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Borje S. Andersson

Present Title & Affiliation

Primary Appointment

Professor, Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment

Professor of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Houston, TX

Research Interests

Over the last several years I have focused my research interest on 1) development of less toxic and more efficacious pretransplant conditioning therapy, and 2) improving our understanding of leukemic cell resistance to bifunctional DNA-alkylating agents. 

In reference to the first issue our group developed IV Busulfan, the first cytotoxic agent formulation ever to be approved by the FDA for use in pretransplant conditioning therapy.  Further, our combination of once daily IV Busulfan and Fludarabine has rapidly become a new national standard for pretransplant treatment for allogeneic stem cell transplantation for patients with myeloid malignancies.  We are now evaluating the systematic use of pharmacokinetically (PK)-guided busulfan delivery to further optimize systemic drug exposure to further improve the treatment. More recent developments include the incorporation of newer nucleoside analogs such as clofarabine in the pretransplant treatment programs.  The development of these new, reduced toxicity, conditioning programs has not only dramatically improved the safety of stem cell transplantation, but also serves as “platform technology” that allows incorporation and testing of new concepts such as e.g. post-transplant maintenance therapy for maintenance of remissions in high-risk patient populations.  

In reference to 2) the translational laboratory program includes studies of molecular mechanisms of inherent leukemic cell resistance to the alkylating agensts busulfan and cyclophosphamide in both human cell lines with experimentally-acquired resistance to these agents, and also studies of cell samples from patients treated on our clinical programs based on busulfan and cyclophosphamide.  We have identified a series of gene messages that are of importance for alkylating agent action, or lack thereof, in leukemic cells. The ultimate goal is to incorporate this newfound knowledge into the therapy, such that treatment failure due to cellular resistance to the pretransplant conditioning drugs can be avoided, either by using alternative, non-cross resistant drugs, or by the addition of agents that utilize cellular drug resistance mechanisms to instead trigger cell death.

Office Address

The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd.
Unit Number: 423
Houston, TX 77030
Room Number: FC5.3052

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

1981 Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, PHD, Medicine
1977 Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, MD, Medicine
1973 Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, MB, Medicine

Postgraduate Training

1981-1984 Fellow in Developmental Therapeutics, Division of Medicine, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
1979-1981 Resident in Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
1977-1979 Internship in Internal Medicine and Psychiatry, Karolinska Hospital and South Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
1977-1979 Internship in Internal Medicine, Surgery, Anesthesia and Family Medicine, Soderhamn Hospital, Soderhamn, Sweden

Board Certifications

1991 Medical Oncology (Sweden)
1987 Internal Medicine (BE)
1987 Internal Medicine (Sweden)
1987 Hematology (Sweden)

Experience/Service

Academic Appointments

Associate Medical Director, Stem Cell Processing Laboratory,, Department of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Division of Medicine, The Uni­versity of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 1990-present

Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities

Chairman, Conflict of Interest Committee, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2007-2010
Chair of the Faculty Senate, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2005-2006

Other Appointments/Responsibilities

Special Reviewer, Study Section for Orphan Products Development (OPD, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, MD, 1996-present

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Andersson BS, de Lima M, Thall PF, Madden T, Russell JA, Champlin RE. Reduced Toxicity Conditioning Therapy with Allo-SCT for Acute Leukemia. Current Opinion in Oncology Suppl 1:S11-5, 6/2009.
2. Ciurea SO, Andersson BS. Busulfan in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation 15(5):523-36, 2009.
3. Valdez BC, Murray D, Ramadas L, de Lima M, Jones R, Kornblau S, Betancourt D, Li Y, Champlin RE, Andersson BS. Altered gene expression in busulfan-resistant human myeloid leukemia. Leukemia Research 32(11):1684-1697, 2008.
4. Geddes M, Kangarloo SB, Naveed F, Quinlan D, Chaudhry MA, Stewart D, Savoie ML, Bahlis NJ, Brown C, Storek J, Andersson BS, Russell JA. High busulfan exposure is associated with worse outcomes in a daily i.v. busulfan and fludarabine allogeneic transplant regimen. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 14(2):220-28, 2008.
5. Andersson BS, de Lima M, Thall PF, Wang X, Couriel D, Korbling M, Roberson S, Giralt S, Pierre B, Russell JA, Shpall EJ, Jones RB, Champlin RE. Once daily i.v. busulfan and fludarabine (i.v. Bu-Flu) compares favorably with i.v. busulfan and cyclosphosphamide (i.v. BuCy2) as pretransplant conditioning therapy in AML/MDS. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 14(6):672-84, 2008.
6. Madden T, de Lima M, Thapar N, Nguyen J, Roberson S, Couriel D, Pierre B, Shpall EJ, Jones RB, Champlin RE, and Andersson BS. Pharmacokinetics of once daily IV busulfan as part of pretransplant preparative regimens; a comparison with an every 6 hour dosing schedule. Biol Blood Marrow Transpl 13(1):56-64, 2007.
7. de lima M, Champlin RE, Andersson BS. Treatment of AML / MDS with allogeneic hematopietic stem cell transplantation after IV busulfan-based conditioning therapy. Blood Marrow Transpl. Reviews 15:10-11, 2005.
8. de Lima M, Couriel D, Thall PF, Wang X, Madden T, Jones R, Shpall EJ, Shahjahan M, Pierre B, Giralt S, Korbling M, Russell JA, Champlin RE, Andersson BS. Once-daily intravenous busulfan and fludarabine: clinical and pharmacokinetic results of a myeloablative, reduced-toxicity conditioning regimen for allogeneic stem cell transplantation in AML and MDS. Blood 104(3):857-64, 2004.

Last updated: 8/21/2009