HSCT With Omidubicel Achieved Robust Immune Reconstitution and Lower Rates of Severe Infection Compared to UCB Transplantation

Paul Szabolcs, MD, discusses data from the following study:

• Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) With Omidubicel Is Associated With Robust Immune Reconstitution and Lower Rates of Severe Infection Compared to Standard Umbilical Cord Blood [UCB] Transplantation (ASH 2021, Dec 11-14. Abstract 333)
  • The objective of this study is to report the efficacy of HSCT with omidubicel as compared to standard umbilical cord blood transplantation in patients with hematologic malignancies.
  • The limitations of cord blood transplantation are delayed hematopoietic and immune recovery and increased transplant-related mortality, although a robust recovery of NK [natural killer] cells is evident.
  • Omidubicel is an advanced cell therapy for allogeneic HSCT that preserves stem cell function to optimize homing, engraftment, and differentiation.
  • Conclusions:
    • HSCT with omidubicel results in rapid hematopoietic recovery, reduced rates of infections, and no increase in GvHD [graft-versus-host disease] rates compared with standard UCB transplantation.
    • In the immediate post-transplant period, immune cell recovery was significantly faster with omidubicel compared with standard UCB transplantation despite receiving a lower number of T cells at transplant.
    • Enhanced recovery of circulatory mDC [myeloid dendritic cells], pDC [plasmacytoid dendritic cells], NK, and CD4+ T cells within the first 28 days, and sustained B-cell recovery from Day 28 through the first year, were observed.
    • These results demonstrate rapid and functional reconstitution of T- and B-cell subsets following transplant with omidubicel, which provides mechanistic support for the lower rates of severe infection observed in the omidubicel-treated patients.