The biology of allogeneic hematopoietic cell resistance

At the most basic level, success of an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) procedure relies upon the engraftment of recipients with donor hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that will generate blood formation for the life of that individual. The formula to achieve durable HSC engraftment involves multiple factors including the recipient conditioning regimen, the nature of the genetic disparity between donor and recipient, and the content of the hematopoietic graft. Animal and clinical studies have shown that the biology of host resistance is complex, involving both immune and nonimmune elements. In this article, we review the factors that contribute to host resistance, describe emerging concepts on the basic biology of resistance, and discuss hematopoietic resistance as it relates specifically to patients with severe combined immunodeficiencies (SCID)- disorders that bring unique insights into the dynamics of cell replacement by allogeneic HSCs and progenitor cells.