Safety and efficacy of mesenchymal stromal cell therapy for multi-drug-resistant acute and late-acute graft-versus-host disease following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

This multicenter study presented data about the use of adipose or umbilical derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) as an add on to conventional pharmaceutical management, comparing steroid-refractory late acute GVHD (aGVHD) with aGVHD. Researchers demonstrated that MSC therapy is safe, without any adverse events. In the aGVHD group, 10.9% had complete response (CR), 23.9% had partial response (PR), and 65.2% had no response (NR). In the late aGVHD group, 23.3% had CR, 36.7% had PR, and the remaining 40% had NR. In addition, the cumulative incidence of non-relapse mortality at 2 years follow-up was significantly lower in the late aGVHD group (40% [95% CI: 25%-62%]) vs the aGVHD group (71% [95% CI: 59%-86%]; p = 0.032).