Dr. Jain on GVHD From Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant

Tania Jain, MBBS, assistant professor of oncology, Division of Hematological Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation, Johns Hopkins University, discusses the potential for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) as a complication of allogeneic stem cell transplant (allo-SCT).

Acute GVHD may present as a skin rash, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, or liver disease, says Jain.

GVHD is thought to occur from inflammation caused by increased cytokine release resulting from tissue injury during conditioning, explains Jain.

The standard first-line treatment of GVHD is high-dose corticosteroids, says Jain. Though, ongoing research is investigating combination therapy with corticosteroids.

In May 2019, the FDA approved the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib (Jakafi) for the treatment of patients with steroid-refractory acute GVHD. Another second-line option is extracorporeal photopheresis, says Jain.

Novel drugs currently in the pipeline include CD25-directed agents and abatacept (Orencia), concludes Jain.