Factor VIII inhibitors: risk factors and methods for prevention and immune modulation

Patients with hemophilia A are deficient in coagulation Factor VIII. This bleeding disorder can be treated with Factor VIII replacement therapy, but close to a third of patients will be immunized to the treatment and begin to form inhibitory antibodies known as "inhibitors". These inhibitors will render the treatment ineffective and represent the most severe complication in the treatment of hemophilia A. In this review, we highlight factors involved in inhibitor development and emphasize research being done to modulate the immune response to this life-saving therapy.