ASTCT Talks

In this episode of ASTCT Talks, host Dr. Corey Cutler, MD, from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, is joined by Dr. Pooja Khandelwal, MD (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital), Dr. Ben Watkins, MD (Tulane University), and Dr. Kenneth Cooke, MD (Johns Hopkins University) for an in-depth discussion on evolving strategies to prevent graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in pediatric transplant.

The conversation explores how leading centers are approaching GVHD prophylaxis across a range of clinical scenarios, with a focus on improving both acute and chronic GVHD outcomes. Experts compare platform-based approaches — including post-transplant cyclophosphamide, calcineurin inhibitor–based regimens, abatacept, and graft manipulation — and discuss how these strategies influence long-term transplant success.

Key topics include:

• Current approaches to reducing acute and chronic GVHD in pediatric patients.
• Tradeoffs between prevention platforms, including immune reconstitution and infection risk.
• Emerging data on novel strategies, such as vitamin A and extended co-stimulation blockade.
• The role of GVHD-free survival as a key endpoint in transplant outcomes.
• Ongoing challenges and unmet needs in preventing chronic GVHD.

While advances in prophylaxis are helping to reduce GVHD incidence, chronic GVHD remains a significant clinical challenge, underscoring the importance of continued innovation across the prevention-treatment continuum.

This episode was supported by an educational grant fromIncyte.

In a live X Spaces discussion hosted by CancerNetwork® in collaboration with the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT), Marc J. Braunstein, MD, PhD, and Sofia Zahid, MD, highlighted noteworthy presentations and abstracts in hematologic oncology at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. Together, they discussed the data that may shake up clinical practice across different multiple myeloma, leukemia, and lymphoma populations.

In a special cobranded episode between Oncology on the Go, hosted by CancerNetwork®, and the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT)’s program ASTCT Talks, host Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP, spoke with colleague Hitomi Hosoya, MD, PhD, about a study she and coauthors published in Blood. In their study, Hosoya and colleagues assessed the underlying mechanisms of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell–related lymphomas developing in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The study focused on a particular case involving a 50-year-old patient with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who developed T-cell lymphoma after receiving cellular therapy in the seventh-line setting. Listen below or via your favorite podcast platform.

Gene therapy is changing how clinicians care for patients with rare and genetic diseases, with more therapies moving from research into clinical use. In this episode, Dr. Nirali Shah is joined by Dr. Christy Duncan and Dr. Sung‑Yun Pai to talk through recent progress in the field and what it actually takes to deliver these treatments at the patient level.

The discussion draws on their experience in transplant and genetic disease, covering both scientific advances and the operational challenges that come with implementing gene therapy — especially in complex and resource‑intensive settings. 

Tune in for a conversation that covers:

• Recent developments in gene therapy, including in vivo approaches and newly approved treatments
• Barriers to broader use, including access, equity, and long-term monitoring
• What centers need to consider when building a gene therapy program, from workflows to team coordination
• Where things may be heading, including more individualized therapies and efforts to expand availability

Listen to the episode below or on your favorite app. Subscribe to ASTCT Talks and share this episode with your colleagues to keep the conversation going.

In this episode of ASTCT Talks, host Corey Cutler, MD of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard University sits down with Nosha Farhadfar, MD, medical director of research for Sarah Cannon Research Institute’s transplant and cellular therapy program at Methodist Healthcare, and Pooja Khandelwal, MD, an associate professor within the division of bone marrow transplantation at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, to discuss adult and pediatric treatment perspectives for cGVHD.

Tune in for a conversation that covers:

• Adult and pediatric cGVHD treatment approaches,including frontline choices and the selection and effectiveness of medications.
• Expert practice experiences for use in cGVHD treatment.
• New therapeutics the experts are looking forward to in cGVHD treatment.

This episode was made possible thanks to a grant from Incyte.

In this episode of ASTCT Talks, host Terri Lynn Shigle, PharmD(The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Pharmacy SIG Immediate Past-Chair), sits down with Zainab Shahid, MD (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; ID SIG Chair), and Gabriela Maron, MD (St. Jude Children’s ResearchHospital). As coauthors of the ASTCT Practice Guidelines, "American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Best Practice Considerations for the Prevention and Management of Infections After Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy for Hematological Malignancies," recently published in Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, they discuss the implementation of critical strategies for safeguarding CAR T recipients.

The conversation explores the nuances of the manuscript,providing a practical perspective on translating these consensus recommendations into clinical operations.

• Assessing the Burden of Immunosuppression: Evaluating the cumulative risk factors that predispose CAR T recipients to infection, including heavy pretreatment and the effects of lymphodepletion.

• Prophylaxis Optimization: Critical considerations regarding the timing, selection, and duration of antimicrobial regimens in the post-CAR T setting.

• Managing Hypogammaglobulinemia: A pragmatic look at IVIG replacement strategies, balancing emerging clinical evidence with institutional protocols and global product shortages.
• Addressing Evidence Gaps: Insider insights into the expert panel’s deliberations on "grey areas," such as the management of CMV reactivation and optimal post-therapy vaccination schedules.
• The Pediatric-Adult Continuum: Ensuring that prevention and management strategies are robust and applicable across the full age spectrum of CAR-T recipients.

This episode provides essential context for cliniciansseeking to move beyond the published guidelines and operationalize these bestpractices with greater precision and confidence.

Thank you to Johnson & Johnson and Legend Biotech forsupporting this episode.

In a special cobranded episode between Oncology On the Go and the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT)’s program ASTCT Talks, Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP, a physician-researcher who specializes in multiple myeloma at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, and Brooke Adams, PharmD, BCOP, a clinical pharmacist and transplant specialist at Orlando Health, break down practice‑changing data in multiple myeloma from the ASH Annual Meeting.

The experts focus on bispecific antibodies and BCMA CAR T-cell therapies and close the discussion by reflecting on how data is redefining the treatment paradigm in multiple myeloma, raising possibilities of deep MRD negativity, treatment de-escalation, and prolonged drug holidays. Listen below or via your favorite podcast platform.

In this episode of ASTCT Talks, supported by an educational grant from Sanofi US, host Dr. Corey Cutler, MD, from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, sits down with Dr. Sanjeet Singh Dadwal, MD, chief of infectious diseases at City of Hope, to explore a critical aspect of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD): immune dysfunction and infection risk.

The discussion highlights:

• How chronic GVHD independently contributes to immune deficits and infection susceptibility.

• Infectious risks associated with FDA-approved therapies for chronic GVHD.

• Common infections in this population and why vigilance matters.

• Practical guidance on prophylaxis strategies, vaccination timing, and navigating real-world challenges like food safety.

This episode offers actionable insights for clinicians managing infection prevention and survivorship care in patients with chronic GVHD.

Read “Infectious Disease Considerations in Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease and Transplantation Survivors,” included in the 2024 GVHD Supplement collection published by Transplantation and Cellular Therapy.

In this episode of ASTCT Talks, supported by an educational grant from Sanofi US, Dr. Corey Cutler, from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Dr. Guang-Shing Cheng, from the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, discuss how to identify and manage non-infectious lung complications following allogeneic transplant. From differentiating infection versus inflammation to managing conditions like organizing pneumonia (OP), this conversation offers practical insights for clinicians.

For a deeper dive, explore Dr. Cheng’s many publications on pulmonary topics in the Journal of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Additionally, read the article “Late-Onset Noninfectious Pulmonary Complications after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation” by Harris et al. shared in a September 2024 GVHD Supplement collection by the journal.

In this episode of ASTCT Talks, host Christina Ferraro, nurse practitioner from the Cleveland Clinic, sits down with Vanessa Kennedy, MD, from Stanford University, to address a critical aspect of survivorship: cognitive health, including issues like brain fog, memory lapses and reduced executive function.

The discussion highlights:

• New ASTCT consensus guidelines on cognitive assessment.

• Practical strategies for operationalizing cognitive screening in busy clinical settings.

• How factors like anxiety, depression, sleep and polypharmacy influence cognition — and why addressing these is critical.

• Emerging interventions, from cognitive rehabilitation to surprisingly effective options like jigsaw puzzles.

This episode offers actionable insights into supporting cognitive function and quality of life in survivorship care.