Leona Holmberg

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University of Washington
School of Medicine
Oncology
Associate Professor
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Clinical Research Division
Autologous Transplant
Associate Member
Professional Headshot of Leona Holmberg

Mailing Address

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
1100 Fairview Avenue N., D5-390
P.O. Box 19024
Seattle, Washington 98109-1024
United States

Contact Information

Phone: (206) 667-6447
Fax: (206) 667-4937
lholmber@fhcrc.org

Qualifications

M.D., University of Miami, School of Medicine, 1986.
Ph.D., Harvard University, Immunology, 1983.

Expertise and Research Interests

Relapse remains a major issue following an autologous transplant. Relapses result from either the infusion of contaminating tumor cells in the stem cell product and/or from the incomplete eradication of endogenous malignant cells by the treatment regimens. Directly following an autologous transplant, the immune system is relatively incompetent and this immune incompetence may contribute to the high relapse rates seen after autologous transplantation.

My current clinical research interests have focused on trying to augment the immune system after an autologous transplant. A number of clinical trials using different approaches have been developed. Initially, a phase I dose escalating study was conducted to determine the maximum tolerated dose and duration of sequential IL2 therapy as immune stimulation, after infusion of IL2-incubated PBSC. Upon completion, this Phase I study led to a phase II study to determine the efficacy of this type of immunotherapy in treating patients with multiple myeloma. Other clinical trials have been designed for ongoing evaluation of various mobilization regimens to maximize immune responsiveness of PBSC product and to study the effect of adding IL2 with GM-CSF to treat breast cancer and IL2 with Rituxan to treat Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The ability of tumor specific vaccines to maintain a primed immune system after transplant has also been investigated.

The hope is that the addition of immunotherapy to a standard high dose autologous transplant regimen will result in fewer relapses and thus prolong the survival for our patients.

Keywords

COS Keywords:

Immunotherapy, Transplantation Immunology, Tumor Immunology.

Memberships

IBMTR
PSOC
SWOG

Publications

  • Till BG, Gooley TA, Crawford N, Gopal AK, Maloney DG, Petersdorf SH, Pagel JM, Holmberg L, Bensinger W, Press OW (Jun 2008) Effect of remission status and induction chemotherapy regimen on outcome of autologous stem cell transplantation for mantle cell lymphoma., Leukemia & lymphoma, 49 (6), 1062-73 Abstract
  • Nash RA, McSweeney PA, Crofford LJ, Abidi M, Chen CS, Godwin JD, Gooley TA, Holmberg L, Henstorf G, LeMaistre CF, Mayes MD, McDonagh KT, McLaughlin B, Molitor JA, Nelson JL, Shulman H, Storb R, Viganego F, Wener MH, Seibold JR, Sullivan KM, Furst DE (Aug 2007) High-dose immunosuppressive therapy and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation for severe systemic sclerosis: long-term follow-up of the US multicenter pilot study., Blood, 110 (4), 1388-96 Abstract
  • Holmberg LA, Maloney D, Bensinger W (Sep 2006) Immunotherapy with rituximab/interleukin-2 after autologous stem cell transplantation as treatment for CD20+ non-Hodgkin's lymphoma., Clinical lymphoma & myeloma, 7 (2), 135-9 Abstract
  • Holmberg LA, Stewart FM (Jul 2006) Revisiting the role of dose intensity in hematological malignancies., Experimental hematology, 34 (7), 811-25 Abstract
  • Lilleby K, Garcia P, Gooley T, McDonnnell P, Taber R, Holmberg L, Maloney DG, Press OW, Bensinger W (Jun 2006) A prospective, randomized study of cryotherapy during administration of high-dose melphalan to decrease the severity and duration of oral mucositis in patients with multiple myeloma undergoing autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation., Bone marrow transplantation, 37 (11), 1031-5 Abstract
  • Holmberg L, Kikuchi K, Gooley TA, Adams KM, Hockenbery DM, Flowers ME, Schoch HG, Bensinger W, McDonald GB (Feb 2006) Gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease in recipients of autologous hematopoietic stem cells: incidence, risk factors, and outcome., Biology of blood and marrow transplantation : journal of the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, 12 (2), 226-34 Abstract
  • Zaucha RE, Buckner DC, Barnett T, Holmberg LA, Gooley T, Hooper HA, Maloney DG, Appelbaum F, Bensinger WI (Jan 2006) Modified total body irradiation as a planned second high-dose therapy with stem cell infusion for patients with bone-based malignancies., International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics, 64 (1), 227-34 Abstract
  • Holmberg LA, Sandmaier BM (Dec 2004) Vaccination with Theratope (STn-KLH) as treatment for breast cancer., Expert review of vaccines, 3 (6), 655-63 Abstract
  • Deeg HJ, Jiang PY, Holmberg LA, Scott B, Petersdorf EW, Appelbaum FR (Nov 2004) Hematologic responses of patients with MDS to antithymocyte globulin plus etanercept correlate with improved flow scores of marrow cells., Leukemia research, 28 (11), 1177-80 Abstract
  • Adams KM, Holmberg LA, Leisenring W, Fefer A, Guthrie KA, Tylee TS, McDonald GB, Bensinger WI, Nelson JL (Sep 2004) Risk factors for syngeneic graft-versus-host disease after adult hematopoietic cell transplantation., Blood, 104 (6), 1894-7 Abstract
  • Holmberg LA, Sandmaier B (Jun 2004) Vaccination as a treatment for breast or ovarian cancer., Expert review of vaccines, 3 (3), 269-77 Abstract
  • Bensinger WI, Buckner CD, Lilleby K, Holmberg L, Storb R, Slattery JT (2004) Dose escalation of busulfan with pentoxifylline and ciprofloxacin in patients with breast cancer undergoing autologous transplants., Oncology, 67 (5-6), 368-75 Abstract
  • Nash RA, Bowen JD, McSweeney PA, Pavletic SZ, Maravilla KR, Park MS, Storek J, Sullivan KM, Al-Omaishi J, Corboy JR, DiPersio J, Georges GE, Gooley TA, Holmberg LA, LeMaistre CF, Ryan K, Openshaw H, Sunderhaus J, Storb R, Zunt J, Kraft GH (Oct 2003) High-dose immunosuppressive therapy and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for severe multiple sclerosis., Blood, 102 (7), 2364-72 Abstract
  • Nash RA, Dansey R, Storek J, Georges GE, Bowen JD, Holmberg LA, Kraft GH, Mayes MD, McDonagh KT, Chen CS, Dipersio J, Lemaistre CF, Pavletic S, Sullivan KM, Sunderhaus J, Furst DE, McSweeney PA (Sep 2003) Epstein-Barr virus-associated posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder after high-dose immunosuppressive therapy and autologous CD34-selected hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for severe autoimmune diseases., Biology of blood and marrow transplantation : journal of the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, 9 (9), 583-91 Abstract
  • Rowley SD, Feng Z, Chen L, Holmberg L, Heimfeld S, MacLeod B, Bensinger WI (Jun 2003) A randomized phase III clinical trial of autologous blood stem cell transplantation comparing cryopreservation using dimethylsulfoxide vs dimethylsulfoxide with hydroxyethylstarch., Bone marrow transplantation, 31 (11), 1043-51 Abstract
  • Holmberg LA, Stewart FM (May 2003) Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma., Oncology (Williston Park, N.Y.), 17 (5), 627-32, 635, 640; di Abstract
  • Holmberg LA, Oparin DV, Gooley T, Sandmaier BM (Feb 2003) The role of cancer vaccines following autologous stem cell rescue in breast and ovarian cancer patients: experience with the STn-KLH vaccine (Theratope)., Clinical breast cancer, 3 Suppl 4, S144-51 Abstract
  • McSweeney PA, Nash RA, Sullivan KM, Storek J, Crofford LJ, Dansey R, Mayes MD, McDonagh KT, Nelson JL, Gooley TA, Holmberg LA, Chen CS, Wener MH, Ryan K, Sunderhaus J, Russell K, Rambharose J, Storb R, Furst DE, High-dose immunosuppressive therapy for severe systemic sclerosis: initial outcomes, Blood, 100(5), 1602-10, September 2002 Abstract
  • Deeg HJ, Gotlib J, Beckham C, Dugan K, Holmberg L, Schubert M, Appelbaum F, Greenberg P (Feb 2002) Soluble TNF receptor fusion protein (etanercept) for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome: a pilot study., Leukemia : official journal of the Leukemia Society of America, Leukemia Research Fund, U.K, 16 (2), 162-4 Abstract
  • Crippa F, Holmberg L, Carter RA, Hooper H, Marr KA, Bensinger W, Chauncey T, Corey L, Boeckh M, Infectious complications after autologous CD34-selected peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation : Journal of the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation., 8(5), 281-9, 2002
  • Rowley SD, Yu J, Gooley T, Heimfeld S, Holmberg L, Maloney D, Bensinger WI, Trafficking of CD34+ cells into the peripheral circulation during collection of peripheral blood stem cells by apheresis, Bone Marrow Transplantation, 28(7), 649-56, October 2001 Abstract
  • Holmberg LA, Sandmaier BM, Theratope vaccine (STn-KLH), Expert Opinion On Biological Therapy, 1(5), 881-91, September 2001 Abstract
  • Gutierrez-Delgado F, Maloney DG, Press OW, Golden J, Holmberg LA, Maziarz RT, Hooper H, Buckner CD, Appelbaum FR, Bensinger WI, Autologous stem cell transplantation for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: comparison of radiation-based and chemotherapy-only preparative regimens, Bone Marrow Transplantation, 28(5), 455-61, September 2001 Abstract
  • Anderson JE, Tefferi A, Craig F, Holmberg L, Chauncey T, Appelbaum FR, Guardiola P, Callander N, Freytes C, Gazitt Y, Razvillas B, Deeg HJ, Myeloablation and autologous peripheral blood stem cell rescue results in hematologic and clinical responses in patients with myeloid metaplasia with myelofibrosis, Blood, 98(3), 586-93, August 2001 Abstract
  • Chauncey TR, Gooley TA, Lloid ME, Schubert MM, Lilleby K, Holmberg L, Bensinger WI, Pilot trial of cytoprotection with amifostine given with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, American Journal of Clinical Oncology : the Official Publication of the American Radium Society, 23(4), 406-11, August 2000 Abstract
  • Gutierrez-Delgado F, Holmberg LA, Hooper H, Appelbaum FR, Livingston RB, Maziarz RT, Weiden P, Rivkin S, Montgomery P, Kawahara K, Bensinger W, High-dose busulfan, melphalan and thiotepa as consolidation for non-inflammatory high-risk breast cancer, Bone Marrow Transplantation, 26(1), 51-9, July 2000 Abstract
  • Yu J, Leisenring W, Fritschle W, Heimfeld S, Shulman H, Bensinger WI, Holmberg LA, Rowley SD, Enumeration of HPC in mobilized peripheral blood with the Sysmex SE9500 predicts final CD34+ cell yield in the apheresis collection, Bone Marrow Transplantation, 25(11), 1157-64, June 2000 Abstract
  • Holmberg LA, Oparin DV, Gooley T, Lilleby K, Bensinger W, Reddish MA, MacLean GD, Longenecker BM, Sandmaier BM, Clinical outcome of breast and ovarian cancer patients treated with high-dose chemotherapy, autologous stem cell rescue and THERATOPE STn-KLH cancer vaccine, Bone Marrow Transplantation, 25(12), 1233-41, June 2000 Abstract
  • Holmberg LA, Oparin D, Gooley T, Lilleby K, Bensinger WI, Reddish M, MacLean G, Longnecker B, Sandmaier BM, Clinical outcome of breast and ovarian patients with high-dose chemotherapy (HDC), autologous stem cell rescue and Theratope STn-KLH cancer vaccine, ASCO Proceedings, 18, 157, 1999
  • Sandmaier BM, Oparin DV, Holmberg LA, Reddish MA, MacLean GD, Longenecker BM, Evidence of a cellular immune response against sialyl-Tn in breast and ovarian cancer patients after high-dose chemotherapy, stem cell rescue, and immunization with Theratope STn-KLH cancer vaccine, Journal of Immunotherapy, 22(1), 54-66, Jan 1999 Abstract
  • Holmberg LA, Storer B, Sandmaier BM, Buckner CD, Bensinger WI, Rowley SD, Autologous transplant using Interleukin 2 (IL2) treated peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) in patients with advanced malignancies, Blood, 90, 494, 1997

Profile Details

Last Updated: 9/5/2008

COS Expertise ID #322178
Reference this profile directly: http://myprofile.cos.com/LHOLMBER