Search

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan explored the use of resistant potato starch (RPS) as a prebiotic dietary intervention in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT). The study aimed to assess the feasibility and impact of RPS on the patients' intestinal microbiota and its dependent metabolites. The results showed that RPS was feasible and increased stool butyrate levels, a beneficial microbial metabolite. The study suggests that RPS could be a potential strategy to mitigate acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in allo-HCT recipients. [Extracted from the article]

A recent report from Harvard Medical School presents new data on stem cell transplants. The study compared two different treatments for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis after hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). The researchers found that post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PT-Cy) significantly improved GVHD-free Relapse-Free Survival compared to the other treatment, but overall survival was not significantly different. The study also revealed that PT-Cy led to a less diverse T cell repertoire, which has implications for both the efficacy and toxicity of the treatment. The findings suggest a novel mechanism for controlling GVHD with PT-Cy but also increase the risk of infections. [Extracted from the article]