Donor Lymphocyte Infusion (DLI)

Donor Lymphocyte Infusion (DLI) is a medical treatment where immune cells from a donor are given to a patient who has previously had a stem cell or bone marrow transplant. The goal is to boost the patient’s immune system to fight remaining cancer cells, especially in cases like leukemia or lymphoma. DLI can help prevent relapse or treat a relapse after transplant. The infused cells are carefully matched to reduce rejection risks. While effective, DLI can also cause side effects, including graft-versus-host disease, where the donor cells attack the patient’s healthy tissues.