Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) remains one of the most curative treatments for blood cancers, but its success is constrained by graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a condition in which donor immune cells attack the patient’s organs. Standard prevention relies on broad immunosuppression, which reduces GVHD but compromises immunity, increases infection risk, and can blunt the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect essential for preventing cancer relapse. A study now published in Blood describes a fundamentally different strategy: priming the recipient’s own immune system before transplant to create a more tolerant environment without dampening anti-tumor activity.

The team, led by senior author Robert Levy, PhD, at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, tested a protocol that

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