Around 55,000-60,000 bone marrow transplants are performed worldwide each year, but a common complication known as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) affects more than half of these patients. GVHD occurs when donor cells attack healthy cells in the recipient’s body. Statins, a popular class of cholesterol-lowering drugs, have been found to potentially alter immune function. Some previous studies have suggested that statin treatment for donors could reduce the incidence of GVHD in recipients who also take certain immunosuppressive drugs. To further investigate this, Dr. Marco Mielcarek and his team conducted two prospective studies and found that long-term statin treatment in donors reduced GVHD incidence in recipients who also took a specific immunosuppressant called cyclosporine (CSP).
GVHD prevention typically involves recipients taking immunosuppressive medications, which can have toxic and infection-related side effects. Using statins as a short-term treatment for donors before transplantation could offer an innovative way to prevent GVHD without subjecting recipients to the toxicity of long-term immunosuppressive drugs. Pre-clinical studies have shown that statin treatment can alter T cell function and reduce inflammation, both of which can decrease the likelihood of GVHD. The retrospective analyses by the Mielcarek group further supported the potential benefits of statin use in donors. The prospective studies aimed to investigate the impact of short- or long-term statin treatment on GVHD occurrence in two recipient groups: those taking CSP and those who were not.
