Allogeneic stem cell transplantation with partial depletion of donor immune cells (T cells) is a good and safe treatment option for patients with haematological malignancies such as leukemia, concludes PhD-student Hanneke van der Straaten. After transplantation patients experienced less toxicity and the quality of life improved.
Depleting T-cells from the transplant may seem couterintuitive since these cells are supposed to clean the host from malignancies. However, T-cells also may cause graft-versus-host disease and attack the host. Van der Straaten proved that T-cell depleted transplants decreased the graft-versus-host risk while the chance of recurring malignancies remained the same.
Furthermore, Van der Straaten found a new marker to detect fibrosis in the skin of patients who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation. This fibrosis occurs when donor immune cells attack the skin cells of the patient after the transplantation. It is usually seen more than 3 months after transplantation and is called “cutaneous chronic graft-versus-host disease”. An antibody against B cells (one of the immune cells), is an effective treatment for patients with this cutaneous chronic graft-versus-host disease.
New insights into graft-versus-host disease and graft-versus-leukaemia
PhD-advisor: Prof. dr. Ph.G. de Groot
Co-advisor 1: Dr. R. Fijnheer
Co- advisor 2: Dr. L.F. Verdonck
31 March 2006 12:45 PM, Academiegebouw, Domplein 29, Utrecht