Glossary and Key Terminology

is a medical procedure where hematopoietic stem cells are transferred from a donor to a recipient. The term "allogeneic" refers to the fact that the donor and recipient are genetically different.

is any substance which triggers an immune response in the body.

are a type of white blood cell involved in making antibodies, which are soluble proteins that control infections and contribute to targeting infected or cancerous cells.

is the soft, fatty tissue in the bones in your body. Bone marrow contains cells that produce blood cells and platelets and it is responsible for making billions of new blood cells each day.

CARs have been created in the lab and are part T cell receptor and part antibody.  The antibody part enables cancer cells to be recognised better by T cells. 

is a gene editing technology that allows scientists to add, remove or alter DNA sequences at precise locations within the genome (it is the entire set of DNA instructions found in a cell).

is the quality of being toxic to cells and causing cell damage or cell death.

is an initial investigation to determine whether an intervention can be successfully integrated into everyday clinical practice. The study aims to identify any potential barriers to implementation and assess whether it is realistic to proceed with a larger-scale evaluation.

are different techniques to switch one DNA sequence for another.  This approach could be used to correct a faulty gene, help a gene produce more of a beneficial protein, or, conversely, prevent a gene from producing a harmful protein.

This results from detrimental immune responses that occur in some people after a stem cell transplant from another donor.  It can cause inflammation in different parts of the body.

This describes the process by which a donor immune system can 'reject' any remaining leukaemia cells in the patient after a transplant.  The immune cells that induce GVL are mainly T cells.

are rare cells found in the bone marrow that can make all types of blood cells.  During a stem cell transplant, enough HSCs have to be infused to ensure that blood can be made normally.

are proteins found on most cells in the human body that display short peptide fragments of cellular proteins to T cells. Cytotoxic T cells recognise peptide flags displayed on HLA proteins to identify cancer cells, cells that are infected with viruses, and other cells that don’t belong in your body, so that they can specifically target these cells and not healthy cells.  

In vivo studies are conducted within a living organism, like animals or humans, while in vitro studies are performed in a controlled laboratory environment outside of a living organism.

is a process of rebuilding the immune system from transplanted hematopoietic stem cells.

lowers the activity of the body’s immune system to prevent it from mistakenly attacking your healthy cells and tissues.

is a type of cancer affecting the white blood cells, which are immune system cells that fight infections and combat cancer. Leukaemia is characterised by abnormal cells growing uncontrollably. This growth takes place in the bone marrow where the body’s blood cells are made, and leukaemia cells are also found in the blood.

are one category of white blood cell. T cells, B cells and  natural killer (NK) cells are all lymphocytes. Lymphocytes play important roles in defending the body against infections and cancers.

is a term for a group of blood cancers in your lymphatic system, which collects excess fluid (lymph) from tissues and returns it to the bloodstream.  There are two main types of lymphoma — Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

are a type of blood cell that originates in the bone marrow. These cells develop into red blood cells, platelets and certain types of white blood cells.