Cells. 2022 Nov 2;11(21):3463. doi: 10.3390/cells11213463.

Simon Reider ^1 2, Lukas Binder ³, Stefan Fürst ³, Stefan Hatzl ^4 5, Andreas Blesl ³

Author information

¹Christian Doppler Laboratory for Mucosal Immunology, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4020 Linz, Austria.

²Department of Internal Medicine 2 (Gastroenterology and Hepatology), Faculty of Medicine, Kepler University Hospital, Johannes Kepler University, 4020 Linz, Austria.

³Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria.

⁴Intensive Care Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria.

⁵Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria.

Abstract

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is widely used in benign and malignant hematological diseases. During the last decade, HSCT, mainly autologous, also gained increasing attention in the treatment of refractory autoimmune diseases. Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory bowel disease leading to transmural inflammation potentially affecting all parts of the luminal gastrointestinal tract. Despite improving therapeutic options, including various biologics, some patients are refractory to all lines of available conservative therapy, leading to increased morbidity and reduced quality of life. Apart from surgery, HSCT might be a reasonable treatment alternative for refractory CD patients. This review aims to describe the current role of HSCT in CD and discusses the procedure, the correct patient selection, the clinical efficacy from initial remission to following relapse rates, and complications of this treatment.