ASTCT Talks

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.

In this episode of ASTCT’s Titans of Transplant series, Dr. Taha Al-Juhaishi welcomes Dr. Sattva Neelapu of MD Anderson Cancer Center for a deep and insightful conversation on the evolution, challenges and future of CAR T therapy.From the groundbreaking ZUMA-1 trial to today’s expandinglandscape of commercial CAR T products, Dr. Neelapu shares pivotal clinical experiences, lessons learned in toxicity management and reflections on mentorship and innovation. This episode offers a look at the progress made, the barriers that remain and the opportunities ahead for the next generation of leaders in cellular therapy.

In this episode of ASTCT Talks, we're excited to share a special feature from the Pharmacy Focus: Oncology Edition podcast in honor of American Pharmacists Month, featuring members of ASTCT Pharmacy SIG. Expert pharmacists share key insights on BCMA bispecifics, CAR T-cell therapies, and other cellular treatments for multiple myeloma. Moderated by Ryan Shaw, PharmD, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the discussion features Sara Ann Scott, PharmD, of Emory Winship Cancer Institute, and Kelley Julian, PharmD, of the University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute. Together, they explore treatment sequencing strategies for cellular therapies, with a focus on ciltacabtagene autoleucel and idecabtagene vicleucel.