The success of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) lies with the ability of the engrafting immune system to remove residual leukemia cells via a graft-versus-leukemia effect (GvL), caused either spontaneously post-HSCT or via donor lymphocyte infusion. GvL effects can also be initiated by allogenic mismatched natural killer cells, antigen-specific T cells, and activated dendritic cel...

The present review discusses the use of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for the treatment of diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM 1). It has been observed that high dose immunosuppression followed by HSCT shows better results among other immunotherapeutic treatments for the disease as the patients with adequate beta cell reserve achieve insulin independence. However, this resp...

Transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCT) has become the standard treatment for many patients with congenital or acquired disorders of the hematopoietic system or with chemo-radio or immuno-sensitive malignancies. HSCT has undergone rapid expansion over the past two decades. Despite the high cost and the complexity of the procedure, HSCT has developed in developing countries. The trans...

Conditioning regimens prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are often accompanied by a period of aplasia characterized severe neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia. Long-term antibacterial immunosuppressive therapy in patients with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) exacerbates depression. Colony-stimulating factors, erythropoietins, thrombopoietin receptor agonists used cor...

The induction of immune tolerance by specific agents, as opposed to general immune suppression, is a most desirable goal in transplantation biology. One approach to attain this goal is afforded by the use of donor-derived cells endowed with veto activity, which is the ability of a cell to specifically suppress only T cells directed against its antigens. A megadose of purified veto CD34(+) hemat...

In this issue of Blood, Touzot et al report that autologous gene therapy/hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for infants with X-linked severe combined immune deficiency (SCID-X1) lacking a matched sibling donor may have better outcomes than haploidentical (haplo) HSCT. Because gene therapy represents an autologous transplant, it obviates immune suppression before and after transplant...

Post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) adenovirus infections were identified in 31 of 204 consecutive pediatric HSCT patients, 18 of whom had severe manifestations of infection. Cidofovir treatment led to clinical improvement in 8 of 10 patients with severe infection and to virologic clearance in 9 patients. In vitro susceptibility to cidofovir was demonstrated in 12 clinical adeno...

BACKGROUND The incidence of symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is not well described, particularly with increased use of ambulatory care in the transplant setting. METHODS A retrospective analysis involving 589 patients (382 autologous HSCT, 207 allogeneic HSCT) undergoing transplantation between 2000 and 2005 in a single Canadian...

The chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is an unusual but important complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) rarely reported to date. We describe a 17-year-old woman with a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia due to Fanconi's anemia who was submitted to allogeneic HSCT and developed CIDP as part of graft-versus-host disease. Investigation showe...

High-dose chemotherapy with hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) has been investigated as a possible therapy in pediatric patients with brain tumors, particularly in patients with disease that is considered high-risk. In addition, the use of HSCT has allowed for a reduction in the dose of radiation needed to treat both average and high risk disease, with preservation of quality of lif...