Quantitative problems in bone marrow transplantation by peripheral blood stem cells

Investigation into radiation bone marrow aplasia in mice, guinea pigs, dogs and clinical trials in man presented clear evidence of successful engraftment of autologous or allogeneic peripheral blood stem cells. The quantitative donation problems are discussed arising with the use of continuous cytopheresis to obtain a sufficient quantity of peripheral blood mononuclears (stem cells) for repopulation of aplastic bone marrow. Although bone marrow repopulation is possible by using peripheral blood mononuclears (stem cells) in individual cases, the method can only be used in practice after discovering an appropriate stimulator able to augment several times the number of bone marrow stem cells in the peripheral blood, or a new method for stem cell multiplication in vitro.