Successful mobilization, intra-apheresis recruitment, and harvest of hematopoietic progenitor cells by addition of plerixafor and subsequent large-volume leukapheresis.

Background: In patients failing successful conventional mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) plerixafor (Mozobil(®)) seems to be an alternative. We report a series of 14 patients with multiple myeloma or NHL successfully mobilized and harvested by plerixafor together with large-volume leukaphereses (LVL).

Methods: In a first series (GI), 5 patients were mobilized with G-CSF and plerixafor.

Direct volumetric flow cytometric quantitation of CD34+ stem and progenitor cells.

Objectives: In this study, we compared a classic single-platform (SP) method applying beads for enumeration of CD45+ or CD34+ cells with a new device allowing direct volumetric measurements of stem and progenitor cells.

Background: Following apheresis and cyropreservation, the precise enumeration of CD34+ cells as key parameter of graft quality is mandatory for the clinical course after transplantation. Currently, flow cytometry with SP technique represents the 'gold standard' for such determinations.

Heterodimerization of TLR2 with TLR1 or TLR6 expands the ligand spectrum but does not lead to differential signaling.

TLR are primary triggers of the innate immune system by recognizing various microorganisms through conserved pathogen-associated molecular patterns. TLR2 is the receptor for a functional recognition of bacterial lipopeptides (LP) and is up-regulated during various disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and sepsis. This receptor is unique in its ability to form heteromers with TLR1 or TLR6 to mediate intracellular signaling.

TLR1- and TLR6-independent recognition of bacterial lipopeptides.

Bacterial cell walls contain lipoproteins/peptides, which are strong modulators of the innate immune system. Triacylated lipopeptides are assumed to be recognized by TLR2/TLR1-, whereas diacylated lipopeptides use TLR2/TLR6 heteromers for signaling. Following our initial discovery of TLR6-independent diacylated lipopeptides, we could now characterize di- and triacylated lipopeptides (e.