Clinical trials

This phase II trial tests how well ruxolitinib as a maintenance medication works to prevent relapse and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) for patients who have undergone stem cell transplantation for T-cell lymphoma. GVHD is a common problem that may occur after a blood stem cell transplant. The "graft" is the donor blood cells that patients get during the transplant. The "host" is the person receiving the cells. GVHD is when the donor graft attacks and damages some of the transplant recipient's tissues. Ruxolitinib is a type of drug called a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor which works by decreasing the immune response of cells in the body. It is also a cancer growth blocker that blocks the growth factors that trigger the cancer cells to divide and grow. Ruxolitinib works by blocking a gene, called JAK2, that is important in the production of cancer cells.

This phase II trial tests whether ruxolitinib works to shrink tumors in patients with T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemia. Ruxolitinib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.