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Double Whammy Cytokine Hit Stops Transplant Side Effects
A new way to target graft-versus-host disease
Article via LabRoots
Patients who receive bone marrow or stem cell transplants are offered the gift of a new lease of life. However, sometimes the body rejects this gift with potentially catastrophic consequences. A study by researchers at UC Davis Health describes a potential antidote to this phenomenon of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD).
Blocking the activity of two inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF) offered superior protection against GvHD compared to existing clinical approaches to resist the condition.
In GvHD, residual donor immune cells within the donated tissue recognize the host’s tissue as foreign, launching a relentless attack against the recipient’s organs. This immune cell activation unleashes a cytokine storm, a hyperinflammatory state which can have potentially lethal consequences in the recipient of the donor tissue. These side effects are of particular concern to cancer patients and those with certain blood disorders who routinely receive bone marrow transplant therapies. For these patients, the constant threat of GvHD significantly limits the therapeutic benefit of these transplants.
A research team led by William Murphy honed in on IL-6 and TNF as potential targets for disarming…
