Prolonged immunodeficiency after allogeneic bone marrow
transplantation results in significant morbidity and mortality from infection. A number of strategies to
enhance immune reconstitution post-transplant are being explored.
In vivo imaging techniques, such as bioluminescence imaging (BLI)
and positron emission tomography (PET) allows the study of growth and migration of selected cell populations in a single animal over time.
Donor T cells play a pivotal role in graft-versus-tumor (GVT) activity and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after HSCT. Although alloantigens are omnipresent in the recipient, GVHD is limited to a few organs (liver, intestines, and skin), and this selectivity is poorly understood.
Graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) is a serious complication of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, and donor T cells are indispensable for GVHD. Current therapies have limited efficacy, selectivity, and high toxicities.
