Open AccessExtracorporeal Photopheresis in Graft-versus-Host Disease
Author(s) -
Beatrice Drexler,
Andreas Buser,
Laura Infanti,
Gregor Stehle,
Joerg Halter,
Andreas Holbro
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
transfusion medicine and hemotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.971
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1660-3818
pISSN - 1660-3796
DOI - 10.1159/000508169
Subject(s) - extracorporeal photopheresis , medicine , photopheresis , leukapheresis , graft versus host disease , immunosuppression , clinical trial , extracorporeal , refractory (planetary science) , intensive care medicine , disease , immunology , surgery , stem cell , physics , biology , astrobiology , cd34 , genetics
Background and Summary: Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is a leukapheresis-based procedure used in the therapy of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD, cGvHD) and other diseases. Based on the substantial efficacy and the excellent safety profile in the absence of immunosuppression ECP has established itself as a major treatment form for steroid-refractory GvHD. Here we review the current literature on ECP as a treatment option for patients with aGvHD as well as cGvHD. Key Messages: ECP is a well-established second-line therapy for cGvHD. Its role in the treatment of aGvHD is less clear but also points towards an effective second-line therapy option. In the future ECP could play a role in the prevention of GvHD. More experimental and randomized controlled trials are needed to define the best patient selection criteria, settings, and therapy regimens for GvHD.