Treosulfan-based conditioning regimen for allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children with sickle cell disease

Although allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) still represents the only consolidated possibility of cure for sickle cell disease (SCD) patients, its use has been limited by the risk of morbidity and mortality associated with conventional myeloablative therapy. The introduction of treosulfan to replace busulfan in conditioning regimens has recently been explored by virtue of its lower toxicity profile. We report our experience with a treosulfan/thiotepa/fludarabine conditioning for human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-matched sibling or unrelated donor-HSCT in 15 children with SCD, and compare patient outcomes with those of a historical cohort (15 patients) given a busulfan-based regimen. Engraftment was achieved in 28 out of 30 patients (93%), with one case of graft failure in either group. The conditioning regimen was well tolerated in both groups, with no cases of grade III-IV regimen-related toxicity. The 7-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) for the whole cohort were 100% and 93%, respectively, with a 93% DFS in both busulfan and treosulfan groups. No SCD-related adverse events occurred after engraftment in patients with complete or mixed donor chimerism. This retrospective analysis suggests that a treosulfan-based conditioning regimen is able to ensure engraftment with excellent OS/DFS and low regimen-related toxicity in patients with SCD.