Circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in chronic and late acute graft-versus-host disease in children

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) is a major long-term complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) resulting in high levels of morbidity and mortality post-HSCT [1]. Mitochondrial  DNA (mtDNA) is a rich source of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), the only endogenous source of Toll‐like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonists resembling bacterial DNA [2], triggering pro‐inflammatory signaling pathways [3] on TLR9+ monocytes, macrophages, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, NK c ells, and B cells [4–6].
Source: Experimental Hematology - Category: Hematology Authors: Tags: Brief Communication Source Type: research