The treatment of primary immunodeficiencies depends foremost on the nature of the abnormality. This may range from immunoglobulin replacement therapy in antibody deficiencies—in the form of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) or subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG)—to hematopoietic stem cell transplantationf(HSCT)or SCID and other severe immunodeficiences. Reduction of exposure to pathogens may be recommended, and in many situations prophylactic antibiotics may be advised. Virus-specific T-Lymphocytes(VST) therapy is used for patients who have received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation that has proven to be unsuccessful.It is a treatment that has been very useful in prevent and treating viral infections after HSCT. VST therapy uses active donor T-cells that are isolated from alloreactive T-cells (which have proven immunity against one or more viruses) that might cause graft-versus host disease.(GVHD) VST have been produced primarily by ex-vivo cultures and by the expansion of T-lymphocytes after stimulation with viral antigens. This is carried out by using donor-derived antigen-presenting cells.These new methods have reduced culture time to 10–12 days by using specific cytokines from adult donors or virus-naive cord blood.This treatment is far quicker and with a substantially higher success rate than the 3–6 months it takes to carry out HSCT on a patient diagnosed with a primary immunodeficiency.
- Badges
- Science topic