Graft engraftment

Graft engraftment is the process through which transplanted hematopoietic stem cells (typically following bone marrow or blood stem cell transplants) home to the recipient’s bone marrow, survive, proliferate, and then restore normal blood cell production. It signifies a major milestone in post-transplant recovery, marked by the gradual increase and normalization in blood cell counts (white cells, red cells, platelets). Successful engraftment rebuilds the immune system but is associated with risks such as infection, graft failure, and in some settings, graft-versus-host disease. Engraftment is monitored via laboratory blood counts and sometimes genetic chimerism analyses. Failure to engraft or delayed engraftment increases morbidity and may require further therapeutic intervention.

Other names

engraftmentstem cell engraftmenthematopoietic cell engraftment