Related Experiment Videos
Geographical considerations regarding donor leukocyte infusions for the treatment of relapsed hematological
1Division of Cancer Biology Research, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, Toronto, Canada. spaner@src1.sunnybrook.utoronto.ca
Infusion of donor leukocytes, to provoke graft-versus-host disease and a graft versus leukemia effect, is remarkably effective in the treatment of some forms of relapsed hematological malignancies after transplantation of allogeneic stem cells. In this commentary I argue that the variable susceptibility of tumor cells to donor leukocyte infusions can be predicted on the basis of their localization to the T cell areas of secondary lymphoid organs and the amount of donor chimerism in the patient. This conclusion leads to the hypothesis that it may be possible to modulate graft-versus-leukemia reactions in a controlled and predictable fashion.
Infusion of donor leukocytes, to provoke graft-versus-host disease and a graft versus leukemia effect, is remarkably effective in the treatment of some forms of relapsed hematological malignancies after transplantation of allogeneic stem cells. In this commentary I argue that the variable susceptibility of tumor cells to donor leukocyte infusions can be predicted on the basis of their localization to the T cell areas of secondary lymphoid organs and the amount of donor chimerism in the patient. This conclusion leads to the hypothesis that it may be possible to modulate graft-versus-leukemia reactions in a controlled and predictable fashion.