Umbilical cord blood transplant with pooled stem cell product shows 96% survival and no graft-versus-host-disease in leukemia patients

A new way of using umbilical cord blood for treating blood diseases could make the treatment more accessible to patients who need a stem cell transplant.

A phase 2 clinical trial of patients undergoing a cord blood transplant plus a stem cell product derived from pooled cord blood units showed that 27 of 28 patients (96%) with leukemias and myelodysplastic syndrome survived at least one year and none of the patients experienced severe acute or chronic graft-versus-host disease, which are common complications of stem cell transplantation.

The results were published this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

“This is the first time transplant patients received cells from what amounts to nine different human beings,” said the study’s principal investigator and lead author, Dr. Filippo Milano, associate professor (Hematology and Oncology).

Milano added that many of the patients are now approaching two years post‑transplant with continued strong outcomes.

“I am grateful for the boldness and courage from our patients and clinical care team to move the transplant field forward with this new approach.”