According to new research, a patient’s gut microbiome prior to receiving a bone marrow transplant, can play a major role in the development and severity of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

The study, from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, was recently published in the journal Immunity.

Using various models, the research team identified bacteria that help instigate GVHD, and others that suppress it. Microbiome data from blood cancer patients who received bone marrow transplants suggested some of the same bacterial groups may also influence GVHD in people.

Read full article here.

For more information on managing graft-versus-host disease, watch this video.