HEMATOPOIETIC GROWTH-FACTORS IN AUTOLOGOUS TRANSPLANTATION

Hematopoietic growth factors (HGFs) sustain the survival, proliferatio n and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells and some functions o f mature blood cells. In man several HGFs have been characterised and cloned so far, and this has allowed investigators to confer the ration ale for the clinical application of these molecules in hematology and oncology. In particular G-CSF and GM-CSF are currently utilised to abr ogate the hematological toxicity of chemotherapy for standard and dose -intensified therapy, neutropenia following bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Moreover there has recently been gre at interest in the ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem and progeni tor cells for a variety of applications, such as in vitro tumor cell p urging or for reducing the volume of blood processed by the leukaphere sis. Several combinations of HGFs have been described to sustain the e x vivo survival and proliferation of these cells disclosing new opport unities in the field of stem cells transplants.