This study proposes a safe dosing regimen IFN-γ that is sufficient to stimulate IFN-γ receptors on malignant blasts in patients who developed relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) after alloSCT with no active or history of III-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). It is hypothesized that IFN-γ will promote graft-vs-leukemia (GVL) in patients with AML/MDS that has relapsed after alloSCT.
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) can cure patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). However, relapsed AML/MDS is the most significant single cause of treatment failure, and the majority of relapsed patients ultimately succumb. Alloreactive T cells in the donor graft can kill residual leukemia cells, mediating the graft-vs-leukemia (GVL) effect. Consistent with this, recipients of T cell-depleted grafts have higher rates of relapse. GVL is more potent against chronic leukemias than acute myeloblastic diseases, and the higher incidence of relapse in patients with AML/MDS reflects a failure in GVL. The central goal of this pilot trial will be to explore whether IFN-γ in this setting is safe and whether it has the desired biological activities on malignant blasts in vivo. IFN-γ will be tested in relapsed patients as monotherapy and in conjunction with donor leukocyte infusions (DLI). The clinical and biological information from this study is essential to design a phase II trial with a therapeutic endpoint. Treatment will be initiated at 100mcg (almost equal to the dose of 50 mcg/m2 for an adult) three times a week, with the potential to deescalate the frequency of injection for unacceptable toxicity. To explore whether this dosing regimen is sufficient to activate myeloblasts, pre- and post-treatment bone marrow specimens will be harvested to analyze for IFN-γ action (upregulation of HLA class I; HLA class II, ICAM-1 and phosphorylation of STAT1). The primary safety concern is the development of GVHD, which is routinely monitored for all alloSCT patients.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
8
Dosage form: 100 mcg (2 million International Units) per 0.5 mL solution, administered subcutaneously Dose regimen: three times weekly (Weeks 0-7), once weekly (Weeks 8-12)
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Upregulation HLA l (HLA-ABC)
Upregulation of HLA l (HLA-ABC) in bone marrow malignant blasts post-IFN-γ treatment, measured by the change in mean florescent intensity by flow cytometry.
Time frame: Up to 6 months
Upregulation of HLA ll (HLA-DR/DQ)
Upregulation of HLA ll (HLA-DR/DQ) in bone marrow malignant blasts post-IFN-γ treatment, measured by the change in mean florescent intensity by flow cytometry.
Time frame: Up to 6 months
Upregulation of ICAM-1
Upregulation of ICAM-1 in bone marrow malignant blasts post-IFN-γ treatment, measured by the change in mean florescent intensity by flow cytometry as a percentage of positive cells.
Time frame: Up to 6 months
Adverse events related to IFN-γ
Adverse events of IFN-γ in relapsed patients after alloSCT per CTCAE v5.0.
Time frame: Up to 6 months
Generation of phosphorylated-STAT1
Generation of phosphorylated-STAT1 in bone marrow malignant blasts post-IFN-γ treatment, measured by the change in mean florescent intensity by flow cytometry as a percentage of positive cells.
Time frame: Up to 6 months
Malignant Blast Burden
Change in malignant blasts number after IFN-γ therapy and subsequent donor lymphocyte infusion.
Time frame: Up to 6 months
Incidence of GVHD
Incidence of Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) progression or de novo GVHD after INF-g therapy and subsequent donor lymphocyte infusion.
Time frame: Up to 6 months
Incidence of de novo GVHD
Incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) progression after IFN-γ therapy and subsequent DLI.
Time frame: Up to 6 months
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