How can irradiating blood components prevent transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease?

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Blood transfusion — blood transfusion Depiction of a direct blood transfusion performed in 1882.

Transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurs when donor lymphocytes are transfused into an immune-compromised recipient who is unable to eliminate them. Once inside the recipient, these donor cells can proliferate and attack the patient's liver, skin, and gastrointestinal tract.1

To prevent this, blood components are treated with irradiation using at least 3,000 rads of X-rays. This process effectively damages the DNA of the donor leukocytes, which prevents them from reproducing or proliferating within the recipient's body, thereby stopping the development of the disease.1