Sean R. Stowell, MD

Brigham And Women's Hospital

Academic Titles

Associate Professor, Pathology, Harvard Medical School

Research Program Affiliation

Member, Cancer Immunology

Research Abstract

Transfusion support of patients with neoplastic disease represents a fundamental aspect of cancer care. Indeed, the vast majority of blood products utilized in hospitals are directed toward the transfusion support of patients with neoplastic disease. Given the significant blood exposure cancer patients can experience, many patients can develop an alloimmune response to transfused blood products that may not only make it difficult to find compatible blood products for future transfusions, but can also increase transfusion complications and make identification of compatible stem cells for bone marrow transplantation more difficult to obtain. Despite these challenges, surprisingly little is known regarding the factors that regulate the development of alloantibodies following transfusion or the factors that regulate the consequences of transfusion in previously alloimmunized patients. In order to more fully define immune pathways that govern alloimmunization following blood product transfusion, our research program has developed a wide variety of transfusion models designed to recapitulate key features of alloimmunization following red blood cell or platelet transfusion. In doing so, our group has sought to identify key immunological nodes that may be targeted to reduce alloantibody formation following allogenic blood product exposure in an effort to increase the safety and efficacy of transfusion therapy in patients with neoplastic disease.