Bortezomib Plus Prednisone for Initial Therapy of Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease

Inclusion Criteria: * Recipients of allogeneic stem cell transplantation with myeloablative or non-myeloablative conditioning regimens * 100 days or more past stem cell transplantation * Recipients of matched or mismatched, related or unrelated adult donor stem cells * Must have cGVHD requiring systemic therapy * No addition or subtraction of other immunosuppressive medications. The dose of immunosuppressive medicines may be adjusted based on the therapeutic range of that drug. However, if cGVHD occurs during a taper of immune suppression, the medication(s) may not be increased back up to therapeutic level, but will continue a the taper dose for the 15 week study duration * Adequate bone marrow, hepatic and renal function as outlined in the protocol * Does not require hemodialysis * 18 years of age or older * ECOG Performance Status of 0-2 or Karnofsky performance score of 70% or greater * Life expectancy of more than 3 months Exclusion Criteria: * Systemic steroid therapy in the 4 weeks prior to enrollment * Active malignant disease after transplantation. Complete resection of basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, an in situ malignancy, or low-risk prostate cancer after curative therapy will not be considered in this category * Active uncontrolled infection * Peripheral neuropathy CTC Grade 1 (or greater) with pain in the 4 weeks before enrollment. Other neurological deficits must be reviewed with the study PI prior to study entry * Myocardial infarction within 6 months prior to enrollment or has NYHA Class III or IV heart failure, uncontrolled angina, severe uncontrolled ventricular arrhythmias, or electrocardiographic evidence of acute ischemia or active conduction system abnormalities * Hypersensitivity to bortezomib, boron, or mannitol * Female subject is pregnant or breast-feeding * Serious medical or psychiatric illness likely to interfere with participation in this clinical study