Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation clinical trials at University of California Health

Children undergoing chemotherapy, radiation treatment and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) have significant difficulties achieving good oral hygiene and dental plaque control. HSCT recipients are at a significant risk for bacteremia and sepsis. Livionex® toothpaste was shown to be effective in reducing dental plaques while containing no additives found in other toothpastes that can cause increased gingival irritation. The investigators hypothesize that improved oral hygiene and better plaque control in pediatric patients receiving chemo/radiation treatment or HSCT may result in reduced oral inflammation, decreased amount of oral bacterial pathogens, and reduced risk of oral-pathogen related systemic bacterial infections. The overall goal of this prospective randomized (2:1) pilot study is to determine whether incorporation of the Livionex® toothpaste in the research regimen could reduce dental plaque.

This study will validate a previously developed pediatric prognostic biomarker algorithm aimed at improving prediction of risk for the later development of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) in children and young adults undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. By developing an early risk stratification of patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk for future cGvHD development (based upon their biomarker profile, before the onset of cGvHD), pre-emptive therapies aimed at preventing the onset of cGvHD can be developed based upon an individual's biological risk profile. This study will also continue research into diagnostic biomarkers of cGvHD, and begin work into biomarker models that predict clinical response to cGvHD therapies.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is an effective but toxic therapy and pulmonary morbidity affects as many as 25% of children receiving transplant. Early pulmonary injury includes diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH), thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) interstitial pneumonitis (IPS) and infection, while later, bronchiolitis obliterans is a complication of chronic GVHD associated with severe morbidity and mortality. Improved diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary complications are urgently needed as survival after HSCT improves, and as HSCT is increasingly used for non-malignant disorders such as sickle cell disease. Currently, there are large and important gaps in the investigator's knowledge regarding incidence, etiology and optimal treatment of pulmonary complications. Moreover, young children unable to perform spirometry are often diagnosed late, and strategies for monitoring therapeutic response are limited. This is a prospective multi-institutional cohort study in pediatric patients undergoing allogeneic (alloHSCT) or autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (autoHSCT). Assembly of a large prospective uniformly screened cohort of children receiving HSCT, together with collection of biological samples, will be an effective strategy to identify mechanisms of lung injury, test novel diagnostic strategies for earlier diagnosis, and novel treatments to reduce morbidity and mortality from lung injury after transplant.