Biological therapies in bone marrow transplantation

Biological materials are increasingly being utilized in bone marrow transplants. Alpha interferon is given post autotransplants, in an attempt to eradicate residual cancer cells. Colony stimulating factors (granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor: GM-CSF and granulocyte colony stimulating factor: G-CSF) are widely used after bone marrow transplants to accelerate bone marrow recovery. Their use has been associated with fewer infections, shorter hospital stay and lower procedural costs. Both these factors benefit some patients with graft failure as well. The recent demonstration that both GM-CSF and G-CSF can mobilize large numbers of haematopoietic stem cells into the peripheral blood has resulted in the widespread use of peripheral blood stem cell transplantation as an alternative to autologous bone marrow transplantation. Identification of tumour cells in the mobilized peripheral blood stem cells, however, has raised some concern.