Karl Blume

Research Interests

Allogeneic and autologous bone marrow transplantation (experimental and clinical) as a treatment modality for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, hereditary disorders, immune defects and selective solid tumors. Development of novel preparatory regimens to prevent the recurrence of the underlying malignancies. Studies for the prevention of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease. Testing of new anti-viral agents to prevent or treat viral infections.

Molecular studies for the detection of minimal malignant disease. Manipulation of allogeneic donor marrow to reduce graft-versus-host disease and still preserve graft-versus-leukemia activity. Use of highly purified autologous human hematopoietic stem cells. Testing of novel cloned human hematopoietic growth factors. Peri-transplant idiotype vaccination for patients with B-cell lymphoma. Characterization and kinetics of tumor specific T-lymphocytes in recipients of autologous marrow grafts.

Clinical Trials

• Impact of Treatment Induced Premature Menopause on Quality of Life Recruiting
• A Phase II Trial of Rituximab and Corticosteroid Therapy for Newly Diagnosed Chronic Graft versus Host Disease Recruiting
• Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Using TLI/ATG for Older Patients with Hematologic Malignancies Recruiting
• Allogeneic Transplantation From Related Haploidentical Donors in Older Patients with Indolent Hematologic Malignancies Recruiting
• Autologous Followed by Non-myeloablative Allogeneic Transplantation for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Recruiting

Publications

• TLI and ATG conditioning with low risk of graft-versus-host disease retains antitumor reactions after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation from related and unrelated donors. Kohrt HE, Turnbull BB, Heydari K, Shizuru JA, Laport GG, Miklos DB, Johnston LJ, Arai S, Weng WK, Hoppe RT, Lavori PW, Blume KG, Negrin RS, Strober S, Lowsky R. Blood. 2009; 114 (5): 1099-109
• Five-year follow-up of patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation after nonmyeloablative conditioning. Sorror ML, Storer BE, Sandmaier BM, Maris M, Shizuru J, Maziarz R, Agura E, Chauncey TR, Pulsipher MA, McSweeney PA, Wade JC, Bruno B, Langston A, Radich J, Niederwieser D, Blume KG, Storb R, Maloney DG. J Clin Oncol. 2008; 26 (30): 4912-20
• Long-term remission of Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation from matched sibling donors: a 20-year experience with the fractionated total body irradiation-etoposide regimen. Laport GG, Alvarnas JC, Palmer JM, Snyder DS, Slovak ML, Cherry AM, Wong RM, Negrin RS, Blume KG, Forman SJ. Blood. 2008; 112 (3): 903-9
• Reduced-intensity conditioning followed by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for adult patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and myeloproliferative disorders. Laport GG, Sandmaier BM, Storer BE, Scott BL, Stuart MJ, Lange T, Maris MB, Agura ED, Chauncey TR, Wong RM, Forman SJ, Petersen FB, Wade JC, Epner E, Bruno B, Bethge WA, Curtin PT, Maloney DG, Blume KG, Storb RF. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2008; 14 (2): 246-55
• Altered sexual health and quality of life in women prior to hematopoietic cell transplantation. Tierney KD, Facione N, Padilla G, Blume K, Dodd M. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2007; 11 (4): 298-308