Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells Technologies

According to a new study, removing one type of T cell from donor blood used for stem cell grafts could greatly reduce a serious complication called graft-versus-host disease in patients with leukemia

In  this study reports that only 7% of leukemia patients who received stem cell transplants depleted of naïve T cells developed chronic graft-versus-host disease, or GVHD, as compared to the 30% to 60% rate with standard of care treatment.

It's also striking that almost no steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease was seen in our patients.

For patients with leukemia and other blood diseases, transplantation of hematopoietic stem cell  from a healthy donor can rebuild the body's blood manufacturing system. But this life-saving treatment also comes with risks. Stem cell grafts, which are collected from either the bone marrow or circulating blood, contain T cells that can cause GVHD by attacking host tissues.

Acute GVHD typically occurs within 100 days after transplantation and tends to affect the skin, liver and gastrointestinal tract. Chronic GVHD usually develops later than the acute form and can affect many organs. This persistent version of the disease can be more difficult to treat, often requiring prolonged immunosuppression and reducing patient quality of life or causing death.

Removing all T cells from a graft prior to transplantation can reduce GVHD, but this approach is a double-edged sword. Previous studies found that patients were at higher risk of leukemia relapse or death because T cells also are important for killing cancer cells and fighting infections.

After chemotherapy patients received the naïve T cell-depleted graft.

 These patients are doing exceedingly well compared to those who received different treatment approaches reported in other studies suggesting that naïve T cell depletion could be a broadly applicable strategy to reduce GVHD and improve outcomes.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220110184837.htm