T Cell Depletion for Leukemia

This phase II trial tests how well removing CD45RA positive naive T cells works to prevent graft versus host disease in older patients undergoing standard of care allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for the treatment of acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is when healthy cells are collected from a donor and infused into a patient to help the patient's bone marrow make more healthy cells and platelets and help destroy any remaining cancer cells. Giving chemotherapy and total-body irradiation before a stem cell transplant helps kill cancer cells in the body and helps make room in the patient's bone marrow for new blood-forming cells (stem cells) to grow. Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can attack the body's normal cells (called graft-versus-host disease). Removing the T cells from the donor cells before the transplant may stop this from happening. Giving CD45RA positive naive T cell depleted allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant may prevent graft versus host disease while treating acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome in older adults.