Regulatory Dendritic Cells for the Prevention and Treatment of Graft-versus-Host Disease.

异基因骨髓移植(BMT)仍然是治疗多种恶性疾病，尤其是白血病患者的最有效的治疗方法。移植物抗宿主病(GVHD)发生时，新移植的骨髓(包括免疫系统)识别移植受者为异体，并对患者组织发动免疫攻击。移植物抗宿主病是骨髓移植的主要并发症，是接受这一手术的患者中多达一半死亡的原因。这些研究将集中于一种新定义的白血类型，称为调节性树突状细胞，以预防这种并发症，并避免要求骨髓移植患者服用抑制其免疫系统的药物。

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) remains the most effect curative treatment for patients with a number of malignant conditions, especially leukemia. Graft-versus-Host Disease (GVHD) ocurrs when the newly transplanted bone marrow (which includes the immune system) recognises the transplant recipient as foreign and mounts an immune attack against patient tissues. GVHD is the major complication of BMT and is responsible for the death of up to half of the patients who receive this procedure. These studies will focus on the ability of a newly defined type of white blood called a regulatory dendritic cell to prevent this complication and avoid the requirement for BMT patients to take drugs that suppress their immune system.