Vorinostat, Tacrolimus, and Methotrexate in Preventing GVHD After Stem Cell Transplant in Patients With Hematological Malignancies

This pilot phase II trial studies how well giving vorinostat, tacrolimus, and methotrexate works in preventing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after stem cell transplant in patients with hematological malignancies. Vorinostat, tacrolimus, and methotrexate may be an effective treatment for GVHD caused by a bone marrow transplant.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To assess the safety and the feasibility of the addition of vorinostat to tacrolimus and methotrexate GVHD prophylaxis. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine day 100 grades 2-4 acute GVHD. II. To determine 1-year overall survival and relapse-free survival. III. To correlate plasma concentrations of inflammatory markers of acute GVHD. IV. To correlate protein acetylation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells before and after administration of vorinostat. OUTLINE: Patients receive vorinostat orally (PO) twice daily (BID) on days -10 to 100. Beginning on day -3, patients receive tacrolimus intravenously (IV) continuously or PO BID (or cyclosporine IV continuously or PO in patients unable to tolerate tacrolimus) with taper on days 100-180.Patients also receive methotrexate IV once daily (QD) on days 1, 3, 6, and 11. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up periodically for 1 year.