A Novel TBI Free Conditioning Protocol for Haploidentical Transplant in Acquired Aplastic Anemia:

Overview

Severe and very severe aplastic anemia are life threatening disorders for which allogeneic stem cell transplant is only curative treatment. However, matched sibling donor (MSD) is available in only 25-35% cases. Pakistan has a population of around 203 million but there is no donor registry available so there is no option available for matched unrelated donor (MUD) transplants . Haploidentical transplant represents only curative option for patients lacking MSD. Protocols involving post transplant cyclophosphamide require Total body irradiation (TBI) and utilize peripheral blood stem cell(PBSC) as graft source. TBI is not available in most of transplant centres across Pakistan due to lack of availability , cost and lack of expertise. The investigators have conceived a novel TBI free conditioning regimen to be used for haplo-identical Hemtopoeitic stem cell transplant in acquired aplastic anemia patients

Aplastic anemia is considered to be a rare and heterogenous disease with incidence of 1-2 per million in western countries. Data from Asian studies show a 3-4 fold higher incidence.Majority of newly diagnosed aplastic anemia patients are younger and in Armed forces bone marrow transplant cohort of 1324 patients 64 % patient are younger than 24 years of age and 87% patients younger than 40 years (unpublished data).There is no donor registry in Pakistan and patients lacking sibling match donor cannot proceed to stem cell transplant due lack of matched unrelated donors. Horse antithymocyte globulin is not available currently in Pakistan and response to Rabbit antithymocyte globulin is dismal as shown in number of international studies. So haploidentical stem cell transplant remains only curative option for patients lacking Matched sibling donor. Currently there are 2 major platforms used for haplo-identical stem cell transplant. Post transplant cyclophosphamide based using TBI and haplo regimen of Peking university. TBI is not available for most of our patients in Pakistan due to cost,non-availability and lack of expertise. The investigators have formulated a novel TBI free regimen incorporating Busulphan, antithymocyte globulin and using co-primed bone marrow and peripheral blood harvest to minimize graft-versus-host disease and facilitate engraftment. Post transplant cyclophosphamide, Cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil will be used for graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis