CLINICAL-APPLICATION OF IN-VITRO EXPANSION OF CORD-BLOOD

Expansion of cord blood (CB) haemopoietic cells has been investigated with the aim of reducing cytopenia following transplantation. We inves tigated the increase in total nucleated cells, colony-forming cells (C FC), CD34(+) cells and long-term culture-initiating cells (LTC-IC) by limiting dilution after a 14-day culture of CB CD34(+) cells (5 x 10(3 )/ml) with SCF, IL-3, IL-6, CM-CSF and G-CSF all at 10 ng/ml, On avera ge nucleated cells increased 2500-fold, CD34(+) cells 39-fold and CFU- GM 49-fold with maintenance of BFU-E. The more primitive LTC-IC expand ed on average 2.5-fold. Expansion of a 20% aliquot of a CB donation co uld provide a 5-7-fold increase in progenitor cells, and a 1570-fold i ncrease in post-progenitor cells compared to an untreated donation.