Gerard Vezon

A clinical-scale expansion of mobilized CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells by use of a new serum-free medium

BACKGROUND:  The autologous transplantation of CD34+ cells expanded ex vivo in serum‐free conditions dramatically reduces postmyeloablative neutropenia in myeloma patients. In our cell therapy unit, cells for this clinical assay have been expanded under GMP with serum‐free Irvine Scientific (IS) medium with stem cell factor (SCF), granulocyte–colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF), and megakaryocyte growth and development factor (MGDF; 100 ng/mL, respectively). Because this clinical‐grade IS medium is no longer available, a new serum‐free medium, Maco Biotech HP01 (Macopharma), was evaluated.

Whole-blood leukodepletion filters as a source of CD34+ progenitors potentially usable in cell therapy

BACKGROUND:  Used leukodepletion filters (LDFs), containing billions of white blood cells (WBCs), are discarded. Because the steady‐state blood contains low quantities of stem and progenitor cells that are retained in LDFs, the viability and the functional properties of mononuclear cells (MNCs) and CD34+ cells recovered from LDFs were investigated.

Autologous blood stem cell grafting in hematological malignancies. Present status and future directions.

Abstract It has been demonstrated that peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) are able to reconstitute hematopoiesis as well as bone marrow cells. This review discusses the possible advantages of PBSC transplantation over autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) including both the kinetics of hematopoietic reconstitution and the outcome of the patients following transplantation. The main advantage of PBSC transplantation is the very short aplastic phase observed after transplantation leading to a decrease of morbidity or even mortality. However, the administration of hematopoietic growth factors after bone marrow transplantation is followed by a reduction in the length of aplasia similar to that expected after PBSC transplantation. In patients with hematological malignancies, the risk of relapse seems to be equivalent after either PBSC transplantation or ABMT. Thus, the future place of PBSC transplantation must be further investigated.