A Phase II, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of OTI-010 in Subjects Who Receive HLA-Identical Sibling Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation for Hematologic Malignancies

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed diagnosis of 1 of the following hematologic malignancies: * Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, meeting 1 of the following criteria: * In first or second remission * In early first or second relapse\* * Acute myeloid leukemia, meeting 1 of the following criteria: * In first or second remission * In early first or second relapse\* * Chronic myelogenous leukemia * Chronic or accelerated phase * Any of the following myelodysplastic syndromes: * Refractory anemia (RA) * RA with ringed sideroblasts * RA with excess blasts NOTE: \*\< 24% marrow blasts and \< 5% peripheral blood blasts (within 10 days of beginning conditioning regimen) * No secondary acute leukemia * Prior CNS tumor involvement allowed provided patient is asymptomatic and there is no evidence of CNS disease on lumbar puncture and CT scan of the brain * Must have a 6/6 HLA-identical sibling donor available PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 to 55 Performance status * Karnofsky 70-100% Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * Not specified Hepatic * Bilirubin \< 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * SGOT \< 10 times ULN * Hepatitis B core antigen, surface antigen, and e-antigen negative * Hepatitis B DNA negative * Hepatitis C RNA negative Renal * Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min Cardiovascular * LVEF ≥ 50% by MUGA or echocardiogram * No right sided heart failure Pulmonary * FEV_1 \> 50% of predicted * DLCO ≥ 50% of predicted (corrected for anemia) * Oxygen saturation ≥ 97% on room air * No pulmonary hypertension Immunologic * HIV-1 and 2 antibody negative * HIV-1 antigen negative * HTLV-I and II antibody negative * No active infection Other * CNS function normal * No uncontrolled alcohol or substance abuse within the past 6 months * No other concurrent underlying medical condition that would preclude study participation * Not pregnant * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use 2 effective methods of contraception PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * No prior allogeneic or autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation * No concurrent medication to accelerate neutrophil or platelet engraftment except filgrastim (G-CSF) Chemotherapy * Not specified Endocrine therapy * Not specified Radiotherapy * Not specified Surgery * No prior solid organ transplantation Other * More than 30 days since prior investigational agents or devices * No other concurrent investigational agents or devices * No concurrent anti-infective therapy except prophylactic therapy * No other concurrent conditioning regimen agents * No concurrent herbal remedies except multivitamins * No other concurrent graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis medications (e.g., ursodeoxycholic acid)