Circulating stem cells - waxing hematopoietic

Article Abstract:

A new technique for regenerating blood cells in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy shows promise. Up until recently, it was thought that blood-forming cells were only found in bone marrow. However, it was discovered that they are found in small numbers in circulating blood as well. Early attempts at harvesting cells from leukemia patients for later transplant succeeded in regrowing blood cells, but because many cells were leukemic, the patients died of a recurrence of leukemia. By 1986, improvements had been made in stimulating the mobilization of blood-forming cells, their collection, and their reinfusion. However, large quantities of blood must be filtered to obtain sufficient numbers. Recently, a study found that filtering a relatively small quantity of blood and culturing the cells in the laboratory to increase their numbers was equally feasible. Further refinements of this technique may replace filtering the blood or harvesting bone marrow, the main techniques in use today.

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Reconstitution of hematopoiesis after high-dose chemotherapy by autologous progenitor cells generated ex vivo

Article Abstract:

Culturing blood-forming cells may prove to be a superior technique for reestablishing a normal blood cell population in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. After two cycles of chemotherapy, ten patients were given a factor that stimulates blood-cell formation. Blood was filtered to obtain the progenitor cells, which were then cultured. A third cycle of chemotherapy three weeks later was followed 24 hours later by intravenous infusion of the patient's own cultured cells. Nine out of ten patients made a rapid recovery in the number of circulating blood cells. The tenth patient died of overwhelming infection resulting from lack of white blood cells. Conventionally, large volumes of blood are filtered to obtain sufficient numbers of cells. The culturing technique allows regeneration from relatively few cells. This greatly reduces the amount of blood that is required, which is likely to reduce the number of cancerous cells that are re-infused along with the blood-forming cells.

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Pure red-cell aplasia associated with clonal expansion of granular lymphocytes expressing killer-cell inhibitory receptors

Article Abstract:

Pure red-cell aplasia may be caused in some cases by white blood cells with killer-cell inhibitory receptors. These receptors on the white blood cells prevent the cells from killing other cells that have specific membrane proteins called HLA class I molecules. Physicians report the case of a 56-year-old man hospitalized with severe anemia. He was diagnosed with pure red-cell aplasia, which is characterized by a lack of red blood cells. He also had very high blood levels of white blood cells with the killer-cell inhibitory receptors. Because his red blood cells did not have HLA class I molecules, the white blood cells destroyed the red blood cells.

Health aspects, Causes of, Killer cells, Pure red cell aplasia

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