Articles

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cells: a new therapeutic option for relapsed/refractory B-cell malignancies and beyond

BJH - volume 10, issue 8, december 2019

T. Feys MBA, MSc, G. Roex , Y. Beguin MD, PhD, T. Kerre MD, PhD, X. Poiré MD, P. Lewalle MD, PhD, P. Vandenberghe MD, PhD, D. Bron MD, PhD, S. Anguille MD, PhD

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a new cancer immunotherapy targeting specific cell surface antigens. This type of adoptive cell immunotherapy has been a breakthrough in the treatment of aggressive B-cell lymphoma and B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and is currently also being studied in other cancer types, including multiple myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. This review will discuss the recent clinical developments and future perspectives of CAR T-cell therapy, with a focus on the clinical trials that led to the FDA and EMA approval of tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah®, Novartis) and axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta®, Gilead) for the treatment of childhood/adult relapsed/refractory (r/r) B-cell precursor ALL and aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

(BELG J HEMATOL 2019;10(8):301–10)

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Extracorporeal photochemotherapy for graft-versus-host disease: Where we are now and where we are going!

BJH - volume 9, issue 7, december 2018

P. Lewalle MD, PhD, Y. Beguin MD, PhD

SUMMARY

Graft-versus-host disease remains the leading cause of morbidity, non-relapse mortality and treatment failure after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. So far, steroids are the first line treatment, but around 40% of patients become steroid-resistant or fail to respond at a safe dose. Patients who fail to respond to the initial therapy have a dismal prognosis, and no standard treatment is well established for them to date. Treatments that modulate the immune system rather than directly suppressing its function, although not dampening a potential graft-versus-malignancy effect, would therefore be highly desirable, and extracorporeal photopheresis appeared as being a good candidate to fill in these criteria. Multiple reports of treatments in both paediatric and adult patients with graft-versus-host disease have been published, and the overall favourable profile compared with other available immunosuppressive therapies continues to make extracorporeal photopheresis appealing despite all of the unknowns. In this article, we review the use of extracorporeal photopheresis for the treatment of graft-versus-host disease, including technical aspects, mechanism of action, safety profile and clinical efficacy data.

(BELG J HEMATOL 2018;9(7):254–65)

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PP03 Amsacrine combined with high dose cytarabine in relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (rraml)

BJH - 2018, issue Abstract Book BHS, february 2018

A. Salaroli , D. Bron MD, PhD, M. Paesmans , B. Cantinieaux , P. Heimann MD, PhD, P. Lewalle MD, PhD, S. Wittnebel MD, PhD

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PP40 Anti-Pd1 inhibitor follow by Allo Stem cell transplantation in 3 heavily pretreated lymphoma’s patients: Experience from Institut Jules Bordet

BJH - 2018, issue Abstract Book BHS, february 2018

M. Maerevoet MD, P. Lewalle MD, PhD, N. Meuleman MD, PhD, C. Spilleboudt , A. Salaroli , S. Wittnebel MD, PhD

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O.5 Sequential administration of 5-azacytidine (AZA) and donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in relapse after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT): an interim analysis from the Belgian Hematology Society (BHS)

BJH - volume 8, issue Abstract Book BHS, february 2017

X. Poiré MD, C. Graux MD, PhD, A. Ory , J. Jamart , F. Frédéric , H. Schoemans MD, PhD, P. Lewalle MD, PhD, A. De Becker MD, D. Deeren , Z. Berneman MD, PhD, T. Kerre MD, PhD, P. Zachée MD, PhD, D. Selleslag MD, Y. Beguin MD, PhD

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O.1 Infusion of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) as treatment for steroid refractory acute graft-versus-host study (aGVHD): a multicenter prospective phase II study of the BHS

BJH - volume 7, issue Abstract Book BHS, january 2016

S. Servais MD, PhD, D. Selleslag MD, J. Maertens MD, PhD, L. Lechanteur , E. Baudoux MD, P. Zachée MD, PhD, H. Schouten , L. Noens MD, PhD, P. Lewalle MD, PhD, W. Schroyens MD, PhD, A. Ory , Y. Beguin MD, PhD

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P4.10 The Ponatinib Named Patient Programme (NPP): Real-life Data from Belgian Patients

BJH - volume 7, issue Abstract Book BHS, january 2016

L. Knoops MD, PhD, G. Verhoef MD, PhD, Z. Berneman MD, PhD, D. Selleslag MD, N. Straetmans MD, PhD, L. Noens MD, PhD, P. Lewalle MD, PhD, M. André MD, D. Pranger MD, P. Zachée MD, PhD, E. Strobbe , L.J. McGarry , T. Devos MD, PhD

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