title: The chemokine system in allogeneic stem-cell transplantation: a possible therapeutic target?
abstract: Further improvements in allogeneic stem-cell transplantation will probably depend on a better balance between immunosuppression to control graft-versus-host disease and immunological reconstitution sufficient to ensure engraftment, reduction of infection-related mortality and maintenance of post-transplant antileukemic immune reactivity. The chemokine network is an important part of the immune system, and, in addition, CXCL12/CXCR4 seem to be essential for granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-induced stem-cell mobilization. Partial ex vivo graft T-cell depletion based on the expression of specific chemokine receptors involved in T-cell recruitment to graft-versus-host disease target organs may also become a future therapeutic strategy; an alternative approach could be pharmacological inhibition (single-receptor inhibitors or dual-receptor inhibitors) in vivo of specific chemokine receptors involved in this T-cell recruitment. Future clinical studies should therefore be based on a better characterization of various immunocompetent cells, including their chemokine receptor profile, both in the allografts and during post-transplant reconstitution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Guro Kristin
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Melve
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ersvssr
authors.forename: Astrid Olsnes
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Kittang
authors.forename: Oystein
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bruserud
mesh_terms: D018925:Chemokines / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor