Progress in Preventing Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Sitagliptin, given in conjunction with standard immunosuppression, decreased acute GVHD in patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Preventing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) while preserving graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effects has long been an unmet goal of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT).

Now, investigators report a single-center, phase 2 trial of the oral inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4; CD26) sitagliptin plus standard administration of tacrolimus plus sirolimus in 36 patients (median age, 46) undergoing myeloablative matched-related or matched-unrelated donor alloSCT. Enrolled patients had acute myeloid or lymphoblastic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, or chronic myeloid leukemia.

By day 100, acute grade II–IV GVHD (the primary endpoint) occurred in only two patients (6%) versus the historically anticipated rate of 30%. The cumulative inc…

Reviewing Author

Michael E. Williams, MD, ScM

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAbbVie; AstraZeneca; Beigene; Janssen; Pharmacyclics

Grant/Research SupportJanssen

Editorial BoardsAmerican Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Hematology Longitudinal Knowledge Approval Committee

Michael E. Williams, MD, ScM

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAbbVie; AstraZeneca; Beigene; Janssen; Pharmacyclics

Grant/Research SupportJanssen

Editorial BoardsAmerican Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Hematology Longitudinal Knowledge Approval Committee

Progress in Preventing Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease

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Reviewing Author