Transplant reaction reversed in patients

From Orlando, Fla., at a meeting of the American Society of Hematology

Patients with leukemia get a fighting chance when they receive a transplant of bone marrow cells from a healthy donor. Unfortunately, immune cells from these new arrivals can run amok in the recipient, creating a life-threatening complication called graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

Last year, scientists in Sweden trying a new approach to reverse severe GVHD in 16 patients reported some early success (SN: 12/24/05, p.