by Blake Forman – Technology Networks –
Impairing a particular stem cell surface protein could improve mobilization and availability for transplantation.
Stem cell transplants have become widely used to treat diseases such as cancer, blood disorders and autoimmune diseases where defective stem cells are the root cause. These transplants utilize donor or host hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) collected from the bloodstream.
To harvest HSCs, donors are given a drug that causes HSCs to mobilize from the bone marrow to the blood. However, drugs used to mobilize HSCs often don’t liberate enough of them for the transplant to be effective.
