Present results and perspectives of allogeneic non-myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for treatment of human solid tumors

Several clinical observations have confirmed that a donor immune-mediated anti-malignancy effect, called graft-versus-leukemia or graft-versus-tumor, occurs following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. While the potential antitumor effect mediated by donor lymphocytes has been established in many hematological malignancies, its efficacy in inducing clinically meaningful responses in solid tumors has been largely unexplored despite evidence of its potential benefit in experimental animal models. Only in recent years has the investigational application of non-myeloablative stem cell transplantation in patients with refractory non-hematological cancers proved that a graft-versus-tumor effect can be generated in patients with metastatic renal cell cancer and possibly with other solid tumors. In the present article we review the biological basis, development and early clinical results of this novel immunotherapeutic approach for solid tumors.