Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Acute Graft Versus Host Disease

Acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) is the most critical complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The understanding of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and the development of acute GVHD prophylaxis have contributed to decreasing the incidence of severe acute GVHD. However, these progresses expand the chance of receiving allo-HSCT from human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatched donor. In addition, the expanding of indication for allo-HSCT to elderly patients or patients with organ dysfunction by the pervasiveness of reduced-intensity conditioning is associated with increased risk of acute GVHD. Unexpectedly, severe refractory acute GVHD can occur even in allo-HSCT from HLA matched sibling donor. The first line therapy for severe acute GVHD is corticosteroid, but the second line therapy has not been established and the prognosis of steroid-resistant acute GVHD remains poor. Recently, the efficacy of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy for steroid-resistant acute GVHD has been consistently reported. MSCs are approved as a cell therapy drug for steroid-resistant acute GVHD in some countries. We here review the history and the future of MSC therapy for acute GVHD