Recent advances in the pathophysiology and treatment of GVHD

Junichi Sugita1

  • 1Department of Hematology, Sapporo Hokuyu Hospital, 6-5-1 Higashisapporo 6-Jo, Shiroishi-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 003-0006, Japan. sugitaj@med.hokudai.ac.jp.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains a major complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Recent biological insights have led to a reevaluation of GVHD. It is now recognized not merely as a donor-derived immune attack, but as a complex disease characterized by the disruption of tolerance in target tissues and abnormal immune reconstitution. Therapeutic approaches are shifting from broad, nonspecific immunosuppression toward mechanism-based targeted therapies, active management of immune reconstitution, and biomarker-based risk stratification. To optimize patient outcomes, it is essential to incorporate these evolving pathophysiological mechanisms and new therapeutic strategies into clinical practice.

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