Bone marrow transplantation: current controversies

The 1988 UCLA symposium on bone marrow transplantation (BMT) provided a comprehensive overview of the current position of this therapy in its widest sense. Major consideration was given to the role of BMT in the treatment of the acute and chronic leukaemias, with particular reference to the timing of this procedure in these disorders. The use of autologous grafting in haematological and non-haematological malignancy was discussed, and the results of BMT in aplastic anaemia and the inherited immune and metabolic diseases were presented. The prevention and therapy of the major post-transplant complications, cytomegalovirus interstitial pneumonitis and graft-versus-host disease, were the subject of lengthy deliberations as were the related topics of T cell depletion, graft-versus-leukaemia and the use of partially matched related or matched unrelated donors.