Related Experiment Videos
Bone marrow purging for autologous bone marrow transplantation
1Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
Leukemia & Lymphoma
|January 1, 1993
Summary
High-dose therapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) is a key cancer treatment. However, purging residual tumor cells from harvested marrow to prevent relapse remains controversial, with no clinical trials yet comparing purged versus unpurged marrow efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Oncology
- Stem Cell Transplantation
Background:
- High-dose therapy followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) is a significant treatment for various cancers.
- ABMT offers advantages over allogeneic transplantation but faces challenges.
- The primary obstacle is the risk of disease relapse due to occult tumor cells in the transplanted marrow.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role and controversy surrounding purging of malignant cells from autologous bone marrow for transplantation.
- To highlight the need for clinical trials to assess the efficacy of purging methods.
Main Methods:
- Discussion of methods used to detect minimal residual disease in remission marrow (e.g., clonogenic assays, PCR).
- Overview of pharmacologic and immunologic purging techniques aimed at eliminating tumor cells while preserving hematopoietic stem cells.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests minimal malignant cells can be detected in remission marrow using sensitive assays.
- Purging techniques aim to remove these cells, but their clinical benefit is debated.
Conclusions:
- The efficacy of purging autologous bone marrow to improve disease-free survival is controversial.
- There is a lack of clinical trials comparing purged versus unpurged ABMT due to the large patient numbers required.