The project objectives aim to develop novel concepts of individual-based medicine, which challenge the current strategies of donor selection and concepts of stem cell therapy . TRANS-NET will train the next generation of scientists in novel clinically relevant parameters using state of art techniques necessary for the potential implementation of individual-based medicine. Research results and concepts developed during TRANS-NET will contribute to other transplant-related specialties such as solid organ transplantation .

Optimisation of HSCT requires a greater scientific understanding of the biological and molecular mechanisms involved in the underlying disease process as well as the transplant procedure itself. Furthermore the biological and molecular differences between donor and host influence the success of the transplant, including immune responses following conditioning, influx of donor cells, chimerism and engraftment.

The success rate of allogeneic HSCT, as measured by survival at 5 years has remained at the 40-60% level for over two decades, due to post transplant complications, including infectious episodes, relapse, secondary malignancies and GvHD. Matched unrelated donor (MUD) transplants would be more widely performed if the HLA matching between patient and donor could be less stringently applied without giving rise to the current increased rate of complications. Breakthroughs in controlling and or eliminating these complications, including controlling GvHD and promoting GvL, would aid in the wider use of allogeneic HSCT. More appropriate donor selection based on functional genomics and biological indicators would allow more individually tailored therapy and would improve outcome of HSCT with regard to long-term immunosuppression and related morbidities.

Current transplant success rates are held back by inappropriate clinical protocols due to a lack of basic knowledge on mechanisms of GvL and or GvHD responses. By individual transplant patient and donor assessment and predicting responses to both transplant and GvHD therapy new clinical protocols can be developed and current clinical protocols improved. In its acute form GvHD gives rise to significant mortality and morbidity. Debilitating chronic (cGvHD), lasting months or years, is on the increase due to the increased use of matched unrelated donor (MUD) transplants and peripheral blood stem cell ( PBSC ) transplants instead of bone marrow. New transplant strategies, reducing acute transplant related mortality have allowed transplants to be carried out in older recipients (60-65 years). cGvHD is therefore an increasing problem in older patients, affecting the quality of life and morbidity and a major challenge to current and future clinical strategies.