Thompson, Patrick
Clinical Trials Research to Improve Transplant Outcomes
NMDP Trials Will Study Marrow, Peripheral Blood Transplant Methods
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and its affiliate, the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIMBTR™), are supporting clinical trials to determine the best unrelated marrow and blood cell transplant procedures for patients and donors.
The Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN), of which the NMDP and CIBMTR are collaborating members, are sponsoring the trials to compare peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collection and transplantation to that of marrow in unrelated transplants.
This research will aid the transplant physician in determining the optimal approach for patients. In addition, this research will compare physical side effects and how the donation experience affects the daily life of marrow and blood cell donors.
“The ultimate goal is to provide guidance to physicians so they can make decisions to provide the best outcome for the patient,” said Dr. Dennis Confer, NMDP chief medical officer. “There will be some diseases where either bone marrow transplants or PBSC may provide the better quality of life result.”
This trial comparing PBSC to marrow from unrelated donors is a randomized, multi-center trial that will involve 550 patient and donor pairs during the next three years from almost 40 medical centers. A milestone in the trial already has been met with more than 50 patient and donor pairs agreeing to be part of this important study.
In addition to comparing the differences of the two types of transplants, the research also may find patients have similar results with either type of transplant. At the same time, the study will look at the differences in donating marrow and PBSC.
ABOUT THE NMDP
The NMDP helps people who need a life-saving marrow or blood cell transplant. We connect patients, doctors, donors and researchers to the resources they need to help more people live longer and healthier lives. To achieve our mission, we search our Registry – the largest listing of volunteer donors and cord blood units in the world; support patients and their doctors throughout the transplant process; and match patients with the best donor or cord blood unit using innovative science and technology. To learn how you can help make life-saving transplants a reality for patients, call the NMDP at 1-800-MARROW-2. Online information is available at www.marrow.org
ABOUT THE CIBMTR
The CIBMTR brings together the expertise and unique resources of two leaders in the field of blood and marrow transplant research: the NMDP and the Medical College of Wisconsin’s International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry and Autologous Blood and Marrow Transplant Registry. This partnership will make it easier to design, conduct and support clinical studies that involve large numbers of patients from multiple transplant centers – the types of studies that are needed to answer critical questions in the field of blood and marrow transplantation. The Center is committed to increasing application and access to cellular transplant therapy, as well as improving outcomes. The ultimate goal is to help more transplant patients live longer, healthier lives. Online information is available at www.cibmtr.org
ABOUT BMT CTN
The Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Clinical Trials Network (CTN) was established in October 2001 to conduct large multi-institutional clinical trails. The trials will address important issues in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), thereby furthering understanding of the best possible treatment approaches. Participating CTN investigators collaborate through an organization designed to maintain continuity of operations, to facilitate effective communication and cooperation among participating transplants centers and the National Institutes of Health, and to offer patients opportunities to participate in all regions of the United States. This organization is a collaborative effort between the CIBMTR, the NMDP and the Emmes Corp.
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