Interferon-α Prevents Leukemia Relapse of AML Patients After Transplantation

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) remains a powerful therapeutic modality for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).The superior clinical outcomes of allogeneic human SCT versus chemotherapy alone as post-remission treatment could be related to the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effects of recovered donor T cells. Our previous study investigated both the association of MRD status with transplant outcomes in haplo-SCT and matched sibling donor transplantation(MSDT)， and also possible differences in the transplant outcomes of patients with positive pre-MRD (as determined by MFC) who underwent haplo-SCT versus MSDT. It provided new evidence that unmanipulated haplo-SCT is superior to matched sibling donor transplantation in eradicating pre-transplantation MRD, indicating that unmanipulated haploidentical allografts have stronger GVL effects.As to the AML patients in standard-risk, who have a positive MRD before MSDT, whether these patients should be given any relapse prevention is the question to be answered in this study. Interferon α-2b exerts a relatively strong immunomodulatory effect. It can kill AL cells by regulating T-cell and/or natural killer cell functions.Consequently, interferon α-2b may have potential value for high-risk AL patients after transplantation. The study hypothesis: Using interferon α-2b following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with standard-risk AML can further reduce relapse rate and improve leukemia-free survival.