Figure 5. Modified ECP therapy for acute GvHD.

Modified ECP therapy was performed as treatment for acute GvHD induced by C57BL/6→BALB/c bone marrow transplantation. ECP cells were isolated from wild type B6 spleens and treated with 8-Methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) and UV-A light. Treated cells were injected 4 times in C57BL/6→BALB/c transplanted GvHD mice at weekly intervals starting from day 1 after BMT. For each therapeutic injection, 8-MOP/UV-A treated cells were used either in low concentration of 1×10⁶ cells (---▪) or in high concentration of 5×10⁶ (···○) cells. Control animals (—♦) were transplanted simultaneously and injected with PBS only at therapeutic time points. Therapeutic impact and GvHD severity were analyzed by comparing survival rates (A), clinical GvHD symptom score (B) and weight loss (C).