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Mesenchymal Stem Cells Show Promise for Severe Graft Versus Host Disease: Presented at ASH ORLANDO, FL -- December 14, 2006 -- Stem cell therapy with bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells appears promising to treat graft versus host disease (GvHD), researchers said at the 48th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). Katarina Le Blanc, MD, PhD, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues transfused mesenchymal stem cells into the gut and liver of a small boy with severe, refractory, life-threatening GvHD as a "last resort" treatment. To their delight, the researchers saw a "remarkable" anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory response, Dr. Le Blank said in a presentation on December 12th. It has been known for some time that bone marrow contains not only hematopoetic stem cells but also mesenchymal stem cells, which are the stem cells of connective tissue. These cells provide the stroma usually composed of connective tissue that hematopoetic stem cells live on in the bone marrow, and they also give rise to bone, cartilage, muscle, and connective tissue, Dr. Le Blanc explained. Mesenchymal stem cells also appear to have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects, and are proven to inhibit T-cell alloreactivity in vivo. Therefore, the GvHD characteristic of attacking the host body's cells is blocked by the injection of these stem cells. Spurred by the success of their first MSC infusion, Dr. Le Blanc and her colleagues gave varying doses of MSC derived from bone marrow to 52 patients with severe grades III or IV acute GVHD. The stem cells were donated from HLA-identical sibling donors, haploidentical donors, and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched donors. "The HLA match does not seem to be as important with mesenchymal cells as it does with hematopoetic stem cell transplantation," noted Dr. Le Blanc. Results were successful overall. No side effects were seen after infusion. Of the 40 patients treated, 19 had complete responses, nine showed improvement, 7 patients did not respond, 4 had stable disease, and 1 patient could not be evaluated due to short follow-up. In addition, 21 patients remain alive from 6 weeks to 3.5 years after MSC transplantation. "Mesenchymal stem cells have immunomodulatory and tissue repairing effects and should be further explored as treatment of severe acute GvHD in prospective randomized trials," Dr. Le Blanc said. [Presentation title: Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Treatment of Severe Acute Graft-Versus Host Disease. Abstract 753] E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version