Queensland researchers have made a breakthrough in leukaemia treatment which cuts the chance of patients contracting a potentially fatal disease during treatment.
Researchers believe it will change international practice for the treatment of leukaemia patients undergoing bone marrow transplants.
In trials at Brisbane’s QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, and the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, incidence of acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) was reduced from 50 per cent to 12 per cent in transplant patients.
Severe cases, which often result in death, were reduced from 21 per cent to 4 per cent.
GVHD is caused in transplant recipients when the transplanted material, in this case bone marrow, begins to attack the recipients cells.
The drug Tocilizumab (TCZ) was administered post-transplant to inhibit the immune system’s production of the protein IL-6, which stimulates the body’s response to trauma.
“The new therapy has the potential to make transplants safer, and applicable to a larger group of patients,” Professor Glen Kennedy said.
Final tests are underway so the new prevention regime can be registered and adopted in clinical practice.
Perry Judd, 39, was diagnosed with leukaemia in January 2013 and received a transplant in May the same year.
His initial prognosis was that he had a 90 per cent chance of relapse if he did not have a bone marrow transplant.
“To find out that you’ve got the worst king, it was not a good time,” he said.
“I believe I was quite fortunate, I was able to leave hospital 20 days after my transplant which was quite fast for the type of regime I had to have.
“I would like to think that the drug had a large impact.”