Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy in Graft Versus Host Disease

Abstract Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is a common complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantion (HCT) and a major cause of posttransplant morbidity and mortality. Despite recent advancements in our knowledge regarding pathophysiology of GVHD, success in treatment has been limited. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have immunomodulatory and antiinflammatory properties that can be exploited for the prevention and treatment of GVHD, with established preliminary results in early-phase clinical trials. In this chapter, we briefly review HCT and GVHD, and evaluate the evidence for MSC therapy in GVHD.