Rapamycin for Prevention of Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease

The objective of this study is to evaluate feasibility, toxicity and efficacy of using Rapamycin to prevent chronic graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) during and after the tacrolimus taper in recipients of allogeneic stem cell transplant. Our hypothesis is that the T cells that can cause chronic GVHD are suppressed but not eliminated by calcineurin inhibitors. Therefore, when the calcineurin inhibitors are discontinued, the T cells may get activated and result in GVHD. Rapamycin on the other hand will allow anergy formation and thus when discontinued, T cells should not get activated. The schedule is designed to have therapeutic rapamycin levels as the tacrolimus is discontinued. Rapamycin will be continued as a single agent for additional 4 weeks and be tapered off in two weeks.