Donor lymphocyte infusion-mediated immune modulation (DLI)

Donor lymphocyte infusion is a cellular therapy procedure in which T lymphocytes from a previous stem cell or bone marrow donor are collected and infused into a patient who has relapsed following allogeneic transplantation. The goal is to boost the patient’s immune system—specifically leveraging donor T-cell–mediated immunity—to eliminate residual malignant cells via a graft-versus-leukemia/tumor effect. While this approach can induce remission in some patients with hematologic cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma, it carries significant risks including potentially severe graft-versus-host disease and bone marrow suppression. It is not itself a molecular target but rather an immunotherapeutic strategy that modulates host immunity using living donor-derived immune effector cells.

Other names

Donor lymphocyte infusionDonor leukocyte infusionBuffy coat infusionDLI-mediated immune response

DLI works by infusing donor-derived T lymphocytes into the recipient. These T cells recognize and attack residual malignant cells through an immune-mediated process known as the graft-versus-leukemia/tumor effect. The same mechanism can also target host tissues, leading to graft-versus-host disease.