BMT Core: Southeast Bone Marrow Transplant Consortium

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The SE-BMT Consortium, formerly the UF Consortium, has expanded its network to include the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). This extended collaboration among Emory's Winship Cancer Institute (Emory), UAB, and the University of Florida (UF) will develop and activate phase 2 and 3 clinical trials utilizing

hematopoietic stem cell and novel adoptive cell-based therapies via the BMT CTN. Benefitting from historical collaboration and interlinked geographic regions, the institutions have emphasized enhancing accessibility for rural and under-represented minority (URM) patients. The SE-BMTC institutions have accrued 685 subjects onto

BMT CTN studies with robust capabilities for subject enrollment, biospecimen collection, data capture, and data quality control. The SE-BMT Consortium has integrated UAB and UF pediatrics and plans to increase recruitment from Emory pediatrics. To continue BMT CTN participation, the SE-BMTC will pursue three aims:

1. Design and develop innovative clinical trials through the BMT CTN steering committee, employing stem cell and cell-based therapies to address the medical needs of patients with cancer, hemoglobinopathies, and marrow failure states. 2. Efficiently recruit a diverse patient cohort in the southeast U.S. for enrollment to BMT CTN clinical trials

and contribute samples and data to the BMT CTN biorepository for correlative studies and future research. 3. Foster career growth for a diverse group of cell therapy and stem cell transplant physicians, furthering careers of Early Stage Investigators (ESI) and promoting community outreach and engagement across the

Southeast. To realize these objectives, experienced transplant/cell therapy physicians from each consortium location will work together to streamline and harmonize local clinical research into the BMT CTN. The SE-BMT Consortium leverages each center's strengths: Emory will spearhead URM and rural patient recruitment due to its large rural

patient base and clinical setup. UF will offer its proficiency in transplant and cellular immunotherapy research, contributing to preclinical development and translational studies. UAB will contribute its track record of expertise in clinical trial design and enrolling under-represented minority patients. Every team encompasses members

from benign hematology and pediatric transplant programs, facilitating outreach and clinical trial enrollment into these populations. Regular communication, including teleconferences among lead investigators and staff, bolstered by annual consortium gatherings, will facilitate joint initiatives and decision-making. The Emory, UF,

and UAB research teams within the SE-BMT Consortium are committed to the BMT CTN's objectives, ensuring continuing advancements in determining the best approaches for hematopoietic stem cell and effector cell therapies for patients.