In a recent study, researchers have developed a new approach to harvest stem cells, which is less aggressive and may reduce the side effects for donors. In general for bone marrow transplantation, the stem cells are harvested from a healthy donor, which are used to treat patients with cancers. At present, the approach which is used for harvesting take a long time, and should inject a growth factor to assist stem cell number which generally leads to side effects.
The latest discovery which is published in Nature Communications, which requires less time for stem cell harvesting, without the use of growth factor. This method was developed by a team of researchers in Australia. In this approach, a newly discovered single molecule antagonist (namely BOP), with an existing molecule (namely AMD3100) combined to mobilize the stem cells found in the bone marrow. The researcher’s team demonstrates that combining these to molecules directly influences the stem cells, so we can observe in the bloodstream within an hour of a single dosage.
A New Way to Harvest Stem Cells Better for Donors:
In present procedure, the patient used to have growth factor injections for several days before the treatment requires. But using the new method, people are free from growth factor injections, and the procedure time becomes reduced to hours.
Till now AMD3100 has been effective in multiplying the number of stem cells when combined with growth factor, but in some patients are facing bone pain, spleen augmentation as a part of side effects, some patients don’t respond well, even their stem cell number also never gets sufficient for a successful transplant.
The scientists found that combined activity of these two molecules (BOP, AMD3100) not only exclude the need of growth factor, but during the transplantation of harvested cells they can able to restore the entire bone marrow system, and there are no side effects.
A major benefit of the discovery is that harvesting stem cells will become more efficient and effective, considerably reducing the stress for donors. Researchers are looking forward to viewing patients benefits from this discovery. Till now successful pre-clinical studies have determined the efficacy of the treatment. A future step is Phase 1 clinical trial to assess the combination of growth factor with BOP molecule, prior to the eventual successful combination of the two small molecules BOP and AMD3100.