Description

Presented in collaboration with Be The Match BioTherapies®

The session will review the current understanding of the role of the intestinal microbiota in modeling the ABO phenotype and some important immune functions. Microorganisms from the gut flora may produce enzymes such as glycosidases that cleave the A and B antigens which could be applied to convert to type O blood. Gut microflora may also have important function in modulating the immune system and determine patient outcome during organ and cell transplantation rejection and/or graft versus host disease.

Learning Objectives:

• Review current graft engineering strategies to promote immune tolerance following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
• Review the latest developments on the understanding of the role of the intestinal microbiome in immune tolerance induction
• Review the latest research development in the role of the diversity of intestinal microbiome in preventing graft versus host disease following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Speaker(s):

• Dr. Jonathan S. Bromberg, MD, PhD, University of Maryland School of Medicine
• Dr. Marcel R. Van Den Brink, MD, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Dr. Albert Yeh, MD, University of Washington/Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center