adult blood
and marrow
stem cell
Research
The field of transplantation is one of rapid growth and development. Texas Transplant Group Physicians are committed to research and offer clinical trials to patients as a means of improving quality of care now and in the future. Physicians with the Texas Transplant Physician Group are actively involved in different clinical trials that explore state-of-the-art therapies for a wide range of diseases.
A clinical trial is a research treatment regimen designed to answer specific questions about new therapies or new ways of using known treatments. Clinical trials are used to determine whether new drugs or treatments are both safe, effective, and demonstrate an improvement over current treatment regimens.
The adult and pediatric blood and marrow stem cell programs are part of the Bone Marrow Transplant Clinical Trial Network. The NIH sponsored Clinical Trials Network is a consortium of stem cell transplant programs devoted to improving the use of hematopoietic stem cells as a therapeutic modality by participation in multi-institutional trials.
The pediatric blood and marrow stem cell program is an active member of the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium; a collaborative effort of over 80 pediatric transplant programs worldwide that addresses specific issues for children. Trials are addressing optimal stem cell sources, management of specific diseases and improvement in supportive care.
Texas Transplant Institute physicians also are active in the Children's Oncology Group; the major clinical trial organization for children with cancer. The institution has an active role in running of the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Discipline in the group and the development of treatments for children with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Adult and Pediatric Blood and Marrow Stem Cell physicians are currently involved in the following research projects:
Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation
Umbilical cord blood is now a source of stem cells for transplant in both pediatric and adult patients. Clinical trials are evaluating the role of transplants with multiple donors to improve or foster recovery of blood counts after transplant, use of reduced intensity chemotherapy regimens to decrease complications from chemotherapy, evaluation of the immune system post-transplant, and methods to expand stem cells ex-vivo.
Supportive Care
Clinicians are developing new methods to prevent and treat potentially fatal post-stem cell transplant infections-fungal, viral and bacterial-in immunosuppressed patients.
Immune Manipulation
Graft vs. Host Disease continues to be an unyielding condition of post-transplant patients. Multiple studies investigate prevention and treatment of both acute and chronic Graft vs. Host Disease. Studies are also evaluating immune manipulation strategies to stimulate a graft vs. tumor effect. Studies include immune activation with cytokines and cell therapies.
High Dose Chemotherapy with Autologous Stem Cell Rescue for Pediatric Solid Tumors
The pediatric transplant team is evaluating the contribution of high dose chemotherapy with autologous peripheral blood stem cell rescue (PBSC) in the treatment of brain and other childhood solid tumors. Since these tumors are rare the studies are multi-center/national and even international trials. Aside from the areas of investigation mentioned above, TTI is part and participates in research of the clinical trial network (CTN).
To view a list of current clinical trials and review a glossary of clinical terms click below:
Current Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Trials - Adult and Pediatric
Glossary of Clinical Terms
RESEARCH DEPARTMENT CONTACT INFORMATION
Texas Transplant Institute
7711 Louis Pasteur, Suite 707
San Antonio, Texas 78229
(210) 575-4238