Prophylactic foscarnet for human herpesvirus 6: effect on hematopoietic engraftment after reduced intensity conditioning umbilical cord blood transplantation

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a valuable alternative for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). However, delayed engraftment, graft failure, and increased risk for opportunistic infections remain major challenges when considering this donor source. Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) reactivation occurs in the majority of UCB recipients.1-3 Thus, UCB recipients are a particularly vulnerable population for HHV-6 viremia and post-transplant complications with severe sequelae such as delayed hematopoietic recovery, graft failure, and limbic encephalitis.
Source: Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation - Category: Hematology Authors: Source Type: research