[Peripheral stem cells: from biology to therapy]

The tumor cells' response to more aggressive treatment has been shown in many different malignancies with various drugs, as alkylating agents, antimetabolites and anthracyclines. The use of high-dose chemotherapy is limited by especially haematological toxicity. Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is now used to prevent or decrease haematological toxicity induced by intensive chemotherapy. Stem cells can be harvested using bone marrow or peripheral blood. In both cases recombinant human growth factors (G-CSF, GM-CSF, IL3) have been administrated to decrease marrow aplasia duration after transplant. Peripheral blood stem cell autograft seems to be the first transplantation technique in patients with bone marrow hypocellularity induced by previous irradiation and/or neoplastic involvement.