Extracorporeal photopheresis: how, why and for whom?

Extracorporeal photopheresis is a method of cell therapy that was developed and introduced into clinical practice of various specialties over 30 years ago but its mechanism of action, clinical application and the possibility of further modification are still on the minds of scientists around the world. Here we provide a review of the existing literature on the major critical aspects of the extracorporeal photopheresis technology as well as information on possible ways of modifying the method, the current understanding of its mechanism of effectiveness, the use in various diseases and pathological conditions and a list of possible side effects.