UMGCC Research Program:
Experimental Therapeutics Program Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy
Education/Training:
Medical Degree:
Hacettepe University School of Medicine in Ankara, Turkey
Residency:
Hacettepe University School of Medicine in Ankara, Turkey
Fellowship:
Hacettepe University School of Medicine in Ankara, Turkey, Medical Oncology; Boston University Medical Center, Hematology and Oncology; Johns Hopkins Hospital, Bone Marrow Transplant
Certification:
Internal Medicine
Contact
Information:
Mailing Address:
UMMC, Room N9E12
Email:
gakpek@umm.edu
Phone:
410-328-1230
Fax:
410-328-1975
Research Interests:
At the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, I have responsibilities both as an attending physician and as a clinical cancer investigator with a primary focus on improving the outcome after allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplantation (BMT) in patients with otherwise incurable hematologic malignancies and bone marrow failure syndromes by implementing new trials. My primary research interest in BMT field relates to the development of novel approaches to the management of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), the predominant cause of morbidity and mortality following BMT. I am considered one of the experts in the field of GVHD based on my experience and previous work I have done during my tenure at Johns Hopkins Oncology Program prior to joining the faculty at UM.
A key component of our BMT program is implementing clinical trials to offer patients innovative therapies that arent commercially available. Working with the multi-disciplinary faculty of the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, I am responsible for supporting the development of such innovative clinical trials and the continued expansion of the autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation program.
I am also interested in finding new methods for the management of relapse state post-transplant, facilitating immune reconstitution to prevent (or to treat) life-threatening infectious complications seen after transplant, as well as exploring new conditioning regimens and sources of stem cell such as cord-blood transplant for the treatment of patients who have no available match donor (related or unrelated). CD34+ selected stem cell transplant, in vivo or in vitro T-cell depletion methods are parts of my clinical research interest to prevent severe GVHD and/or modify its course in mismatch transplant setting.
My other clinical research activities include non-transplant management of certain hematologic malignancies with special interest in the following diseases; AL-amyloidosis, cutaneous lymphoma/mycosis fungoides, Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, MDS/AML and aplastic anemia.
Publications: Akpek G*, Lee SM, Anders V, Vogelsang GB#. A high-dose pulse steroid regimen
for controlling active chronic graft-versus-host disease. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant.
2001;7(9):495-502.
Akpek G*, Ambinder RF, Piantadosi S, Abrams RA, Brodsky RA, Vogelsang GB,
Zahurak ML, Fuller D, Miller CB, Noga SJ, Fuchs E, Flinn IW, O'Donnell P, Seifter
EJ, Mann RB, Jones RJ#. Long-Term Results of Blood and Marrow Transplantation
for Hodgkin's Lymphoma. J Clin Oncol 2001 Dec 1;19:4314-21
Akpek G*, Vosburgh E, Colarusso T, Waraska K, Lerner A, Skinner M, Wright
DG, Comenzo RL#. Immune Reconstitution Following Autologous Blood Stem Cell
Transplantation (ABSCT) in Patients with AL-Amyloidosis (AL). Bone Marrow Transplantation
2001;28:1105-1109.
Akpek G*, Boitnott JK, Lee LA, Hallick JP, Torbenson M, Jacobsohn DA, Arai
S, Anders V, Vogelsang GB#. Hepatitic variant of graft-versus-host disease after
donor lymphocyte infusion. Blood 2002 Dec 1;100(12):3903-7
Akpek G*, Knight RD, Wright DG#. Use of oral mucosal neutrophil counts to
detect the onset and resolution of profound neutropenia following high-dose
myelosuppressive chemotherapy. Am J Hematol 2003, 72(1):13-9
Akpek G*, Chinratanalab W, Lee LA, Torbenson M, Hallick JP, Anders V, Vogelsang
GB#. Gastrointestinal involvement in chronic graft-versus-host disease: A clinicopathologic
study. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2003 Jan;9(1):46-51
Akpek G*, Lee SJ, Flowers ME, Pavletic Z, Arora M, Lee S, Piantadosi S,
Guthrie K, Lynch J, Horowitz MM, Antin JH, Weisdorf D, Martin P, Vogelsang GB#.
Performance of a new clinical grading in chronic graft-versus-host disease:
a multicenter study. Blood. 2003 Aug 1;102(3):802-9.
Rapoport AP*, Guo C, Badros A, Hakimian R, Akpek G, Kiggundu E, Meisenberg
B, Mannuel H, Takebe N, Fenton R, Bolanos-Meade J, Heyman M, Gojo I, Ruehle
K, Natt S, Ratterree B, Withers T, Sarkodee-Adoo C, Phillips GL, Tricot G#.
Autologous stem cell transplantation followed by consolidation chemotherapy
for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2004;34:883-90.
Balanos-Meade J*, Ioffe O, Hey JC, Vogelsang GB, Akpek G#. Lymphocytic pneumonitis
as the Manifestation of Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease of the Lung. American
Journal of Hematology 2005;79:132-135
Jain M*, Titanji R, Rappoport AP, Wang W, Gocke C, Cross A, Akpek G#. A
fatal Clostridium Infection in an Allogeneic Stem cell Transplant Recipient.
Bone Marrow Transplantation 2005;36:455-457
Pavletic SZ*, Martin P, Lee SJ, Mitchell S, Jacobsohn D, Cowen EW, Turner
ML, Akpek G, Gilman A, McDonald G, Schubert M, Berger A, Bross P, Chien JW,
Couriel D, Dunn JP, Fall-Dickson J, Farrell A, Flowers ME, Greinix H, Hirshfiled
S, Gerber L, Kim S, Knobler R, Lachenbruch PA, Miller FW, Mitteleman B, Papadopoulos
E, Parsons SK, Przepiorka D, Robinson M, Ward M, Reeve B, Rider LG, Schulman
H, Schultz KR, Weisdorf D, Vogelsanf GB#. Measuring Therapeutic Response in
Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease: National Institutes of Health Consensus Development
Project on Criteria for Clinical Trials in Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease:
IV. Response Criteria Working Group Report. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2006
Mar;12:252-66.
Book Chapters
Akpek G. Haematological Findings in Mycobacterial Infections Among Immunosuppressed
and Immunocompetent Patients. In Tuberculosis edited by M. Monir Madkour, Springer-Verlag,
Berlin Heidelberg, Germany, Chapter 14, pp. 213-231, 2004.
Akpek G*, Via CS, Vogelsang GB#. Clinical Spectrum and Therapeutic Approaches
to Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease. In Graft-Versus-Host Disease, Third edition,
Eds Ferrara JLM, Deeg HJ, and Parker C, Marcel Dekker Inc., New York, 2005.
