Therapeutic effects of non-preconditioning allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation on acute radiation injury

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the therapeutic effects of non-preconditioning allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) on acute radiation injury.

Methods

Irradiated mice were randomly divided into six groups, i.e., the control group, the irradiation group, and groups treated with transplantation at 0, 4, 8, and 12 ​d post-irradiation, with 10 mice in each group. The survival rates, graft versus host disease (GvHD), and chimerism of the mice in various groups were assessed.

Results

The maximum 60 ​d survival rate of mice treated with non-preconditioning allo-HSCT at 0, 4, and 8 ​d after 6.5 ​Gy radiation increased to 70% and 80%, respectively, significantly higher than that of mice that did not undergo non-preconditioning allo-HSCT (50%; P < 0.05). The survival rate of mice undergoing non-preconditioning allo-HSCT at 12 ​d after radiation no longer significantly decreased. No pronounced GvHD was observed in the mice. The mice treated with non-preconditioning allo-HSCT at 0, 4, 8, and 12 ​d post-radiation exhibited chimerism rates of 80.53%, 92.75%, 80.46%, and 80.87%, respectively, at 56 ​d post-transplantation. At 28 ​d after non-preconditioning allo-HSCT, the donor-derived fluorescent cells in recipient mice increased significantly (P ​< ​0.05).

Conclusions

This study will fill the gap in the field of radiation medicine and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) by addressing challenges that hinder the application of traditional HSCT, such as donor shortage, toxicity of preconditioning chemotherapy, the occurrence of GvHD, and the administration of post-transplantation immunosuppressants. The results would provide theoretical value and application prospects for research on radiation medicine and HSCT.