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| September 1, 2009 |
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eNews
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| Calendar |
• September
International Society for Experimental Hematology (ISEH)
38th Annual Scientific Meeting
Sept. 9-12
Hotel Divani Caravel
Athens, Greece
Annual Congress: Hematologic Malignancies
National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)
Sept. 11-12
Marriott Marquis
New York, New York
11th International Conference on Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
European School of Hematology (ESH)
Sept. 11-13
Palais des Congrès Bordeaux Lac
Bordeaux, France
American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB)
33rd Annual Meeting
Sept. 13-16
MGM Grand
Las Vegas, Nevada
9th Annual Somatic Cell Therapy Symposium
International Society of Cellular Therapy
Sept. 14-15
Hyatt Regency Bethesda
Bethesda, Maryland
European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)
Annual Meeting
Sept. 20-24
Internationale Congress Centrum
Berlin, Germany
26th National Oncology Economics Conference
Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC)
Sept. 22-25
Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center
Washington, D.C.
American Society of Multicultural Health and Transplant Professionals (ASMHTP)
17th Annual Meeting
Sept. 23-25
Green Valley Ranch
Las Vegas, Nevada
• October
Inaugural ISCT Australasian Regional Meeting
International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT)
Oct. 17
University of South Australia
Adelaide, Australia
Cytokines 2009: Cellular and Cytokine Interactions in Health and Disease
International Cytokine Society (ICS)
Oct. 17-21
Lisbon Convention Center
Lisbon, Portugal
American Society for Human Genetics (ASHG)
59th Annual Meeting
Oct. 20-24
Hawaii Convention Center
Honolulu, Hawaii
Ninth Cooley's Anemia Symposium
Cooley's Anemia Foundation
Oct. 21-24
New York Academy of Sciences
New York, New York
Lymphoma and Myeloma 2009: An International Congress on Hematologic Malignancies
Imedex
Oct. 22-24
Waldorf Astoria Hotel
New York, New York
Myelodysplastic Syndromes
European School of Hematology
Oct. 22-25
Pullman Mandelieu Hotel
Mandelieu, France
American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)
2009 Annual Meeting
Oct. 24-27
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
New Orleans, Louisiana
World Conference on Regenerative Medicine
Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology
Oct. 29-31
Congress Centre Leipzig
Leipzig, Germany
• November
International Workshop on the Biology, Prevention and Treatment of Relapse after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Nov. 2-3
Natcher Auditorium
Bethesda, Maryland
American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI)
35th Annual Meeting
Nov. 2-6
Hyatt Regency San Francisco
San Francisco, California
National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)
22nd Annual Council Meeting
Nov. 5-7
Hilton Minneapolis Hotel
Minneapolis, Minnesota
5th International Congress on Myeloproliferative Diseases and Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Imedex
Nov. 5-7
Marriott New York – Brooklyn Bridge
New York, New York
European Society of Gene Therapy (ESGT)
17th Annual Congress
Nov. 21-25
Convention Centre at Hannover Fairground
Hanover, Germany
2nd International Congress on Responsible Stem Cell Research
European School of Haematology (ESH) and Eurocord
Nov. 26-28
Auditorium Rainier III
Monaco
• December
American Society of Hematology (ASH)
51st Annual Meeting
Dec. 5-8
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
New Orleans, Louisiana
American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB)
49th Annual Meeting
Dec. 5-9
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego, California
2010
• January
Phacilitate Cell & Gene Therapy Forum 2010
Jan. 25-27
The Grand Hyatt
Washington, D.C.
• February
Stem Cell Differentiation and Dedifferentiation
Keystone Symposia
Feb. 15-20
Keystone Conference Center
Keystone, Colorado
BMT Tandem Meetings
Combined ASBMT and CIBMTR annual meetings
Feb. 24-28
Rosen Shingle Creek
Orlando, Florida
Advanced Course in Basic and Clinical Immunology
Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies
Feb. 24-28
Mondrian Hotel
Scottsdale, Arizona
• March
Clinical Practice Guidelines and Quality Cancer Care
National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)
March 10-14
Westin Diplomat
Hollywood, Florida
Annual Winter Symposium: Management Promoting a Healthy Relationship with the Allograft
American Society of Transplantation (AST)
March 11-14
Rancho Las Palmas
Rancho Mirage, California
Association of Community Cancer Centers
36th Annual Meeting
March 17-20
Baltimore Marriott Waterfront
Baltimore, Maryland
European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)
36th Annual Meeting
March 21-March 24
Austria Center Vienna
Vienna, Austria
• April
American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPH/O)
23rd Annual Meeting
April 7-10
Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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| Top
Stories |
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FDA publishes new rules for investigational drugs
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has published two new rules related to use and availability of investigational drugs. The rules are “Expanded Access to Investigational Drugs for Treatment Use” and “Charging for Investigational Drugs Under an Investigational New Drug Application.” 
Study reveals risk of platelet donation before marrow transplant
Transfusing donated platelets may increase the likelihood of rejection of a bone marrow transplant. According to a report in the advance online edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, there appears to be a pattern: more transfusions before a bone marrow transplant correlates with a higher likelihood of rejection.
MRI follows movement of mesenchymal stem cells
Using in vivo MRI, researchers determined that mesenchymal stem cells can identify unhealthy or damaged tissues and migrate toward them. According to a report in the August 1 issue of Stem Cells, scientists labeled the stem cells with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and injected them into the brain, where they could be identified as clear black dots on MRI images.
Deciduous teeth may be source for stem cells
A UK company, BioEden, is storing stem cells from children’s deciduous teeth as an “insurance policy” that parents can buy for possible future need. The company charges a registration fee of £950 (US$1,350), plus an annual £90 (US$125) for the controversial service.
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 A Word from President Claudio Anasetti, MD
If there is one point of agreement on all sides of the national health reform debate, it is on the role of information technology. I.T. is expected to improve efficiency, safety and quality of health care, while helping to control costs. A mighty tall order.
But have you noticed that I.T. projects at your medical center are coming online more slowly than scheduled? It appears that the general economy is forcing even the most “wired” hospitals and medical centers to delay or scale back I.T. projects.
“The economic slowdown is forcing hospitals to look closely at I.T. spending,” reports Hospitals & Health Networks, a publication of the American Hospital Association that recently surveyed the most wired hospitals and medical centers. Hospitals still recognize that they need to invest in I.T. to position themselves for the future, but the economy is causing them to spend cautiously and move forward in slower incremental steps.
BMT Information
Our own BMT field has a vital interest in information technology, which we use to store, retrieve and share diagnostic and treatment data. Ninety-two percent of the centers that report data to the CIBMTR do so electronically.
Over the years, some of our centers have developed their own data formats and systems, while others have used commercially available systems. This makes it a challenge for the individual systems to talk to one another and to the Stem Cell Treatment Outcomes Database (SCTOD) that is being developed by the CIBMTR under contract to the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.
For several years, the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) has been leading the development of AGNIS – “A Growable Network Information System” – which is an open-source, peer-to-peer communications system that acts as a translator between transplant centers and with national and international registries. Even though transplant centers have different computer languages and platforms, AGNIS will enable them to communicate with one another. AGNIS will do the database-to-database communication, provided that each institution describes its data in a codified manner – that is, uses a “data dictionary.”
Data Standards
The key to making this work is data standards. Historically, commercial software vendors have defined data standards for the health care industry. BMT is unusual in having our own clinicians and data managers develop our standards. Standards will be a principal topic at the Second I.T. Summit that CIBMTR and ASBMT are holding this week in Minneapolis. The program has been organized and will be chaired by Doug Rizzo on behalf of CIBMTR and Roy Jones on behalf of ASBMT.
ASBMT also recently joined, as a founding member, the Clinical Information Interchange Collaborative (CIIC), a non-profit organization for the integration, retrieval and exchange of electronic health information that supports clinical practice and the management, delivery and evaluation of health services.
International harmonization of electronic data is essential. “Enter once, use many times” is the guiding principle. We simply cannot have separate systems that don’t talk to one another and require data re-entry for every purpose. The consumption of resources will financially break us.
Speaking in a unified electronic language, we should be able to store, retrieve and share data more easily, which will allow I.T. to provide the expected benefits. Without data standardization, the efficiency, quality, safety and cost improvements will be a broken promise.
– Claudio
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| Clinical Research |
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Heirarchy guides self-renewal and differentiation of MSCs
Mesenchymal stem cells self-renew and differentiate along a specific hierarchy that ends in the fibroblast state. According to an article published in August on PLoS ONE, scientists reached this conclusion by analyzing the differentiation capability of single-cell-derived parent clones and daughter clones.
Anti-T cell globulin reduces incidence of GVHD
Treatment with anti-T cell globulin can reduce the chances of developing GVHD in patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation. According to a report in the advance online edition of The Lancet Oncology, only 21 percent of the adults with blood cancer who received anti-T cell globulin developed GVHD, compared with 34 percent in the standard treatment group.
Model reveals how blood stem cells communicate
A mathematical model reveals how blood cells communicate, which could lead to understanding of what regulates human blood stem cell growth outside the body. According to a report in the advance online edition of Molecular Systems Biology, researchers found they could influence communication between cells, thus encouraging their growth.
MICA mismatch increases incidence of GVHD
In patients undergoing a solid organ transplant, a higher rate of acute GVHD is seen with a MICA (MHC class I-related chain A) mismatch. According to a report in the advance online edition of Blood, a higher rate of grade II-IV acute GVHD was seen in MICA-mismatched patients — 80 percent versus 40 percent.
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| Biopharmaceutical News |
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EU grants marketing authorization for Mozobil
The European Commission has granted marketing authorization to Genzyme Corporation for Mozobil (plerixa for injection). In Europe, Mozobil is indicated in combination with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) to enhance mobilization of stem cells to the bloodstream for collection and subsequent autologous transplantation in patients with lymphoma and multiple myeloma whose cells mobilize poorly.
Oral BDP granted orphan drug designation
The FDA granted orphan drug designation to Oral BDP for treatment of gastrointestinal symptoms associated with chronic GVHD in patients who have undergone allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. DOR BioPharma Inc. will receive a seven-year term of market exclusivity upon final FDA approval.
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| Association
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Survey will measure interest in board certification
Shortly after Labor Day, all physician members of ASBMT will receive an e-mail inviting them to participate in a brief online survey about board certification for BMT. The results will be a large factor in determining if and how the society might pursue subspecialty certification.
Early registration deadline is Oct. 15 for BMT Tandem Meetings
More than 300 hotel rooms were reserved during August by pre-registrants for the 2010 BMT Tandem Meetings that will be held Feb. 24-28 at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando. The deadline for early registration is Oct. 15. On a single Web page, navigate to meeting registration, housing reservations, preliminary program, abstract submission and parallel conferences.
Abstract deadline also is Oct. 15 for Orlando meetings
Abstracts for the 2010 BMT Tandem Meetings are being accepted through Oct. 15. Invitations for oral presentation will be offered to 90 authors whose abstracts receive the highest scores from the review committees. ASBMT will provide travel grants 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. 25, the second day of the 2010 BMT Tandem Meetings. Organized by the Pediatric Blood & Marrow Transplant Consortium (PBMTC), the sessions will include oral presentations of selected pediatric abstracts.
Nurses, pharmacists, data managers will meet in Orlando
As in past years, several parallel conferences will convene at the time of the 2010 BMT Tandem Meetings in Orlando: Clinical Research Professionals/Data Management (Feb. 23-25); BMT Center Administrators (Feb. 25-26); BMT Pharmacists (Feb. 26-27); Transplant Nursing (Feb. 26-28); and BMT Medical Directors (Feb. 27). Agendas are continuously updated on the BMT Tandem Meeting’s Web page.
Mid-level practitioners will have sessions for first time
A new parallel conference will be held for the first time for physician assistants and nurse practitioners attending the BMT Tandem Meetings. Two days of sessions, developed by the new ASBMT Mid-Level Practitioners Special Interest Group, will be held Feb. 27-28.
Comments sought on draft cord blood banking standards
A draft 4th edition of the NetCord-FACT International Standards for Cord Blood Collection, Processing, Testing, Banking, Selection and Release has been posted on the Web site of the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy. The draft is available for public comment through Sept. 28.
Postal Service has the largest pool of registered donors
The employer that has the largest number of workers registered as potential donors with the National Marrow Donor Program is the U.S. Postal Service. Over the past 12 years, postal workers and their families have added more than 45,000 potential donors to the registry, 75 of whom have been matched to patients and gone on to donate.
NMDP offers three new online CME courses
The National Marrow Donor Program, in partnership with Clinical Care Options, has announced three new online programs offering CME credit: “Comparing Outcomes of Related and Unrelated Transplantations,” by Claudio Anasetti, MD; “Transplantation from Unrelated Donors: Factors that Influence Outcomes and Graft Choices,” by Mary M. Horowitz, MD, MS; and “Advances in HLA Matching for Unrelated Donor Transplantation,” by Dennis Confer, MD.
NCI plans workshop of relapse after allo HCT
The National Cancer Institute will hold an international workshop on the biology, prevention and treatment of relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation Nov. 2-3 in Bethesda. The goal is to generate research questions for a planned Request for Applications.
Carreras foundation announces 2009 fellowship
The José Carreras International Leukaemia Foundation is accepting applications through Nov. 2 for the E.D. Thomas Post Doctoral Fellowship. The scholarship provides $50,000 per year for three years for research that advances the diagnosis, prevention and cure of leukemia and related hematological malignancies.
Proposals sought for cGVHD laboratory study
The deadline is Sept. 11 for qualified laboratories to submit proposals to the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) for an immunophenotypic analysis of regulatory T-cells, B-cell activation markers and plasma BAFF levels by ELISA in pre- and post-treatment samples collected from patients being treated for chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) after allogeneic hematologic stem cell transplant.
Free ASBMT membership for trainees
Postdoctoral fellows and physicians-in-training for blood and marrow transplantation are eligible for free membership in the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. During September and October, annual dues are waived for new trainees who apply for membership in the Society. The program is made possible by a grant from Otsuka America Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Efficacy of rituximab in GVHD reviewed
The efficacy of rituximab in the setting of steroid-refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease is the subject of a systematic review and meta-analysis in the current issue of Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.
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