Bone marrow transplantation for therapy in autoimmune disease

A variety of clinical and experimental reports have shown the interdependence between bone marrow and autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases can be transferred as well as cured by bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The widespread application of this therapeutic approach is limited today by the morbidity and mortality associated with BMT, including failure of engraftment, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and the toxicity from lethal conditioning approaches. Mixed chimerism (with the advantage of superior immunocompetence of the host and a relative protection against GVHD) can be achieved with incomplete ablation conditioning regimens. BMT may provide a potential strategy to treat those autoimmune diseases for which today only symptomatic treatment is available.