Immunomodulation and pharmacological strategies in the treatment of graft-versus-host disease.
BACKGROUND
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation offers great promise for the treatment of a variety of diseases including malignancies and other diseases of hematopoietic origin. However, morbidity and mortality due to graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remain a major barrier to its application.


OBJECTIVE
This review will provide an overview of the pathophysiology of GVHD and discuss the recent advances in GVHD management in both preclinical and clinical studies.


METHODS
An extensive literature search on PubMed from 1995 to 2008 was performed.


CONCLUSIONS
There has been much progress in our understanding of GVHD and finding new means to control acute GVHD. While these approaches hold promise, as yet none has been able to replace the standard methods we may use routinely to decrease the incidence of the condition.
Li
Minghui
M
University of Nevada, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Mail Stop 199, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
Sun
Kai
K
Welniak
Lisbeth A
LA
Murphy
William J
WJ
D000208:Acute Disease; D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002465:Cell Movement; D016207:Cytokines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000637:transplantation; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D051379:Mice; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017893:Photopheresis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000637:transplantation
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D016207:Cytokines; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents