Published online Nov 27, 2014. doi: 10.5496/wjmg.v4.i4.105
Revised: July 11, 2014
Accepted: August 27, 2014
Published online: November 27, 2014
Processing time: 234 Days and 22.6 Hours
It is well known that to achieve an acceptable engraftment and survival in stem cell therapy, an human leukocyte antigens (HLA) identical stem cell transplant is strongly required. However, the availability of the HLA matched donors even among family members is extremely limited, so preimplantation HLA typing provides an attractive practical tool of stem cell therapy for children requiring HLA matched stem cell transplantation. The present experience of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for HLA typing of over one thousand cases shows that PGD provides the at-risk couples with the option to establish an unaffected pregnancy, which may benefit the affected member of the family with hemoglobinopathies, immunodeficiencies and other congenital or acquired bone marrow failures. Despite ethical issues involved in preimplantation HLA typing, the data presented below show an extremely high attractiveness of this option for the couples with affected children requiring HLA compatible stem cell transplantation.
Core tip: Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) identical stem cell transplant is the key in achieving an acceptable engraftment and survival in stem cell therapy. However, the availability of the HLA matched donors even among family members is extremely limited, so preimplantation HLA typing provides an attractive practical tool of stem cell therapy for children requiring HLA matched stem cell transplantation.