger University
Oak Brook, Illinois

Cytokines 2008: Cytokines in Cancer & Infectious Diseases
International Cytokine Society (ICS)
Oct. 12-16
Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel
Montreal, Canada

International Congress on Hematologic Malignancies: Lymphoma and Myeloma
Imedex
Oct. 16-18
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
New York, New York

International Society of Hematology (ISH)
32nd World Congress
Oct. 19-23
Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld
Bangkok, Thailand

Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR),
National Cancer Institute (NCI),
and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)
Oct. 21-24
Geneva Palexpo
Geneva, Switzerland

American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI)
34th Annual Meeting
Oct. 27-31
Sheraton Toronto
Toronto, Canada

61st Annual Symposium on Cancer Research
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Oct. 30-Nov. 1
R. Lee Clark Clinic
Houston, Texas

• November
National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)
20th Annual Council Meeting
Nov. 7-9
Hilton Minneapolis Hotel
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Innovative Cancer Therapy for Tomorrow
Chemotherapy Foundation
Nov. 4-8
Marriott Marquis Hotel
New York, New York

4th International Congress on Myeloproliferative Diseases and Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Imedex, LLC
Nov. 8-10
Marriott New York – Brooklyn Bridge
New York, New York

American Society for Human Genetics (ASHG)
58th Annual Meeting
Nov. 11-15
Pennsylvania Convention Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

European Society of Gene Therapy (ESGT)
16th Annual Congress
Nov. 13-16
Concertgebouw Brugge
Bruges, Belgium

• December
American Society of Hematology (ASH)
50th Annual Meeting
Dec. 6-9
Moscone Convention Center
San Francisco, California

American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB)
48th Annual Meeting
Dec. 13-17
Moscone Center
San Francisco, California

Top Stories

Method shows which stem cells are pluripotent
Scientists have developed a method to determine which stem cells are pluripotent. According to a report in the advance online edition of Nature, the researchers used 150 human cell samples to create “gene expression profiles,” then identified 300 genes that interact with each other in cells that are truly pluripotent.

Stem cell lines created from patients’ tissues
Researchers at Harvard University have made lines of stem cells from bits of skin or blood taken from 10 patients with genetic diseases, such as muscular dystrophy and juvenile diabetes. According to a report in the the advance online edition of Cell, researchers plan to take the new stem cells and encourage them to differentiate into various types of blood cells.

Carbon nanotubes help deliver mesenchymal cells
Mesenchymal stem cells found in bone marrow have potential for the repair and regeneration of damaged tissue and organs, especially the heart. Single-walled carbon nanotubes in low concentration are being used as a delivery vehicle for the stem cells, according to the online edition of Nano Letters.

New cord blood bank opens in the United Kingdom
Kingscord, a new center in the United Kingdom for storing umbilical cord blood and placentas, opens this month. Based at King’s College Hospital in London, the bank will be operated by the Anthony Nolan Trust.

A Word from President Helen Heslop, MD

“Can you put that in writing?”

How often have you heard that or even said it? Written words have importance. They add clarity. They have permanence.

We tend to choose written words more carefully. I know that when I put something in writing, I have more time to consider and think things through ... to select the right words ... to review and change the words if necessary. Maybe even test the words on someone to find out if I’m communicating what I mean to say.

Negotiations usually aren’t concluded until there is an agreement in writing. Committees may approve an action “in concept” but not make the action final until it is seen in writing. Written words add precision, allow people to consider alternatives and the ramifications. They create a record.

Last week, the ASBMT Executive Committee approved some written words about research priorities. The process of putting the words on paper helped to clarify in our minds what we’d most like to accomplish in basic, translational and clinical research.

The idea of developing research priorities came from our ASBMT Corporate Council. You may not be aware, but for the past two years we have had a committee of high-level representatives from health care companies and past presidents of the Society. They meet in a retreat each fall and at the BMT Tandem Meetings to discuss ways in which industry and our Society can work together to advance our field of patient care and research. The corporate members of that Council told us it would be helpful if they had a clearer picture of our most pressing research needs to help in their decisions about allocation of research dollars in areas most beneficial to our needs for patient care.

It’s not that we haven’t talked with industry about research needs in the past. But we had never codified priorities. We agreed that it seemed like something our Society ought to do.

That was last February. To follow up, we asked Board member Bill Murphy of the University of Nevada Medical School to head a committee to draft our research priorities. He and several senior colleagues agreed to undertake this task on a tight timeline so that a document could be presented to our Board of Directors before its retreat in June.

When the Board members assembled in June, they were ready with comments and recommendations so that Dr. Murphy could fine-tune the priorities. The final document was approved by our Executive Committee last week and will be published in Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, but you can preview it now on our Web site.

The “ASBMT Research Priorities” has six major areas identifying critical needs in both the laboratory and the clinic. Two of the areas are:

Chronic GVHD and survivorship – issues that clinicians must deal with daily in patients who often remain under our care long-term.
Stem cell biology – with its potential for regenerative medicine.

It’s interesting that these and the other four areas include a high degree of interface between the laboratory and the clinic – a hallmark of our field.

We need to thank Bill and his team that drafted the priorities: Drs. William Drobyski at the Medical College of Wisconsin, John Kersey at the University of Minnesota, Rob Negrin at Stanford University, and Pavan Reddy at the University of Michigan.

“ASBMT Research Priorities” represents a consensus among ASBMT leaders on our most pressing research needs, but it is a snapshot. In a field of science that is evolving as rapidly as ours, any list of priorities must always be a work in progress as new data become available, goals are reached and new opportunities come into sight. Your comments and recommendations will always be welcome.

The Corporate Council asked us last February about our research priorities. When the Council meets again this month, we’ll not only be able to tell them, we can hand it to them in writing.

– Helen

Legislation and Regulation

Bill would create center to study comparative effectiveness
A bill has been introduced in the Senate to create a non-profit research institute to evaluate the comparative merits of drugs, devices and procedures. The institute would fund research, then disseminate the findings to clinicians, patients and the public. The institute would be funded by taxpayer money.

Clinical Research

Intrabone cord blood transplant promising to treat leukemia
Injection of umbilical cord blood cells from unrelated donors into the bone of leukemia patients resulted in excellent levels of engraftment and low rates of graft-versus-host disease. According to a report published online in Lancet Oncology, the overall survival rate was 45 percent one year after transplant, and 16 patients survived in hematological remission with up to two years of follow-up.

Mouse immune system attacks human embryonic stem cells
Human embryonic stem cells trigger an immune response in mice, which may limit their effectiveness in treating diseases. According to a report in the advance online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers used molecular imaging methods to watch the cells once they were transplanted into the mice. Based on these results, the researchers believe transplanting these cells into people also would elicit an immune response.

Stem cells in placenta, amniotic fluid create tissue
Scientists have created liver, pancreatic, nerve and kidney tissue using fetal stem cells found in the placenta and in amniotic fluid. The researchers used a modified ink-jet printer to lay down layers of tissue, then stacked this tissue in a three-dimensional mold in an incubator, where the organ grew.

Scientists exert control over embryonic stem cells
Researchers have been able to manipulate embryonic stem cells so that they make only one type of cell, early stage endoderm cells. According to a report in the August 7 issue of Cell Stem Cell, understanding how to control stem cells improves the chances of eventually using them to fight diseases.

Biopharmaceutical News

Vidaza approved for expanded label
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved adding information to the label of Celgene Corporation’s Vidaza drug showing that it prolonged life in some patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. A late-stage trial of the drug showed that the median overall survival for patients treated with Vidaza was 24.5 months, compared with 15 months for patients taking conventional care regimens.

Drug speeds mobilization of stem cells from bone marrow
Plerixafor, developed to fight human immunodeficiency virus, mobilizes stem cells from healthy bone marrow much quicker than the current standard method. In two-thirds of cases where they used plerixafor, researchers were able to mobilize enough cells for transplantation after just one day.

Association News

ASBMT launches online seminars
A new CME program, ASBMT Online Seminars, offers presentations on BMT topics for download to video iPODs or standard desktop and laptop computers. A new lecture-length program will be added to the online library each month. Recorded at major transplant centers, each lecture addresses a clinical care or research topic, new technology or an issue relevant to transplant facility management.

First online CME program addresses hepatic VOD/SOS
The first program in the monthly ASBMT Online Seminars series is “The Pathology, Diagnosis and Treatment of Hepatic VOD/SOS Post SCT: Current Status and Novel Strategies” by Paul Richardson, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Print out a certificate for an hour of Category 1 CME credit upon completion of the program and its evaluation.

Early registration deadline is Oct. 8 for BMT Tandem Meetings
During August, more than 300 hotel rooms were reserved by registrants for the 2009 BMT Tandem Meetings, Feb 11-15 in Tampa. Oct. 8 is the deadline for early registration. On a single Web page, navigate to meeting registration, housing reservations, preliminary program, abstract submission and parallel conferences.

Abstract submission deadline is Oct. 8 for Tampa meetings
Abstracts for the 2009 BMT Tandem Meetings are being accepted through Oct. 8. Invitations for oral presentation will be offered to 66 authors whose abstracts receive the highest scores from the review committees. ASBMT will provide travel grants of $1,000 each to young investigators whose abstracts are accepted for oral presentation.

Pediatric sessions will have own track at BMT Tandem Meetings
A parallel track of sessions on transplantation for children and adolescents will be Feb. 12, the second day of the 2009 BMT Tandem Meetings. Organized by the Pediatric Blood & Marrow Transplant Consortium (PBMTC), the sessions will include oral presentations of the best pediatric abstracts.

Nurses, pharmacists, data managers will meet in Tampa
As in past years, several parallel conferences will convene at the time of the 2009 BMT Tandem Meetings in Tampa: Clinical Research Professionals/Data Management (Feb. 10-12), BMT Center Administrators (Feb. 11-12), BMT Pharmacists (Feb. 13-14), Transplant Nursing (Feb. 13-15) and BMT Medical Directors (Feb. 14). Agendas are continuously updated on the BMT Tandem Meeting’s Web page.

Comments sought for new edition of FACT standards
The deadline is Sept. 28 for comments on the draft 4th edition of FACT Standards for transplant centers. The standards are used for the accreditation of facilities in the three phases of blood and marrow transplantation: collection, processing and clinical care. Major updates occur at three-year intervals.

BMT survivors sign up for “second birthday”
Stem cell transplant patients are being invited to sign up for Celebrating Second Birthdays, a nbmtLINK program that recognizes the anniversary date of their transplant and focuses on their ongoing needs. The nbmtLINK recently won two national awards for its assistance to BMT survivors and their families.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors in treatment of Ph+ ALL
The addition of imatinib and other tyrosine kinase inhibitors is changing the treatment algorithm and improving prognosis for adult Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A review is published in the September issue of Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

Copyright © 2008 American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.
All rights reserved.
The editor for ASBMT eNews is Stephanie J. Lee, MD, MPH.
E-newsletter services provided by the medical editors at Ascend Media, LLC.

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