[Novel autograft method using positive selection of CD34 stem cells]

High dose chemotherapy with autologous blood stem cell rescue becomes widely used for patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Recently, it has been demonstrated that stem cells characterized by the CD34 antigenic marker could be positively selected using an anti CD34 monoclonal antibody and an avidin biotin immunoabsorption device. We report our experience of twelve selections and ten grafts. A CD34+ cells enrichment of 1.9 log (purity: 72%) and a CFU-GM cells concentration of 1.6 log have been obtained. In ten transplanted patients, the hematological recovery was similar to that obtained with non selected blood stem cells. The CD34+ cells purification allows mini graft infusion and purge of residual tumor cells implicated in relapse after autologous stem cells transplantation.