Poor graft function after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation—an old complication with new insights☆

Poor graft function (PGF), characterized by pancytopenia, is a life-threatening complication following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). PGF has become a growing obstacle that contributes to high morbidity and mortality after allo-HSCT, especially with the increasing use of haploidentical allo-HSCT, and clinical management 81870139, is challenging. Emerging evidence demonstrates that the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment plays a crucial role in maintaining and regulating hematopoiesis. Recent prospective case-control studies demonstrated that impaired BM microenvironments are involved in the pathogenesis of PGF. Moreover, in vitro treatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine, a reactive oxygen species scavenger, could enhance the defective hematopoietic stem cells by repairing the dysfunctional BM microenvironment of PGF patients. Consequently, a better understanding of the pathogenesis of PGF may guide effective therapy and eventually improve the prognosis of allo-HSCT. Here, based on new insights into the BM microenvironment in PGF patients, we provide an overview of the pathogenesis and promising treatment strategies for PGF patients.