1. ¹University Children's Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
2. ²University Children's Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany

Correspondence: Dr P Bader, University Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hoppe-Seyler-Strae 1, D-72070 Tübingen, Germany. E-mail: peter.bader@med.uni-tuebingen.de

Abstract

Summary:

Chimerism analysis has become an important tool for the peri-transplant surveillance of engraftment. It offers the possibility to realize impending graft rejection and can serve as an indicator for the recurrence of the underlying malignant or nonmalignant disease. Most recently, these investigations have become the basis for treatment intervention, for example, to avoid graft rejection, to maintain engraftment and to treat imminent relapse by pre-emptive immunotherapy. This invited review focuses on the clinical implications of characterization of hematopoietic chimerism in stem cell transplantation.