Collection of allogeneic peripheral blood stem cells

Circulating stem cells from healthy donors are increasingly used for allogeneic transplantation in patients with malignant lymphohaematopoietic disorders and solid tumours. Stem cells are collected by single or multiple aphereses following cytokine treatment. In the following, the effects of rhG-CSF on peripheral blood CD34+cell and subset concentrations are described, as well as rhG-CSF related side-effects observed in normal donors. Safety considerations regarding cytokine treatment of normal donors are listed. The stem cell apheresis technology and cell yields are presented. Finally, novel aspects of stem cell mobilization, including the use of Flt3 ligand and anti-VLA4/VCAM-1 antibodies, are discussed