2025 International Conference on Cell Therapy and Biomedical Frontiers
Editor’s Note: On October 31, 2025, the International Conference on Cell Therapy and Biomedical Frontiers was successfully held in Xiong’an, Hebei Province. The event was hosted by the Xiong’an Institute for Translational Medicine and Engineering of Peking University People’s Hospital, and organized by the National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases and the Institute of Hematology, Peking University.
At the conference, Professor Stefan O. Ciurea from the University of California, Irvine, delivered an insightful presentation titled “Adoptive NK Cell Therapy Before and After Transplantation for AML.” His talk introduced a novel therapeutic strategy and new hope for patients with highly refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) undergoing transplantation.
Oncology Frontier – Hematology Frontier conducted an exclusive interview with Professor Ciurea, who shared his perspectives on the current applications, key challenges, and future directions of adoptive cellular therapy in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).
Oncology Frontier – Hematology Frontier:
With the continuous advancement of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT technology), adoptive cellular therapy has shown great potential in enhancing immune function and improving patient outcomes. Could you share the current status of adoptive cellular therapy post-transplant and its clinical advantages?
Prof. Stefan O. Ciurea:
Our team has been focusing on NK cell research with the aim of reducing the risk of disease relapse after transplantation. Phase II clinical trials have shown that the relapse rate in patients receiving NK cell therapy post-transplantation is nearly zero, significantly better than in those who did not receive NK cells. Based on these results, we plan to conduct a randomized controlled study to further evaluate the clinical benefits of NK cells in transplant recipients.
In addition, we have applied this therapy to patients with highly refractory acute myeloid leukemia, achieving an overall response rate of approximately 50%, including complete remission (CR) or CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi). About 40% of these patients successfully bridged to transplantation and achieved long-term survival.
Another important focus of post-transplant cell therapy is the prevention and management of infectious complications, particularly viral infections. Our team has been studying BK virus-specific T cells to treat patients who develop BK virus-associated cystitis or nephritis after transplantation, and we plan to conduct a Phase II multicenter study in California targeting patients who develop such complications after receiving stem cell or solid organ transplants. Other research teams are also developing virus-specific T cell therapies against CMV, EBV, and other viruses.
These studies are expected to significantly reduce the incidence of transplant-related complications in the future, improve treatment outcomes, and decrease treatment-related mortality. At the same time, NK cell intervention has the potential to address post-transplant disease relapse, a critical issue that has not yet been overcome. Overall, NK cell therapy is expected to bring a true breakthrough in the future.
Oncology Frontier – Hematology Frontier:
After hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, how do you select the appropriate adoptive cellular therapy approach to maximize immune reconstitution? What are the main challenges faced in clinical practice, and how can these challenges be addressed to optimize efficacy?
Prof. Stefan O. Ciurea:
The main challenge in transplantation lies in delayed immune reconstitution, which increases treatment-related mortality and elevates the risk of disease relapse post-transplant. Accelerating immune reconstitution has long been an important research goal in the field of transplantation. To address this, we are exploring a post-transplant cellular therapy aimed at promoting immune recovery. In parallel, as previously mentioned, the development of virus-specific T cells can help manage complications arising from severe immune deficiency in transplant recipients. The initial objective is to control viral activity, and ideally, to further enhance overall immune reconstitution, thereby preventing viral reactivation and associated complications.
Oncology Frontier – Hematology Frontier:
Adoptive cellular therapy plays an important role in managing transplant-related complications, such as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). What do you think should be the focus of future innovative research in this field? Which emerging technologies or strategies are likely to further improve treatment outcomes?
Prof. Stefan O. Ciurea:
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) has historically been one of the major complications in transplantation. However, significant progress has been made in GVHD prevention. Our team has focused on prevention rather than treatment, achieving notable success in preventing severe gastrointestinal GVHD by administering the novel steroid budesonide (Entocort) during the first three months post-transplant. The results of this research have been published in the American Journal of Hematology.
Furthermore, studies have shown that NK cells do not induce GVHD after transplantation, and the occurrence of severe GVHD caused by virus-specific T cells is extremely rare. These cellular therapies are primarily targeted against viruses and exhibit low alloreactivity, thereby significantly reducing the incidence of GVHD. Overall, based on current research, GVHD no longer represents a major obstacle post-transplant, and the likelihood of severe GVHD induced by these novel cellular therapies is minimal.
Expert Profile
Professor Stefan O. Ciurea University of California, Irvine
Dr. Stefan O. Ciurea is a hematologist at UCI Health and serves as Director of the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program at the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Irvine.
Dr. Ciurea earned his medical degree from Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iași, Romania, and completed his internal medicine residency at UPMC Pinnacle Harrisburg in Pennsylvania. He then pursued a fellowship in hematology and oncology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago, followed by a fellowship in Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Before joining the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Ciurea served for more than a decade on the faculty of the Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
He has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers and authored more than 10 book chapters. He is also the principal investigator for multiple clinical trials, including investigator-initiated studies. Dr. Ciurea has been invited to speak at over 50 international scientific conferences, including keynote addresses.
