Mesenchymal stromal cells for treatment of steroid-refractory GvHD: a review of the literature and two pediatric cases.

ABSTRACT: Severe acute graft versus host disease (GvHD) is a life-threatening complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) play an important role in endogenous tissue repair and possess strong immune-modulatory properties making them a promising tool for the treatment of steroid-refractory GvHD. To date, a few reports exist on the use of MSCs in treatment of GvHD in children indicating that children tend to respond better than adults, albeit with heterogeneous results.We here present a review of the literature and the clinical course of two instructive pediatric patients with acute steroid-refractory GvHD after haploidentical stem cell transplantation, which exemplify the beneficial effects of third-party transplanted MSCs in treatment

SUBMITTER: Wernicke CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3169455 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature