Review Article

Clinical Application of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment and Prevention of Graft-versus-Host Disease

Table 1

MSC for treatment of adult GVHD.

RefPhaseNo. of ptsGVHD typeGVHD locationMSC source
(no of doses)
MSC dose
(×106 cells/kg,
median (range))
No of doses/pt
(no of pt)
Time from Tplt
(days, median (range))
Time from GVHD sx/dx
(days, median (range))
Clinical responseTRMRelapsed dzMorbiditySurvival (after transplant)

[25]Pilot/I7Acute (6):
III (5),
IV (1).
Chronic (1):
extensive.
S (1).
G (1).
S/G (3).
BM: MF (2),
haplo (3),
MM (3)
1.2
(0.6–2)
1 (6).
2 (1).
136.5
(32–283)
23
(7–90)
aGVHD (6):
CR (5), NR (1).
cGVHD (1): NR.
NA1 from aGVHD groupInfection (2)aGVHD: Alive (5), 2–36 mo;
dead (2): 9 mo. cGVHD: dead (1), 12 mo.

[27]*II30Acute (55):
II (5),
III (25), IV (25).*
S (3), H (1),
G (6).
S/G (15),
H/G (7),
S/H (4).
S/H/G (19).*
BM: MF (5),
haplo (18),
MM (69).*
1.4
(0.4–9)*
1 (27),
2 (22),
3 (4),
4 (1),
5 (1).*
103
(27–533)*
NAaGVHD (30):
CR (13), PR (5),
SD (1), PD (11).
1-yr from MSC:
CR 37% (95% CI: 19–55%),
non-CR 72% (95% CI: 55–89%),
P = 0.002.*
3 from aGVHD group*EBV PTLD (1).*
development of extensive cGVHD (2).
Est. 2-yr survival: 26%
(95% CI: 10–42%)

[28]Pilot/I3Acute (3):
III (3).
G (1),
S/G (1),
S/H/G (1)
BM: haplo (3)0.51
(0.32–2)
1 (3)120
(96–158)
92
(76–136)
aGVHD (3):
NR (3).
NANoneInfection (1).aGVHD: dead (3),
177, 178, 199 days.

[29]Pilot/I4Chronic (4):
extensive.
Sclerodermatous (4).BM: MM (23).1.8
(1.0–2.0)
× 107 total cells/dose
4 (2),
7 (1),
8 (1).
13.8
(4.5–37.3) months
NAcGVHD (4):
PR (4).
NANoneNAcGVHD: alive (4),
4.6–23 mo.

[30]I/II18Acute (10):
II (3),
III (2),
IV (5).
Chronic (8):
limited (1),
extensive (7)
G (8),
S/G (5),
S/M (1),
G/M (1).
S/H/G (3),
BM: MF (4),
haplo (14).
1.0
(0.2–2.9)
1 (6),
2 (7),
3 (1),
4 (4).
NANAaGVHD (10):
CR(1) PR(6) NR(3)
cGVHD (8):
CR(1) PR(3) NR(4)
NA2 from aGVHD group.aGVHD group: infection (5),
VOD (1).
aGVHD: alive (1), dead (9).
cGVHD: alive (5), dead (3).

[31]Pilot/I13Acute (13):
III (2), IV (11)
G (2),
S/G (1),
S/H (2),
H/G (5),
S/H/G (3).
BM: MM (all).0.9
(0.6–1.1)
1(1). 2(8)
3(2). 4(1)
5(1).
41
(20–91)
16
(4–31)
aGVHD (13):
CR (1), PR (1),
MR (5), NR (6).
NANAInfection (3).aGVHD: alive (4), 185–692 days;
dead (9).

[32]Pilot/I6Acute (6):
III (2),
IV (4).
H (1),
S/H (2),
S/G (2),
S/H/G (1).
Adipose: haplo (2),
MM (4).
1.0171
(65–243)
38.5
(7–58)
aGVHD (6):
CR (5), NR (1).
NA1 from aGVHD groupNo major infections reported.aGVHD: alive (4), 18–90 mo;
dead (2), 0.5, 13 mo.

[33]II31De novo acute (31):
II (21),
III (7),
IV (3).
S (13),
G (11),
multiorgan (7).
BM: MM
(all Prochymal)
15 pts received dose of 2.0.
16 pts received dose of 8.0.
2NAwithin 48 hrs of diagnosisaGVHD (31):
CR (24), PR (5).
NAaGVHD (3)Infection (18)aGVHD at 90 days:
alive (22), dead (9).

Notes: *data from entire study including pediatric and adults.
GVHD locations: S: skin, H: hepatic, L: lung, G: gut. M: musculoskeletal.
Type of MSC: BM: bone marrow. Haplo: haploidentical donor. MF: HLA-identical family member. MUD: matched unrelated donor. MM: HLA-mismatched donor.
Clinical response: CR: complete response, PR: partial response, MR: minimal response, NR: no response. SD: stable disease. PD: progressive disease.