Grant: CIHR Fellowship

For many Canadians with cancer and immune disorders the only cure is a bone marrow transplant. One of the biggest obstacles to a successful transplant is the occurrence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). Chronic GVHD occurs when the newly transplanted immune system turns against its host's body and attacks organs. The biological mechanisms responsible for cGVHD are not well understood. Chronic GVHD has many features in common with inherited immune deficiencies and autoimmune diseases. The dysfunction of B cells, a type of immune cell that produces antibodies, are known to play a prominent pathological role in these diseases. We believe that the production of normal new B cells is suppressed in the bone marrow of patients with cGVHD after bone marrow transplant leading to the emergence of a population of dysfunctional B cells that attack the host. By better understanding the properties of this population, we will be able to develop better treatments and preventative strategies for cGVHD, improving the success of bone marrow transplant in curing many devastating diseases.