Prophylactic Donor Lymphocyte Infusion to Prevent Relapse after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

Donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) has been used to treat disease relapse after stem cell transplantation, but high incidence of graftversus-host disease (GVHD) after traditional DLI, and low response rates with robust relapse in acute leukemia have limited its wide application. Nonetheless, the promising graft versus leukemia effect elicited by DLI makes it a viable option, especially in the state of minimal residual disease after stem cell transplantation. Prophylactic donor lymphocyte infusion has been explored as a more tolerable, less toxic and efficacious option to prevent relapse. This review will summarize the results of the latest prophylactic DLI studies, and discuss our ongoing prophylactic DLI clinical trial after T cell depleted stem cell transplantation in patients with high risk hematologic malignancies.