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| November 3, 2008 |
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Top
Stories |
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Clinical
Research |
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Biopharmaceutical News |
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Association
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Calendar |
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Job &
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Monthly Journal |
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eNews
Archives |
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BMT
Tandem Meetings
Feb. 11-15, 2009
Tampa, Florida |
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Outcomes Reporting
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Has your transplant center taken any steps to cope with the unfunded federal requirements for reporting of treatment outcomes?
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| Calendar |
• November
Translational Cancer Medicine 2008: Bridging the Lab and Clinic in Cancer Medicine
American Association for Cancer Research
Nov. 3-6
ICC Jerusalem International Convention Center
Jerusalem, Israel
Innovative Cancer Therapy for Tomorrow
Chemotherapy Foundation
Nov. 4-8
Marriott Marquis Hotel
New York, New York
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia: An Update on Biology, Prognosis and Treatment
European School of Haematology
Nov. 7-9
Hotel Condes de Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain
National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)
20th Annual Council Meeting
Nov. 7-9
Hilton Minneapolis Hotel
Minneapolis, Minnesota
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
Hematological Malignancies: Focus on Myeloid Malignancies
European School of Haematology
Nov. 14-15
St. James's Hospital Dublin
Dublin, Ireland
• December
Tumor Immunology: New Perspectives
American Association for Cancer Research (AACRS)
Dec. 2-5
Hyatt Regency Miami
Miami, Florida
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
2009
• January
Mobilizing Cellular Immunity for Cancer Therapy
Keystone Symposia
Jan. 11-16
Snowbird Resort
Snowbird, Utah
Emerging Tumor Supressors
Keystone Symposia
Jan. 25-29
Sagebrush Inn and Conference Center
Taos, New Mexico
Phacilitate Cell & Gene Therapy Forum 2009
Jan. 26-28
The Grand Hyatt
Washington, D.C.
• February
BMT Tandem Meetings
(Combined ASBMT and CIBMTR annual meetings)
Feb. 11-15
Tampa Convention Center
Tampa, Florida
13th Annual International Congress of Hematologic Malignancies: Focus on Leukemias, Lymphomas and Myelomas
Physicians’ Education Resource
Feb. 11-15
Fairmont Château Whistler
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
• March
Emergence to Convergence: Management of High Risk Donors and Recipients
American Society of Transplantation (AST)
22nd Annual Winter Symposium
March 4-5
Fairmont Banff Springs
Banff, Alberta, Canada
Regenerative Medicine: Advancing Next Generation Therapies
13th Annual Hilton Head Workshop
March 5-6
Sea Pines Resort
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Canadian Society of Transplantation (CST)
Annual Scientific Meeting
March 5-8
Fairmont Banff Springs
Banff, Alberta, Canada
Association of Community Cancer Centers
35th Annual Meeting
March 18-21
Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center
Washington, D.C.
Acute Leukemia Forum 2009
Hemedicus
March 20
Parc 55 Hotel
San Francisco, California
Targeted Cancer Therapies
Keystone Symposia
March 27-April 1
Whistler Conference Centre
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB)
12th Annual Spring Conference
March 29-31
Disney World Swan & Dolphin
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)
35th Annual Meeting
March 29-April 1
Göteborg Convention Centre
Göteborg, Sweden
• April
Leukemic and Cancer Stem Cells: Common and Distinct Features
European Hematology Association (EHA)
April 3-5
Pullman Cannes Mandelieu Royal Casino Hotel
Mandelieu, France
UK National Stem Cell Network (UKNSCN)
Annual Science Meeting
April 6-8
University of Oxford
Oxford, England, United Kingdom
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
100th Annual Meeting
April 18-22
Colorado Convention Center
Denver, Colorado
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| Top
Stories |
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Piglets may be used to produce human T cells
Piglets may be a future source of human T cells. According to a report in the Oct. 18 issue of New Scientist, researchers have been able to grow stem cells from human umbilical cord blood and bone marrow in developing pig fetuses. When the pigs were born, the cells had matured into a wide range of T cells. 
U.K. stem cell researcher moving to France
Adult stem cell expert and professor of regenerative medicine at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom, Colin McGuckin, is moving his 10-person research team to the University of Lyon in France. McGuckin said the U.K. government and funding bodies have a bias favoring embryonic cell research, even though adult stem cell research promises more immediate clinical benefits.
Foundation gives $400,000 to Texas Cord Blood Bank
The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center Foundation is contributing more than $400,000 to the Texas Cord Blood Bank. Since the bank was founded, 10 hospitals have collected more than 3,000 cord blood units. |
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 A Word from President Helen Heslop, MD
Last year, one of my patients, a long-term BMT survivor, needed a lung transplant and had to choose a medical center where she would be placed on a waitlist. In our discussion of how to make that decision, I quickly realized she was much better informed than me. She had done extensive research, including an analysis of information on the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.
Outcomes for solid organ transplants have been reported on that registry’s Web site for several years. Anyone can mine the data for global statistics, as well as transplant center-specific outcomes.
In our field, data about unrelated donor transplants have been reported for several years on the Web site of the National Marrow Donor Program. There you can find center-specific outcomes, adjusted for acuity of patients. The majority of transplant centers fall within the expected range of outcomes.
A new development is the federal law that now requires treatment outcome reporting for all allogeneic transplants. Since last December, transplant centers have been submitting data to the new Stem Cell Therapeutic Outcomes Database (SCTOD) that is maintained by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), under contract to the federal government. CIBMTR soon will be reporting on a public Web site the risk-adjusted survival rates for individual transplant centers. The goal is improved quality by making treatment results available to all in a fair and comprehensible manner.
Devising that fair and comprehensible manner was the purpose of a Center-Specific Outcome Analysis Planning Forum that CIBMTR and ASBMT held in late September in Milwaukee. Doug Rizzo of CIBMTR and Roy Jones, chair of our own Committee on Quality Outcomes, collaborated on the agenda and the invitation list to make sure there was representation from every type of transplant center – large and small, adult and pediatric, academic and community, big city and college town. Also participating were administrators, patient advocates and representatives of private payers and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
A pervasive concern at the forum was how to capture and account for the complex risk characteristics and co-morbidities of BMT patients when analyzing outcomes. In breakout sessions, there also was discussion of the merits of other kinds of adjustments, such as for patient socioeconomic status and geographic distance between patient and the transplant center. CIBMTR has adopted for its Transplant Essential Data (TED) forms the HCT co-morbidity scale developed in Seattle – the only validated instrument available, but one that may not be predictive for all groups and particularly may not capture pediatric risk factors.
Everyone at the forum appeared to understand the difficulties and importance of fair analysis and comprehensible reporting, as well as the potential for unintended consequences. For example, might outcomes reporting inhibit novel studies among high-risk patients if those studies adversely impact a center’s statistical performance?
We are fortunate to have Mary Horowitz, Doug Rizzo and the CIBMTR staff at the helm. Their activities have been transparent and inclusive, and they’ve shown a genuine eagerness for input as plans move forward on outcomes measurement, analysis and reporting. There will be sessions in February at the BMT Tandem Meetings for you to hear updates on their progress and to offer your opinions and recommendations.
– Helen
P.S. As most of you know, the federal requirement for outcomes reporting of allogeneic transplants is an unfunded mandate. No monies were appropriated to help transplant centers comply with the new reporting requirements. If your center has taken steps to address this issue, we would welcome hearing about it. How many full-time equivalents (FTEs) were devoted to registry reporting before and after the beginning of required reporting? Have you had success in a request for additional data management staff?
You are encouraged to use the Reader Poll in the left-hand column to tell us your experience. Please state the name of your transplant center and its annual number of allogeneic and autologous transplants. |
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| Clinical Research |
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Hodgkin’s treatment may lead to other health problems
The combination of chemotherapy, radiation and stem cell therapy used to treat patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin’s disease can cause significant long-term problems, including an increased risk of other cancers. According to a report in the Sept. 22 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the patients studied were 6.5 times more likely than the general public to develop cancer.
Transplanted marrow stem cells travel to brain, spinal cord
Transplanted bone marrow stem cells can attach themselves to injured areas in the brain or spinal cord, offering the potential to deliver future gene therapy. According to a report in the October 21 issue of Neurology, transplanting bone marrow stem cells closely matched to the bone marrow of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) allowed a significant percentage of those cells to travel to and reside in the brain or spinal cord.
Cancer control genes also regulate stem cells
Four genes that suppress cancer tumor formation also regulate the ability of adult stem cells to replace worn-out tissues and shut down stem cells during aging. According to a report in the Oct. 17 issue of Cell, in the process of reducing the risk of cancer the genes shut down stem cell function in aging tissues, reducing their ability to regenerate.
Stem cells in cornea repair everyday wear and tear
Stem cells residing in the corneal epithelium repair everyday wear and tear on the cornea, while stem cells migrate from the limbus to repair more serious damage. According to a report in the advance online edition of Nature, researchers determined that in addition to the limbus, the epithelium of the cornea contains stem cells and these cells have the capacity to generate into corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells.
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| Biopharmaceutical News |
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Biogen, Genentech collaborating on cancer drug development
Biogen Idec Inc. will pay Genentech Inc. $31.5 million to jointly develop GA101, a next generation of blood cancer treatment Rituxan, to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The experimental compound, being tested in early clinical trials, targets CD20 immune cells.
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| Association
News |
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Transplant research priorities published
ASBMT Research Priorities appear in this month’s issue of Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Organized into six areas, the statement is a consensus of the society’s leaders about the most urgent needs in basic, translational and clinical research.
New investigator award honors Robert A. Good
A $60,000 research grant for young investigators in BMT has been named for the late Dr. Robert A. Good, who many consider to be the father of modern immunology and cellular engineering. The award is jointly supported by ASBMT and Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. The deadline for applications is Dec. 1.
Pfizer supports new investigator award
An additional research award of $60,000 for young investigators has been announced by ASBMT and Pfizer, Inc. Application for both the Good award and the ASBMT/Pfizer New Investigator Award can be made on a single form that is available on the ASBMT Web site.
Clinical research training course will return to Park City
The ASBMT Clinical Research Training Course for fellows-in-training and junior faculty will return to Park City, Utah, in 2009. Applications are being accepted through March 1 for the course, scheduled for July 15-20.
News magazine recognizes FACT accreditation
FACT accreditation is again a criterion for ranking “America’s Best Hospitals for Cancer,” published Oct. 21 by U.S. News & World Report. Hospitals and medical centers earn points for their national ranking if their BMT program meets the standards of the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy.
164 transplant facilities now FACT accredited
During the third quarter of 2008, three blood and marrow transplant programs achieved first-time FACT accreditation and 16 others earned accreditation renewals, according to the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy. A total of 164 transplant programs are now FACT accredited.
Recruitment will be theme for ASH exhibits
ASBMT and six other cell therapy organizations are collaborating on a central theme for their exhibit booths at the American Society of Hematology annual meeting Dec. 6-9 in San Francisco. CIBMTR, NMDP, ISCT, FACT, AABB and NetCord will provide information about careers in hematopoietic cell transplantation, emphasizing the growth of the field, its opportunities and the resources that are available to young clinicians and investigators. A joint promotional mailing to ASH pre-registrants includes an invitation to visit the booths, which will be in a single area of the exhibit hall.
Travel grants available for hem/onc fellows
ASBMT members can nominate hematology and oncology fellows for travel grants to attend the 2009 BMT Tandem Meetings in Tampa. Ten grants of $1,000 each will be awarded first-come, first-served – part of a program to introduce young clinicians and investigators to the field of hematopoietic cell transplantation.
Pre-registration tops 1,000 for BMT Tandem Meetings
As of the early registration deadline, Oct. 9, pre-registration for the 2009 BMT Tandem Meetings was 1,024, and 51% of the guest rooms in the convention hotels had been claimed. Visit the ASBMT Web site for online registration and housing for the Feb. 11-15 meetings in Tampa.
Immunologists’ annual meeting will have allo transplant session
A session on allogeneic transplants and immunotherapy for cancer is being organized by ASBMT for the 96th annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists, May 8-12 in Seattle.
New edition of cell therapy ‘Core Principles’ published
A new edition of AABB's Core Principles in Cellular Therapy has been published. The comprehensive resource, excerpted from the 16th edition of the AABB Technical Manual, is designed for all levels of BMT personnel, offering the essentials of cell processing for bone marrow, peripheral blood stem cells and cord blood, as well as transfusion support of the transplant patient. Order online for $80, or call (866) 222-2498 to purchase at an ASBMT-member discount price of $55.
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 November, annual dues are waived for new trainees who apply for membership in the Society. The program is made possible this year by a grant from Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
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