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International Journal of Molecular... Mar 2024Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is an apheresis procedure that is conventionally used as a first-line treatment for cutaneous and leukemic subtypes of T-cell... (Review)
Review
Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is an apheresis procedure that is conventionally used as a first-line treatment for cutaneous and leukemic subtypes of T-cell lymphoma, such as Sezary's syndrome and mycosis fungoides. Over the past three decades, its immunotherapeutic properties have been tested on a variety of autoimmune conditions, including many dermatologic diseases. There is ample evidence of ECP's ability to modify leukocytes and alter cytokine production for certain dermatologic diseases that have been refractory to first-line treatments, such as atopic dermatitis. However, the evidence on the efficacy of ECP for the treatment of these dermatologic diseases is unclear and/or lacks sufficient evidence. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the utilization and clinical efficacy of ECP in the treatment of several [autoimmune] dermatologic diseases and discuss its applications, guidelines, recommendations, and future implementation for dermatologic diseases.
Topics: Humans; Photopheresis; Skin Neoplasms; Mycosis Fungoides; Blood Component Removal; Sezary Syndrome
PubMed: 38474257
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25053011 -
American Journal of Transplantation :... Mar 2024Prevention and management of allograft rejection urgently require more effective therapeutic solutions. Current immunosuppressive therapies used in solid organ... (Review)
Review
Prevention and management of allograft rejection urgently require more effective therapeutic solutions. Current immunosuppressive therapies used in solid organ transplantation, while effective in reducing the risk of acute rejection, are associated with substantial adverse effects. There is, therefore, a need for agents that can provide immunomodulation, supporting graft tolerance, while minimizing the need for immunosuppression. Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is an immunomodulatory therapy currently recommended in international guidelines as an adjunctive treatment for the prevention and management of organ rejection in heart and lung transplantations. This article reviews clinical experience and ongoing research with ECP for organ rejection in heart and lung transplantations, as well as emerging findings in kidney and liver transplantation. ECP, due to its immunomodulatory and immunosuppressive-sparing effects, offers a potential therapeutic option in these settings, particularly in high-risk patients with comorbidities, infectious complications, or malignancies.
PubMed: 38490642
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajt.2024.03.012 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2024Allograft rejection is a critical issue following solid organ transplantation (SOT). Immunosuppressive therapies are crucial in reducing risk of rejection yet are... (Review)
Review
Allograft rejection is a critical issue following solid organ transplantation (SOT). Immunosuppressive therapies are crucial in reducing risk of rejection yet are accompanied by several significant side effects, including infection, malignancy, cardiovascular diseases, and nephrotoxicity. There is a current unmet medical need with a lack of effective minimization strategies for these side effects. Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) has shown potential as an immunosuppression (IS)-modifying technique in several SOT types, with improvements seen in acute and recurrent rejection, allograft survival, and associated side effects, and could fulfil this unmet need. Through a review of the available literature detailing key areas in which ECP may benefit patients, this review highlights the IS-modifying potential of ECP in the four most common SOT procedures (heart, lung, kidney, and liver transplantation) and highlights existing gaps in data. Current evidence supports the use of ECP for IS modification following SOT, however there is a need for further high-quality research, in particular randomized control trials, in this area.
Topics: Photopheresis; Humans; Organ Transplantation; Graft Rejection; Immunosuppression Therapy; Immunosuppressive Agents; Graft Survival
PubMed: 38846942
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1371554 -
Cancers Dec 2023Primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are rare lymphoproliferative malignancies characterized by significant morbidity and mortality in advanced disease stages. As...
BACKGROUND
Primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are rare lymphoproliferative malignancies characterized by significant morbidity and mortality in advanced disease stages. As curative approaches apart from allogeneic stem cell transplantation are lacking, establishing new treatment options, especially combination therapies, is crucial.
METHODS
This retrospective study included 11 patients with SS or MF receiving therapy with mogamulizumab in combination with ECP from four European expert centers. The response rates in the skin and blood as well as treatment use and adverse events (AE) were described.
RESULTS
8/11 patients (73%) showed an overall response (OR) in the skin. The mean mSWAT decreased from 98.2 ± 40.8 to 34.6 ± 23.8. The overall response rate (ORR) in the blood was 64% with two complete responses. During combination therapy, the mean number of Sézary cells decreased from 3365.3 × 10/L before treatment to 1268.6 × 10/L. The mean minimum known period without progress was 7.2 months in the skin and 7.6 months in the blood. The most common AEs were mogamulizumab-associated rash (MAR) (45.5%), anemia (27.3%), lymphocytopenia (27.8%), and infusion related reaction (16.7%). No AE led to treatment discontinuation.
CONCLUSIONS
Our study presents the combination of mogamulizumab and ECP as an effective therapy in the blood and skin in CTCL with good tolerability, similar to mogamulizumab monotherapy.
PubMed: 38201568
DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010141 -
The Journal of Heart and Lung... Aug 2023Aim of this study was to describe the real-world use of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) and assess its impact on clinical outcomes in the modern era of heart... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
BACKGROUND
Aim of this study was to describe the real-world use of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) and assess its impact on clinical outcomes in the modern era of heart transplantation.
METHODS
Seven transplant centers from 5 European countries participated in this retrospective, observational, single-arm chart review study. All patients received ECP after heart transplantation in 2015 or later. Data were extracted from medical records between November 2020 and December 2021.
RESULTS
Overall, 105 patients were enrolled and followed for an average of 2 years after initiation of ECP. Reasons to start ECP were acute cellular rejection (35.2%), rejection prevention (32.4%), mixed rejection (18.1%), and antibody-mediated rejection (14.3%). Rejection ISHLT grades improved from start to end of ECP treatment in 92% of patients treated with ECP for rejection. Of patients who started ECP to prevent rejection, 88% remained free from any rejection despite a reduction of calcineurin inhibitors. Overall survival was 95%, and no deaths were related to ECP. Safety events occurred in 18 patients, of which 13 experienced complications with venous access.
CONCLUSIONS
This study, the largest European ECP study in heart transplantation, demonstrates that ECP can effectively be used to treat different rejection types and to prevent rejection in the modern era of immunosuppression. Patients with rejections who have received ECP have shown high response as measured by histological improvements in ISHLT classification. A high percentage of patients in the prevention group remained free from rejection despite reduction in immunosuppression, in particular calcineurin inhibitors.
Topics: Humans; Photopheresis; Retrospective Studies; Calcineurin Inhibitors; Heart Transplantation; Immunosuppression Therapy; Graft Rejection
PubMed: 37037751
DOI: 10.1016/j.healun.2023.03.005 -
Cells Sep 2023Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is an FDA-approved immunotherapy for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, which can provide a complete response in some patients. However, it is... (Review)
Review
Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is an FDA-approved immunotherapy for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, which can provide a complete response in some patients. However, it is still being determined who will respond well, and predictive biomarkers are urgently needed to target patients for timely treatment and to monitor their response over time. The aim of this review is to analyze the current state of the diagnostic, prognostic, and disease state-monitoring biomarkers of ECP, and outline the future direction of the ECP biomarker discovery. Specifically, we focus on biomarkers of response to ECP in mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome. The review summarizes the current knowledge of ECP biomarkers, including their limitations and potential applications, and identifies key challenges in ECP biomarker discovery. In addition, we discuss emerging technologies that could revolutionize ECP biomarker discovery and accelerate the translation of biomarker research into clinical practice. This review will interest researchers and clinicians seeking to optimize ECP therapy for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
Topics: Humans; Sezary Syndrome; Photopheresis; Skin Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome; Mycosis Fungoides; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous; Biomarkers
PubMed: 37759543
DOI: 10.3390/cells12182321 -
Bone Marrow Transplantation Mar 2024Ruxolitinib has become the new standard of care for steroid-refractory and steroid-dependent chronic GVHD (SR-cGVHD). Our aim was to collect comparative data between...
Ruxolitinib has become the new standard of care for steroid-refractory and steroid-dependent chronic GVHD (SR-cGVHD). Our aim was to collect comparative data between ruxolitinib and extracorporeal photophoresis (ECP). We asked EBMT centers if they were willing to provide detailed information on GVHD grading, -therapy, -dosing, -response and complications for each included patient. 31 centers responded positively and we included all patients between 1/2017-7/2019 treated with ECP or ruxolitinib for moderate or severe SR-cGVHD. We identified 84 and 57 patients with ECP and ruxolitinib, respectively. We performed multivariate analyses adjusted on grading and type of SR-cGVHD (steroid dependent vs. refractory vs. intolerant to steroids). At day+180 after initiation of treatment for SR-cGVHD the odds ratio in the ruxolitinib group to achieve overall response vs. the ECP group was 1.35 (95% CI = [0.64; 2.91], p = 0.43). In line, we detected no statistically significant differences in overall survival, progression-free survival, non-relapse mortality and relapse incidence. The clinical significance is limited by the retrospective study design and the current data can't replace prospective studies on ECP in SR-cGVHD. However, the present results contribute to the accumulating evidence on ECP as an effective treatment option in SR-cGVHD.
Topics: Humans; Retrospective Studies; Prospective Studies; Steroids; Graft vs Host Disease; Photopheresis; Chronic Disease; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; Nitriles; Pyrazoles; Pyrimidines
PubMed: 38184740
DOI: 10.1038/s41409-023-02174-2 -
Cureus Oct 2023Although there are many studies on the impact of Ramadan fasting on health in the medical literature, the effects have not been explored in Muslim patients undergoing...
Although there are many studies on the impact of Ramadan fasting on health in the medical literature, the effects have not been explored in Muslim patients undergoing extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP). This report aimed to describe the potential effects of Ramadan fasting on ECP treatment outcomes. Patients undergoing ECP were prospectively evaluated before and during the month of Ramadan 1443 AH (2022 AD) at the Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center (ADSCC), United Arab Emirates. The following ECP outcomes were assessed: treatment completion, adverse events reported, body mass index (BMI), and laboratory test results, including complete blood count (CBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), and other systemic immune-inflammatory biomarkers (SIIBs). No statistically significant differences were found in most of the variables analyzed in the three patients who underwent ECP before and during the holy month. Two non-fasting patients were not able to complete the Ramadan ECP schedule, and one fasting patient experienced a vascular access event during his first procedure in Ramadan. These findings suggest that fasting during Ramadan could add further risk factors and develop serious complications related to the ECP treatment. Therefore, we suggest that fasting should be avoided during photopheresis treatment, and we provided recommendations to achieve the best possible clinical outcomes.
PubMed: 37886650
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.47612 -
BMJ Open Respiratory Research May 2024Long-term survival after lung transplantation is limited compared with other organ transplants. The main cause is development of progressive immune-mediated damage to... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) in the treatment of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD): a prospective, multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial studying the addition of ECP to standard care in the treatment of bilateral lung transplant patients with CLAD (E-CLAD UK).
BACKGROUND
Long-term survival after lung transplantation is limited compared with other organ transplants. The main cause is development of progressive immune-mediated damage to the lung allograft. This damage, which can develop via multiple immune pathways, is captured under the umbrella term chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). Despite the availability of powerful immunosuppressive drugs, there are presently no treatments proven to reverse or reliably halt the loss of lung function caused by CLAD. The aim of the E-CLAD UK trial is to determine whether the addition of immunomodulatory therapy, in the form of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP), to standard care is more efficacious at stabilising lung function in CLAD compared with standard care alone.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS
E-CLAD UK is a Phase II clinical trial of an investigational medicinal product (Methoxsalen) delivered to a buffy coat prepared via an enclosed ECP circuit. Target recruitment is 90 bilateral lung transplant patients identified as having CLAD and being treated at one of the five UK adult lung transplant centres. Participants will be randomised 1:1 to intervention plus standard of care, or standard of care alone. Intervention will comprise nine ECP cycles spread over 20 weeks, each course involving two treatments of ECP on consecutive days. All participants will be followed up for a period of 24 weeks.The primary outcome is lung function stabilisation derived from change in forced expiratory volume in one second and forced vital capacity at 12 and 24 weeks compared with baseline at study entry. Other parameters include change in exercise capacity, health-related quality of life and safety. A mechanistic study will seek to identify molecular or cellular markers linked to treatment response and qualitative interviews will explore patient experiences of CLAD and the ECP treatment.A patient and public advisory group is integral to the trial from design to implementation, developing material to support the consent process and interview materials.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION
The East Midlands-Derby Research Ethics Committee has provided ethical approval (REC 22/EM/0218). Dissemination will be via publications, patient-friendly summaries and presentation at scientific meetings.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
EudraCT number 2022-002659-20; ISRCTN 10615985.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Allografts; Graft Rejection; Lung; Lung Transplantation; Methoxsalen; Multicenter Studies as Topic; Photopheresis; Primary Graft Dysfunction; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Treatment Outcome; United Kingdom
PubMed: 38724453
DOI: 10.1136/bmjresp-2023-001995