Desensitization protocol using bortezomib for highly sensitized patients awaiting heart or lung transplants

Abstract

The use of bortezomib in combination with other desensitization therapies like plasmapheresis, IVIG, and rituximab has allowed the decrease of antibody levels during treatment in some patients. However, all patients described here have experienced rebound effects to the same or higher levels than the ones before therapy was started. Unfortunately, no donors became available to some of these patients when their antibodies were at lower levels. Three out of the four patients presented had adverse reactions to bortezomib which include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, myalgias and severe neuropathy. In one patient (pre-heart transplant patient #1) we noticed that some clones were selectively more susceptible to the treatment with bortezomib than others. We will continue antibody monitoring in this patient and hopefully the possibility is there, even though the overall PRA is not reduced, that certain clones will be affected and no longer produced antibody allowing these patients a wider selection of acceptable donors.