Quantitation, Mobilization, and Clinical Use of Long-Term Culture-Initiating Cells in Blood Cell Autografts

Mobilized peripheral blood is increasingly used as a source of cells to provide hematopoietic reconstitution in marrow ablated patients. There is controversy as to how the engraftment potential of these preparations should be evaluated. The long-term culture-initiating cell is a very primitive hematopoietic with unique phenotypic feature. The potential role and significance of these cells in peripheral blood cell autografts is discussed.