A multinational study of intestinal microbiota in the United States, Europe, and Japan showed that in all four geographic regions patients scheduled for HCT had about a 100% lower median diversity of intestinal bacteria, compared with healthy volunteers, and that enterococcal species predominated in the transplant candidates, reported Jonathan U. Peled, MD, PhD, from the bone marrow transplantation service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
The investigators also found that intestinal microbial diversity was significantly associated with overall survival following an HCT.
In a video interview at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, Dr. Peled elaborated on the study findings and described potential pre- and posttransplant interventions that could improve results and increase survival following HCT.
Dr. Peled reported current or prior relationships with Seres Therapeutics, the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and Merck/Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer.