{"id":119957,"date":"2025-03-03T01:58:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T07:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=119957"},"modified":"2025-09-30T14:28:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T19:28:18","slug":"drug-shows-benefits-after-blood-bone-marrow-transplant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/03\/03\/drug-shows-benefits-after-blood-bone-marrow-transplant\/","title":{"rendered":"Drug shows benefits after blood, bone marrow transplant"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A recent clinical trial conducted by researchers at the UNMC Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center tested a possible treatment option for patients with a severe, treatment-resistant form of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graft-versus-host disease, or GVHD, is a late-onset complication that can follow a blood or bone marrow transplant. The disease, also known as \u201csclerotic GVHD,\u201d leads to skin hardening and joint problems, significantly impacting patients’ quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study, led by Vijaya Bhatt, MBBS, professor of internal medicine and section leader of the Malignant Hematology Program at UNMC, was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology<\/a>, an American Society of Clinical Oncology journal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data from the multicenter phase II clinical trial shows that nearly half of the patients with sclerotic GVHD experienced significant improvements with ruxolitinib, a drug that blocks signals to cells that cause GVHD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chronic GVHD occurs when transplanted donor cells attack a patient’s healthy tissues following a blood or bone marrow transplant, which are common treatments for blood cancers. This immune response can cause widespread inflammation and damage, particularly affecting the skin, joints and other organs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile steroids are the standard treatment, many patients do not respond well, highlighting the urgent need for alternative therapeutic options,\u201d Dr. Bhatt said. \u201cThe sclerotic form of GVHD is particularly challenging to treat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ruxolitinib blocks specific proteins called Janus kinases, which are involved in immune system overactivity and inflammation. By reducing harmful immune responses, the drug helps control GVHD symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key findings from the trial, which included 47 patients who had not responded to steroids and at least one other treatment, include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n