PMID: 9164920Jun 1, 1997Paper

Inhibition of graft-versus-host disease. Use of a T cell-controlled suicide gene

The Journal of Immunology : Official Journal of the American Association of Immunologists
M HeleneA M Kaplan

Abstract

Graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. T cell depletion of the marrow graft, which is currently used to prevent GVHD, has been shown to result in increased graft failure and leukemia relapse. To explore the feasibility of controlling GVHD, transgenic mice with the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase suicide gene linked to the IL-2 promoter were used as a source of T cells to induce GVHD, which would be modulated with ganciclovir. Injection of herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase transgenic B10.A(5R) spleen cells into lethally irradiated DBA/2 mice resulted in severe acute GVHD. Treatment of the recipient mice with ganciclovir significantly inhibited GVHD-mediated weight loss and mortality and reduced the severity of inflammation in the target organs of GVHD.

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Antivirals (ASM)

Antivirals are medications that are used specifically for treating viral infections. Discover the latest research on antivirals here.

Antivirals

Antivirals are medications that are used specifically for treating viral infections. Discover the latest research on antivirals here.

Blood And Marrow Transplantation

The use of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or blood and marrow transplantation (bmt) is on the increase worldwide. BMT is used to replace damaged or destroyed bone marrow with healthy bone marrow stem cells. Here is the latest research on bone and marrow transplantation.