From the Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation Section, Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
Author's disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Address reprint requests to A. John Barrett, MD, National Heart, Lung, and Blood, 10 Center Drive, Building 10 CRC, Room 3E5330, Bethesda, MD 20814; e-mail: barrettj{at}nhlbi.nih.gov
Overview: The graft-versus-leukemia effect observed after allogeneic stem cell transplantation remains the strongest evidence in humans that leukemia can be eradicated by T cells recognizing peptide antigens presented by MHC class I and II molecules on leukemia cells. Here we describe these leukemia-specific antigens and the T-cell responses to them, summarize current progress with leukemia vaccines, and explore the possibilities for combining vaccines with allogeneic stem cell transplantation to enhance graft-versus-leukemia effects.