Neonatal sex and weight influence CD34(+) cell concentration in umbilical cord blood but not stromal cell-derived factor 1-3'A polymorphism.

Background: Umbilical cord blood (UCB) has been used as an alternative source of donor hematopoietic stem cells for hematologic transplant setting over the past decade. This study attempted to evaluate potential predictors of cord blood quality.

Methods: A total of 750 UCB samples were studied (male, n = 365; female, n = 385).

A novel procedure to improve functional preservation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in cord blood stored at +4°c before cryopreservation.

During storage and transportation of collected cord blood units (CBUs) to the bank prior to their processing and cryopreservation, it is imperative to preserve the functional capacities of a relatively small amount of cells of interest (stem and progenitor cells) which are critical for graft potency. To improve CBU storage efficiency, we conceived an approach based on the following two principles: (1) to provide a better nutritive and biochemical environment to stem and progenitor cells in CB and (2) to prevent the hyperoxygenation of these cells transferred from a low- (1.1%-4% O2 in the CB) to a high-oxygen (20%-21% O2 in atmosphere) concentration.

Definitive setup of clinical scale procedure for ex vivo expansion of cord blood hematopoietic cells for transplantation.

We recently developed a clinical grade ex vivo cord blood expansion procedure enabling a massive amplification of hematopoietic progenitors without any loss of stem cell potential. This procedure, based on day 14 liquid cultures of cord blood CD34(+) cells, in medium Macopharma HP01 and in the presence of stem cell factor (SCF; 100 ng/ml), fms-related tyrosine kinase 3-ligand (Flt-3L; 100 ng/ml), megakaryocyte growth and developmental factor (MGDF; 100 ng/ml), and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF; 10 ng/ml) had to be modified due to the commercially unavailability of clinical grade MGDF molecule. So MGDF was replaced by thrombopoietin (TPO) in fivefold lower dose (20 ng/ml), and culture time was reduced to 12 days.

Clinical-scale cultures of cord blood CD34(+) cells to amplify committed progenitors and maintain stem cell activity.

We developed a clinical-scale cord blood (CB) cell ex vivo procedure to enable an extensive expansion of committed progenitors--colony-forming cells (CFCs) without impairing very primitive hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). CD34(++) cells, selected from previously cryopreserved and thawed CB units, were cultured in two steps (diluted 1:4 after 6 days) in the presence of stem cell factor (SCF), fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt-3L), megakaryocyte growth and development factor (MGDF) (100 ng/ml each), granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) (10 ng/ml) in HP01 serum-free medium. HSC activity was evaluated in a serial transplantation assay, by detection of human cells (CD45, CD33, CD19 and CFC of human origin) in bone marrow (BM) of primary and secondary recipient NOD/SCID mice 6-8 weeks after transplantation.

Thrombopoietin to replace megakaryocyte-derived growth factor: impact on stem and progenitor cells during ex vivo expansion of CD34+ cells mobilized in peripheral blood.

Background: The first protocol of ex vivo expansion that enabled almost total abrogation of postmyeloablative chemotherapy neutropenia was based on a three-cytokine cocktail (stem cell factor [SCF], granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor [G-CSF], pegylated-megakaryocyte growth and development factor [PEG-MGDF]) in a serum-free medium. Since the clinical-grade molecule MGDF is no longer available on the market, we evaluated its substitution by thrombopoietin (TPO).

Study Design And Methods: CD34+ cells of myeloma patients were expanded for 10 days in serum-free cultures with SCF, G-CSF, or MGDF (100 ng/mL) or with TPO (2.

CD34(+) progenitors are reproducibly recovered in thawed umbilical grafts, and positively influence haematopoietic reconstitution after transplantation.

Cord blood (CB) units are increasingly used for allogeneic transplantation. Cell dose, a major factor for CB selection, is evaluated before freezing by each CB bank, using various techniques. This may introduce variability and affect the prediction of cell recovery after thawing, or haematopoietic reconstitution.

Large-scale expansion and transplantation of CD34(+) hematopoietic cells: in vitro and in vivo confirmation of neutropenia abrogation related to the expansion process without impairment of the long-term engraftment capacity.

Background: Herein are reported the results obtained in all multiple myeloma patients transplanted with peripheral blood hematopoietic progenitor cells submitted to ex vivo expansion.

Study Design And Methods: Patients had blood progenitor cell mobilization with cyclophosphamide and filgrastim. CD34+ cells were expanded for 10 days in a medium containing granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), stem cell factor, and megakaryocyte growth and development factor (MGDF).

A clinical-scale expansion of mobilized CD 34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells by use of a new serum-free medium.

Background: The autologous transplantation of CD 34+ cells expanded ex vivo in serum-free conditions dramatically reduces post-myeloablative 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 HP 01 (Macopharma), was evaluated.

Whole-blood leuko-depletion filters as a source of CD 34+ progenitors potentially usable in cell therapy.

Background: Used leuko-depletion 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 CD 34+ cells recovered from LDFs were investigated.

Study Design And Methods: WBCs were recovered from LDFs by use of a closed system.

Simultaneous maintenance of human cord blood SCID-repopulating cells and expansion of committed progenitors at low O2 concentration (3%).

In the present work, we tested the hypothesis that liquid cultures (LCs) of cord blood CD34+ cells at an appropriate low O2 concentration could simultaneously allow colony-forming cell (CFC) expansion and nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency mice-repopulating cell (SRC) maintenance. We first found that 3% was the minimal O2 concentration, still allowing the same rate of CFC expansion as at 20% O2. We report here that 7-day LCs of cord blood CD34+ cells at 3% O2 maintain SRC better than at 20% O2 and allow a similar amplification of CFCs (35- to 50-fold) without modifying the CD34+ cell proliferation.

Comparison of CD34+ cell collection on the CS-3000+ and Amicus blood cell separators.

Background: Mobilized PBPCs, detectable on the basis of CD34 expression, can be collected on various cell separators. The CD34+ cell collection efficiencies of two cell separators (CS-3000+ and Amicus, Baxter) were tested on two comparable groups of oncology patients.

Study Design And Methods: Leukapheresis assisted by the standard manufacturer's software and variables settings was performed in 37 (CS-3000+) and 34 (Amicus) patients (total of 83 and 67 collections, respectively) after chemotherapy plus G-CSF treatment.

A comparison of toxicity following two different doses of cyclophosphamide for mobilization of peripheral blood progenitor cells in 116 multiple myeloma patients.

High-dose cyclophosphamide (HDC) has been shown to be an effective regimen for collecting PBPC in multiple myeloma (MM) patients, but the optimal dose to be used remains controversial. Two historical cohorts of MM patients who received G- or GM-CSF and HDC at the dose of either 7 g/m(2) (HDC7, n = 74) or 4 g/m (HDC4, n = 42) were compared. As patients in the HDC4 group were more likely to have received G-CSF than GM-CSF (P < 10(-3)) and fewer previous alkylating agents (P = 0.

Allogeneic transplantation for patients with advanced acute leukemia: a single center retrospective study of 92 patients.

Allogeneic transplantation is a well recognized treatment strategy of leukemia. However, its use in advanced leukemia patients is a subject of some debate especially when donors are not HLA-identical siblings because of the toxicity and cost of the procedure. We reviewed retrospectively the outcome of patients (pts) who received allogeneic transplantation for advanced acute leukemia in our center between 09/86 and 11/97.

Abrogation of post-myeloablative chemotherapy neutropenia by ex-vivo expanded autologous CD34-positive cells.

We show that absolute and severe neutropenia after high-dose therapy with melphalan with or without total body irradiation can be abrogated by cells generated ex vivo. This may change the clinical practice of haematopoietic cell transplantation and high-dose chemotherapy because the morbidity and hospitalisation associated with neutropenia could be avoided or reduced.

Factors influencing haemopoietic recovery following chemotherapy-mobilised autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation for haematological malignancies: a retrospective analysis of a 10-year single institution experience.

We retrospectively analysed the factors that influenced rate of haemopoietic recovery (HR) in 243 patients after transplantation with chemotherapy-mobilised autologous peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC). Approximately half the patients also received haemopoietic growth factors (HGF) for mobilisation. Conditioning for transplantation was with either chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy plus total body irradiation (TBI).

[Viral attenuation of labile blood products].

Viral inactivation is one of the possibilities to reduce the residual risk of blood products. It is now applied to all plasma derived products (PDP). Application of such techniques to labile blood products (LBP) is difficult for two main reasons: any method should inactivate cell-associated viruses and should avoid any injury of the cells constituting the active ingredient.

Progesterone and insulin-resistance in the pregnant rat. I. In vivo and in vitro studies.

The effects of pregnancy, progesterone treatment and of progesterone added in vitro on insulin-resistance have been assessed in rat adipocytes and hemidiaphragms. In progesterone treated female rats, the steroid antagonized in vivo the hypoglycemic effect of intravenously injected porcine insulin; the same results were obtained when the steroid was injected at the same time as insulin and there was no lag period between its appearance in the blood and its effect on blood glucose levels. Such a rapid effect differs from the generally accepted scheme for steroidal mode of action.

Progesterone and insulin-resistance: studies of progesterone action on glucose transport, lipogenesis and lipolysis in isolated fat cells of the female rat.

The effects of progesterone on isolated rat adipocytes were studied in vitro during various steps of glucose metabolism, transport, lipogenesis and lipolysis. Progesterone decreased the phosphorylation of glucose into glucose-6-phosphate as assessed by measuring the uptake of 2-deoxyglucose but it had no effect on transmembrane transport of glucose as determined by measuring the entry of 3-0-methylglucose into the cell. As glucose phosphorylation is a rate-limiting step of the pentose-phosphate pathway, these data could explain the inhibition of lipogenesis and the enhancement of lipolysis observed when progesterone is present in incubation medium.