Graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) is a major complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), manifesting as either acute GVHD (aGVHD) or chronic GVHD (cGVHD). aGVHD results from a donor T-cell–mediated attack on an immunocompromised host, whereas cGVHD mimics autoimmune diseases. Both forms lead to injury in host organs, with aGVHD primarily targeting the skin, the liver, and the gastrointestinal (GI) system; however, cGVHD can target most organ systems.1,2 The development of GVHD is influenced by multiple risk factors, including the use of unrelated or human leukocyte antigen–mismatched donors and peripheral blood stem cell sources.3,4
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The best strategy to mitigate the complications of GVHD is prevention, using both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic methods….