Novel approaches to the treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) continues to be the major problem in long-term survivors of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplants and is the principal cause of morbidity and non-relapse mortality. Over the past twenty years, diagnosis, prophylaxis and treatment of cGvHn have slow ly evolved. An effective therapy for cGvHD is designed to prevent complicat ions through targeting the disease mechanisms. None of the present therapie s for cGvHD are successful in the majority of patients. Conventional drugs in different combinations can control the disease in approximately 50% of p atients. Attempts tc, improve survival have led to evaluation of several al ternative approaches in the treatment of refractory cGvHn with varying degr ees of success. Clinical trials are needed to establish the role of these n ew approaches in the treatment of cGvHD as First line or salvage therapy wi thout causing significant side effects. This review summarises the currentl y available knowledge on conventional and new treatment approaches for cGvH D.