A serious condition where transplanted immune cells attack the recipient's healthy tissues. This occurs most commonly after bone marrow or stem cell transplants when donor T-cells recognize the patient's body as foreign.
Coined in the 1960s during early bone marrow transplant research, combining 'graft' (transplanted tissue) with 'versus' (against) and 'host' (recipient). The term literally describes the transplanted tissue fighting against its new home.
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