Welcome
This European Cooperation in Science & Technology (COST) Action built a cross-disciplinary network of chronic GvHD experts across Europe, to provide lasting resources for clinical teams, industry partners, patients and public groups.
The European COoperation in Science & Technology (COST) action CA17138 brought together Chronic Graft versus Host Disease (cGvHD) experts and patients, aiming to link translational research groups, clinical teams and industry partners throughout Europe to enable a breakthrough in scientific developments, leading to new concepts for improving the survival and quality of life of transplant patients.
Introduction to the Action
Our Action has led to an improved understanding of the pathogenesis of cGvHD, its biomarkers and its associated comorbidities.
Our community of patients, researchers and clinicians developed a coordinated approach to improve therapy and clinical trials. We built patient-centered projects and strengthened European research and innovation through collaboration.
Meet our working groups
Epidemiology
The development of an epidemiological platform on cGvHD within EUROGRAFT is a novel approach tounderstanding the disease incidence and associated comorbidities. Results of the analysis will enablea deeper understanding of the incidence of the disease and enable additional data to be included in current European wide databases for use in future clinical trials.
Biomarkers
This Working Group will assess the type and amount of biomarker information which is currently available in the literature and assess those which are worthy of further validation and study.
Socioeconomics/Quality of life
CGvHD is a long term complex disease which has several co-morbidities and as such impacts on the quality of life of patients. By studying the societal impact of the disease via documented quality of life assessments, including reduced working days due to hospital stays, EUROGRAFT will allow an improved assessment of the burden on society of cGvHD at both the individual and European level.
NIH Consensus
The NIH consensus criteria needs to be implemented uniformly if diagnosis and treatment of
cGVHD is to be optimized. The aim of this Working Group will be to aid in both the understanding and
implementation of the NIH Consensus via Training Schools and workshops.
Immunotherapy
Patients with cGvHD (30-50%) can become refractory to standard therapy, new treatment options and the assessment of current novel therapies are urgently needed to improve the long term outcome and quality of life. In this Working Group the Action will bring together experts in cGVHD and clinical trial development, especially in the realm of cellular therapies with the aim of developing concepts for new approaches including personalized approaches to therapy.
