Haploidentical stem cell transplantation with post-transplant cyclophosphamide for osteopetrosis and other nonmalignant diseases

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is curative for a variety of nonmalignant disorders including osteopetrosis, bone marrow failures, and immune deficiencies. Haploidentical HSCT is a readily available option in the absence of a matched donor, but engraftment failure and other post-transplant complications are a concern. Post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PT-Cy) regimens are gaining popularity and recent reports show promising results. We report our experience with nine pediatric patients with nonmalignant diseases who were transplanted from a haploidentical donor with PT-Cy. From 2015 to 2019, nine children with nonmalignant diseases underwent haploidentical HSCT with PT-Cy, two as a second transplant and seven as primary grafts after upfront serotherapy and busulfan-based myeloablative conditioning. Patient’s diseases included osteopetrosis (n = 5), congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (n = 2), hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (n = 1), and Wiskott Aldrich syndrome (n = 1). Two patients failed to engraft following upfront PT-Cy transplants, one was salvaged with a second PT-Cy transplant, and the other with a CD34+ selected graft. None of the patients suffered from graft-versus-host disease. Three patients died from early posttransplant infectious complications and six patients are alive and well. In conclusion, haploidentical HSCT with PT-Cy is a feasible option for pediatric patients with nonmalignant diseases lacking a matched donor.