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Stem cell autograft and allograft in autoimmune diseases

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Abstract

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by an insufficiency of immune tolerance and, although treated with a number of useful drugs, may need more unconventional therapeutic strategies for their more severe presentations. Among such unconventional therapeutic approaches, stem cell autograft and allograft have been used, with the aim of stimulating disease remission by modifying the pathogenic mechanisms that induce anomalous responses against self-antigens. Autologous transplantation is performed with the purpose of retuning autoimmune cells, whereas allogeneic transplantation is performed with the purpose of replacing anomalous immune effectors and mediators. In this article, we comprehensively review up-to-date information on the autoimmune diseases for which the transplantation of stem cells is indicated.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by the “5 × 1,000” voluntary contribution and by a Grant (GM) from the Italian Ministry of Health (RC1201ME04, RC1203ME46, RC1302ME31 and RC1403ME50) through Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Internal Medicine and Chronobiology Unit, IRCCS Scientific Institute and Regional General Hospital “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza,” Opera di Padre Pio da Pietrelcina, San Giovanni Rotondo (FG), Italy. The authors would like to thank George Anderson of CRC Scotland & London for English editing services.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, IRCCS Scientific Institute and Regional General Hospital “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza”, San Giovanni Rotondo, FG, Italy

    Angelo De Cata, Angela Matarangolo & Michele Inglese

  2. Division of Internal Medicine and Chronobiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, IRCCS Scientific Institute and Regional General Hospital “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza”, San Giovanni Rotondo, FG, Italy

    Rosa Rubino & Gianluigi Mazzoccoli

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  1. Angelo De Cata
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  2. Angela Matarangolo
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Correspondence to Angelo De Cata or Gianluigi Mazzoccoli.

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De Cata, A., Matarangolo, A., Inglese, M. et al. Stem cell autograft and allograft in autoimmune diseases. Clin Exp Med 16, 13–20 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10238-014-0330-5

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