OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.~ARM I: Between 4 and 72 hours prior to start of HCT conditioning therapy, patients receive ustekinumab intravenously (IV). Beginning 8 weeks after receiving IV ustekinumab, patients receive ustekinumab subcutaneously (SC) on days 50 (+/- 5 days), 100 (+/- 7 days), and 160 (+/- 7 days) post-HCT in the absence of grade III-IV acute GVHD, disease relapse or unacceptable toxicity. NOTE: HCT infusion takes place on day 0.~ARM II: Between 4 and 72 hours prior to start of HCT conditioning therapy, patients receive a placebo IV. Beginning 8 weeks after IV placebo, patients receive a placebo SC on days 50 (+/- 5 days), 100 (+/- 7 days), and 160 (+/- 7 days) post-HCT in the absence grade III-IV acute GVHD, of disease relapse, or unacceptable toxicity. NOTE: HCT infusion takes place on day 0.~After completion of study, patients are followed up at 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months post-HCT.
This phase II trial studies how well ustekinumab works in preventing acute graft-versus-host disease after unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplant. Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can attack the body's normal tissues (called graft-versus-host disease). Giving ustekinumab after the transplant may help prevent acute graft-versus-host disease by controlling the body's immune response.