Bone marrow provides an environment that prevents suppression of therapeutic graft-vs.-tumor immunity by regulatory T cells

Oncoimmunology. 2013 Jul 1;2(7):e24659. doi: 10.4161/onci.24659. Epub 2013 Apr 30.

Abstract

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) can prevent graft-vs.-host disease as induced by the infusion of donor lymphocytes to cancer patients, but often they also suppress therapeutic antitumor immunity. We discuss an exception to this phenomenon, exemplifying how the milieu provided by the bone marrow may neutralize Tregs to allow local immune responses against cancer.

Keywords: bone marrow; graft-vs.-host disease; graft-vs.-tumor; lymphocyte infusion; regulatory T cell.