Collection, Processing and Infusion of Marrow

Abstract

One of the functions of the preparative or conditioning regimen before marrow infusion is to create space for the transplanted autologous or allogeneic donor marrow. Marrow for transplantation can be obtained from a healthy related or unrelated donor, or in some cases the patient’s own “autologous” marrow may be used. In both situations, the marrow is harvested, and certain manipulations may be performed, before infusion into the patient after the conditioning regimen has been completed. Intravenously-infused donor or autologous marrow cells reseed in the marrow cavity of the recipient, a process known as “homing”, and start to replicate and differentiate.