[Expectation of cell therapy in the 21st century]

The era of stem cell transplantation is now moving from PBSCT to umbilical cord blood transplantation. In compensate demerits of those therapies, another new way would be found for the next generation. For instance, utilization of more immature stem cells with multi potential hematopoietic activity, combined transplantation of functional lymphocytes like natural killer cells for prevention of GVHD, effective introduction of HSV-tk gene, standardization for cell processing, and establishment of international cooperative center for cell processing. We will be needed to consider the genome therapy in the next century.