We aim to predict personalized patient response and side effects to allo-HSCT using clinical characteristics data and features of their intestinal microbiome. Specifically, we seek to understand how the human gut microbiome interacts with the immune system and influences infection and GVHD risk. To do so, we are conducting a prospective cohort study at the University Hospital Basel, following allo-HSCT patients and their response to treatment over 180 days. Ultimately, we hope to use this knowledge to design preventative measures to prevent and mitigate allo-HSCT side effects.
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is the only effective treatment for certain blood cancers and disorders. This is a life-saving, but dangerous procedure, with a high occurrence of side effects including infection and graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD). Numerous individual patient factors determine patient response to allo-HSCT, including intestinal microbiome composition. The intestinal microbiome is expected to influence immune system activity after allo-HSCT, but these details are yet unclear. We hypothesize that a personalized mixture of host, transplant, and microbial factors underpin the currently unpredictable risk of GVHD and infection following allo-HSCT.
