| Abstract: |
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) can be curative for hematologic malignancies. As a result of receiving preparative treatments for HSCT (“conditioning”) involving high-dose chemotherapy with/without total body irradiation (TBI), patients become profoundly immunocompromised and prone to opportunistic infections while awaiting donor immune reconstitution. These infectious risks, coupled with other complications including graft rejection, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and disease relapse have been the main obstacles to HSCT success. Recent advances in transplant immunology, supportive care and management of complications, and reduced toxicity conditioning have made HSCT an increasingly efficacious curative modality. More recently, immunotherapy is extending the curative potential of harnessing the immune system against cancer, with the goal of reducing the toxicities normally associated with conventional HSCT. © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. |
