Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Researcher Senior Author on Blood Journal Cover Story About Transplant Immunotherapy
Summary
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher Dr. Robert Levy’s study of regulatory T-cell expansion is featured as a Blood Journal cover story.
- The protocol uses targeted immunotherapy in preclinical models to reduce transplant complications.
- Findings suggest a safer, more effective way to prevent graft-versus-host-disease while preserving anti-cancer immunity.
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is celebrating a major achievement.
Robert Levy, Ph.D., a researcher at Sylvester and a professor of microbiology, immunology, ophthalmology and medicine at the Miller School, is the senior author of the cover story in the latest issue of Blood Journal. Dr. Levy’s work focuses on improving outcomes for patients who undergo allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT), a procedure often used to treat blood cancers and other serious conditions.
“It’s an honor to have our research featured so prominently in the major journal of our field,” Dr. Levy said. “We hope these findings will help guide future therapies for transplant patients.”
Creating a Safer Environment for Stem Cell Transplant
Transplant patients face a risk of developing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). During GVHD, the new immune cells attack the patient’s own tissues. Traditionally, doctors use strong medications to suppress the immune system and prevent GVHD, but these drugs can cause side effects and leave patients vulnerable to infections.
Dr. Levy’s team, a collaborative mix of researchers from the Miller School, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Weill Cornell Medical College and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, developed a new protocol that uses targeted immunotherapy to help the body’s own regulatory T cells (Tregs) expand before transplant. Tregs are a type of immune cell that helps keep the immune system in balance. By increasing the number of Tregs in advance, the body is better prepared to handle the transplant and reduce the risk of GVHD.
“Our approach is about helping the patient’s own immune system create a safer environment for the stem cell transplant,” Dr. Levy explained. “We’re not just suppressing the immune response. We’re guiding it in key tissues involved following the transplant to promote success.”
Encouraging Immune Cells to Multiply
The research used preclinical models to test a combination of two agents: TL1A-Ig fusion protein and low-dose IL-2. These agents stimulate specific receptors (TNFRSF25 and CD25) on Tregs, encouraging them to multiply and become more active. The expanded Tregs were found in key tissues such as the colon, liver and eye, areas often affected by GVHD.
Our goal is to make transplants safer while still allowing the patient’s immune system to do its job against cancer. We’re working toward therapies that are both effective and practical for real-world use.
Dr. Robert Levy
The protocol led to several positive outcomes in preclinical studies:
• Higher survival rates after transplant
• Lower GVHD scores and less weight loss
• Better tissue health and integrity
• A more diverse and healthy gut microbiome
“We saw that expanding Tregs before transplant helped protect vital tissues and organs and supported a healthier microbiome,” Dr. Levy said. “This could mean fewer complications and better recovery for patients.”
Why is This Important?
This research is significant because it offers a new way to prevent GVHD without relying solely on broad, immune-suppressing drugs. By using targeted immunotherapy to expand Tregs, the protocol may reduce side effects and improve the quality of life for transplant patients.
Another key finding is that the protocol does not interfere with the body’s ability to address cancer cells, a process known as graft-versus-leukemia (GVL). Maintaining GVL is crucial for preventing relapse in patients with blood cancers.
“Our goal is to make transplants safer while still allowing the patient’s immune system to do its job against cancer,” Dr. Levy noted. “We’re working toward therapies that are both effective and practical for real-world use.”
Moving Toward Personalized Medicine
Unlike older methods that require collecting and manipulating donor cells outside the body, Dr. Levy’s protocol works by expanding the patient’s own Tregs inside the body before the transplant. This approach could simplify treatment and make it more accessible.
The research also highlights the role of the gut microbiome in transplant outcomes. Patients who received the Tregs expansion protocol had a more diverse and balanced microbiome, a finding that is increasingly recognized as important for immune health.
“Personalized medicine is about tailoring treatments to each patient’s needs,” Dr. Levy said. “By supporting the immune system and microbiome, we can help patients recover more smoothly.”
Tags: Dr. Robert Levy, hematopoietic stem cells, immune system, immunotherapy, stem cells, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, transplant