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Donor Lymphocyte Infusions

Clinical Applications and the Graft-vs-Leukemia Effect

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Stem Cell Transplantation for Hematologic Malignancies

Part of the book series: Contemporary Hematology ((CH))

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Abstract

Donor lymphocyte infusions (DLIs) have emerged as an effective strategy to treat patients who have relapsed after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (a11oSCT). The success of DLI in the induction of long-lasting remissions in some patients has provided the first direct evidence of the graft-vs-leukemia (GVL) effect. In the decade since the first reports of the use of DLI by Kolb and Slavin, the diseases that respond to DLI have been identified and efforts to further enhance the GVL response have been explored (1,2). The principle toxicity of DLI, graft-vs-host disease (GVHD), is now well recognized and strategies aimed at limiting this toxicity have been investigated. Finally, the demonstration that a profound antitumor effect can be mediated by the donor graft has led to the development of nonmyeloablative transplants, or minitransplants, that depend on the GVL response for success.

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Authors
  1. Edwin P. Alyea III MD
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Hematologic Malignancies, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Robert J. Soiffer MD

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Alyea, E.P. (2004). Donor Lymphocyte Infusions. In: Soiffer, R.J. (eds) Stem Cell Transplantation for Hematologic Malignancies. Contemporary Hematology. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-733-8_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-733-8_21

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-6588-5

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